Purple

Director of Licensing

Purple

full-time

Posted on:

Location Type: Hybrid

Location: Utah • United States

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Salary

💰 $161,500 - $190,000 per year

Job Level

Lead

About the role

  • Develop and implement a comprehensive IP licensing strategy aligned with Purple’s strategic growth priorities.
  • Partner with Finance to develop pro forma P&L and business plans for the licensing strategy.
  • Identify and evaluate licensing opportunities across new product categories, geographies, and brand extension channels.
  • Build and maintain a pipeline of prospective licensees, from initial outreach through signed agreement.
  • Lead negotiations for inbound and outbound licensing deals, including royalty structures, exclusivity terms, territory rights, and quality standards.
  • Define category, territory, and channel licensing priorities by building white-space analyses, evaluating strategic fit, and recommending where Purple should (and should not) extend its brand and technologies.
  • Partner with IP counsel to translate licensing priorities into IP portfolio recommendations (e.g., filing focus areas, claim scope needs, and brand protection priorities).
  • Support IP counsel with commercialization inputs for patents, trademarks, and trade secrets (including GelFlex Grid® and related comfort technologies), ensuring licensing use cases and differentiation are reflected in protection strategies.
  • Monitor market activity and competitive offerings for potential IP misuse; document findings and escalate to IP counsel, supporting investigations and enforcement decisions with business impact assessments as needed.
  • Lead ongoing licensee compliance oversight (contractual obligations, brand standards, quality requirements), coordinating with Legal and internal stakeholders to address gaps and drive corrective action.
  • Manage existing licensing relationships to maximize value and ensure performance standards are met.
  • Lead licensee onboarding and go-to-market governance, including product briefs, internal approvals, packaging/claims review, and launch timelines to ensure a consistent brand and consumer experience.
  • Serve as the primary point of contact for licensees, fostering strong, long-term partnerships.
  • Collaborate with Sales/Wholesale teams to align licensing activity with broader channel strategy.
  • Own licensing revenue forecasting, royalty tracking, and reporting.
  • Develop business cases and ROI analyses for new licensing opportunities.
  • Own royalty reporting governance, including defining reporting requirements, verifying statements, managing audit rights and periodic royalty audits, and ensuring accurate and timely royalty payments.
  • Establish internal licensing governance, including an approval cadence, decision rights, escalation paths, and documentation standards to enable timely, well-controlled deal decisions.
  • Partner with Product and R&D to identify licensable innovations, define licensing-ready use cases, and package technology value propositions for external partners.
  • Partner with Marketing to set brand-extension guardrails (positioning, claims, packaging, and creative guidelines) and ensure licensed programs uphold Purple’s premium brand standards.
  • Coordinate with Legal on licensing contract terms, including drafting, reviewing, negotiating, and executing agreements, and support issue resolution throughout the contract lifecycle.

Requirements

  • Bachelor’s degree in Business, Law, Marketing, or a related field
  • 8+ years of experience in licensing, business development, or IP commercialization — preferably in consumer goods, home furnishings, or adjacent industries.
  • Demonstrated track record of negotiating and closing complex licensing deals.
  • Strong understanding of intellectual property (IP) fundamentals, including patents, trademarks, and trade dress.
  • Excellent analytical skills, including experience building financial models and royalty forecasts.
  • Outstanding communication and negotiation skills; comfortable presenting to senior leadership and external partners.
  • Preferred JD or advanced degree in Business, Law, or an intellectual property (IP)-related field.
  • Experience with retail and wholesale licensing in the sleep, home goods, or consumer wellness industries.
  • Familiarity with manufacturing-enabled licensing models (e.g., contract manufacturing paired with technology and/or brand rights).
  • Experience with brand licensing in an omnichannel environment (DTC, retail, and e-commerce).
Benefits
  • Medical, Dental, Vision
  • 401(k) Match
  • Flexible PTO
  • Earn a Mattress
  • Purple Swag
  • Amazing Purple Products
Applicant Tracking System Keywords

Tip: use these terms in your resume and cover letter to boost ATS matches.

Hard Skills & Tools
licensing strategyP&L developmentroyalty structuresnegotiationfinancial modelingroyalty forecastingIP fundamentalscontract draftingbusiness developmentIP commercialization
Soft Skills
analytical skillscommunication skillsnegotiation skillsrelationship managementcollaborationproblem-solvingleadershippresentation skillsorganizational skillsstrategic thinking
Certifications
Bachelor's degreeJD or advanced degree in BusinessJD or advanced degree in Lawadvanced degree in IP-related field