Director, License Management

Overview

New Era Cap, LLC. is an international lifestyle brand headquartered in Buffalo, NY with an authentic sports heritage that dates back over 100 years. Best known for being the official on-field cap for MLB, official sideline cap for NFL, and official on-court cap for NBA, New Era Cap is the brand of choice not only for its headwear collection, but also for its accessories and apparel lines for men, women and youth.

The brand is worn as a symbol of self-expression by athletes, artists and some of the most interesting people around the globe. New Era Cap encourages people to truly express their personal style and individuality through its products.

Since 1920, this family-owned business has hired employees who are masters of their craft. We are innovators, architects of culture, experts, and forward thinkers. We demand excellence because we pride ourselves on the quality of our products and the authenticity of our brand.

Interested in working with us? Check out this exciting opportunity at New Era Cap’s Headquarters (HQ) building located in downtown Buffalo, NY. This role is 100% on-site, encouraging employees to collaborate and connect in person five days a week. HQ offers an inviting atmosphere, complete with an on-site café, fitness center, and Flagship store.

Apply to join New Era's team!

The Director, License Management focuses primarily on managing relationships with clubs and leagues to drive licensing business growth within NFL, NBA, and College Football. The position strikes a balance between strategic vision and operational/service details. Its mission is to maximize revenue and brand impact from licensed sports/entertainment merchandise, ensuring that each partnership delivers strong financial returns and enhances the company’s and partners’ brand positioning.

A core responsibility of this role is to translate partnerships into tangible financial results. This involves proactive revenue generation, financial planning, and constant ROI evaluation to ensure each partnership justifies its investment.

• Relationship Building:
  Establish and nurture collaborative relationships with leagues and key clubs. Regularly engage with league and club executives to align goals, share performance insights, and explore new opportunities
• Merchandise Strategy & Assortment Planning:
  Validate the strategic merchandise plan for each major partner. This includes determining the ideal product mix and aligning it with sports calendars and key events
• Negotiation & Contracts:
  Support and inform negotiations for licensing agreements and renewals with clubs and leagues. Ensure contracts reflect favorable terms for revenue growth, brand rights, and exclusive product opportunities. Be an expert in league rights and commitments
• Business Planning:
  Work closely with partners to develop joint business plans and seasonal strategies. Set shared objectives for product launches, marketing campaigns, and retail activations around the sports calendar (such as opening day, playoffs, finals, and other key moments)
• Budgeting & Forecasting:
  Develop annual and multi-year budgets for the clubs/leagues business, incorporating expected royalties, minimum guarantees, marketing investments, and projected sales
• Revenue Growth Initiatives:
  Identify and drive new revenue opportunities within existing partnerships and new ones. This could involve proposing expanded product lines, exclusive fan experiences, or new licensing deals with emerging leagues or high-potential clubs
• Cross-Functional Coordination:
  Coordinate internally with marketing, product development, e-commerce, and merchandising teams to execute partnership initiatives
• License Expert: A resident expert in their specific license(s) who is passionate about the sport/license they manage and is knowledgeable about all activities, games, players, standings and key moments, trends
• Keep all sensitive matters confidential
• Other duties as assigned

• Demonstrated ability to profitably manage and grow a business/category
• Ability to leverage financial principles and systems to maximize business results and EBIT
• Strong verbal and written…