WHAT DOES A LICENSING MANAGER DO?
Reviewed by Lam Nguyen under Editorial Standards
Published: Jan 27, 2026 - The Licensing Manager oversees background investigations, application reviews, and regulatory enforcement to ensure compliance with gaming laws, compacts, and internal policies. This role manages licensing databases, supports hearings and disciplinary actions, and develops quality assurance programs, evaluation processes, and operational forms to maintain program integrity. The manager also trains staff, contributes to budget planning, and helps shape Gaming Commission objectives through continuous improvement of procedures and regulatory practices.
A Review of Professional Skills and Functions for Licensing Manager
1. Licensing Manager Duties
- Partnership Management: Actively manage and cultivate new and existing EMEA, USA and APAC licensing partnerships and renewals across 20+ license accounts for Top Trumps, Monopoly, Cluedo, Risk, and more
- Opportunity Identification: Identify new licensing opportunities based on internal and external feedback and industry trends
- Business Pitching: Pitch for new business and negotiate terms, demonstrating good commercial judgment
- Contract Negotiation: Work closely with the company’s legal team to negotiate and execute licensing contracts
- Team Liaison: Regularly liaise with internal teams to understand their requirements for licensing and to update them on licensing accounts
- Relationship Development: Collaborate and develop strong relationships with overseas teams, providing information and regular strategy and franchise updates as well as understanding and satisfying local market needs and differences
- Event Attendance: Attend industry events, such as Brand Licensing shows and licensor presentations
- System Coordination: Manage and coordinate internal systems with the highest level of detail
2. Senior Licensing Manager Details
- Partnership Management: Identify, evaluate and manage existing licensing partnerships and new business opportunities
- Royalty Analysis: Analyze royalty reports and business plans, monitor contractual spending, and conduct regular analysis of licensee’s sales performance, as well as key areas for business growth and expansion outside of core business operations
- Review Coordination: Arrange quarterly business reviews with licensees to ensure partners are tracking their proposed business plans, in line with the fiscal year licensing budget
- Strategy Communication: Communicate internal distribution strategies to the licensee and synergize with Karl Lagerfeld initiatives, working closely with the Sales Team
- Marketing Support: Work closely with marketing to develop and provide relevant marketing support to partners to increase sell-in and sell-through
- Distribution Monitoring: Monitor and approve global distribution for licensed products, maintaining alignment with internal distribution and sales strategies
- Licensee Liaison: Manage the relationship with the licensees, acting as a key liaison on assigned licenses across multiple categories and geographies
- Trend Understanding: Gain a deep understanding of the licensee’s business, and be on top of the latest trends in the respective category
- Stakeholder Collaboration: Collaborate with internal stakeholder groups in Amsterdam and Paris (marketing, communication, product management, e-commerce, retail, sales, finance) to build support and consensus for the licensing business
3. Senior Licensing Manager Responsibilities
- Process Management: Manage the day-to-day process for licensing and permits
- System Support: Support the Lead in the development of an appropriate management system for recording and reporting of permits, including any issues
- Documentation Organization: Structured approach to management of this element, ensuring there is a simple approach to search/find documentation
- Record Maintenance: Working closely with the Project Controls Centre and team to maintain up-to-date records of all planned dates for achieving the permits and licenses, together with actual dates
- Schedule Input: Provide input to the planning/scheduling team for the robust development of the project baseline delivery programme for each project and align with the overall program-wide baseline delivery schedule
- Team Engagement: Proactive approach to engaging with the various site delivery teams
- Change Recommendation: Recommends and initiates change to project delivery plans, identifies areas of improvement to put forward to the relevant area in business and operating processes
- Stakeholder Interaction: Interacts with clients and other stakeholders to ensure that objectives are being met
- Relationship Management: Manages external relationships important for project delivery (e.g., statutory authorities)
- Network Building: Establishes and maintains excellent working relationships with architects, M&E consultants, structural and civil engineers, building surveyors, structural surveyors, property consultants, planning consultants, contractors, cost consultants, and other specialists
- Peer Collaboration: Builds and maintains networks with peer project teams and other disciplines
4. Legal Licensing Manager Accountabilities
- License Applications: Prepare liquor license applications for new restaurants
- License Renewals: Process liquor license renewals for existing restaurants
- Licensing Guidance: Guide on liquor licensing issues including violations, marketing questions and M&A transactions
- Officer Changes: Process officer and manager changes
- Project Support: Responsible for special projects and special events
- Regulation Monitoring: Stay apprised of new and existing governmental regulations and restrictions governing the sale, distribution, and use of alcoholic beverages
- Status Monitoring: Monitor the status of suspended licenses
- License Disposition: Handle disposition of suspended licenses
- Database Maintenance: Maintain and update License Database
- File Management: Maintain and update license files, process related expenses and manage distribution of licenses
- Renewal Preparation: Prepare and submit operational license renewals
- Document Maintenance: Maintain and update various licensing documents (i.e., Manager Update, General Questions, Special Events, etc.) and procedures
- Agency Relations: Establish and maintain a positive rapport with state, county and local governmental agencies
- Permit Guidance: Guide on operational permit issues including violations
- Permit Applications: Prepare operational permit applications for new restaurants (e.g., business licenses, etc.)
5. Commercial Licensing Manager Functions
- Partnership Development: Driving partnerships with prospective customers and seeking new technology partnerships
- Lead Collaboration: Collaborating with the Marketing Manager to pursue qualified leads
- Tender Development: Developing competitive and commercially profitable tenders for customers in partnership with regional Sales, Engineering and Finance
- Budget Forecasting: Participating in the budgeting process for the business by forecasting and understanding the go-get analysis
- Process Management: Managing the process from post-contract signature to handover to the Engineering teams
- Performance Review: Conducting systematic reviews of tender win/loss ratios, extrapolating the learning and sharing best practices with licensing
- Technical Leadership: Provide technical leadership for license support, including FNM support, but to drive the integration of OPEN IT
- License Installation: Install new license files, ahead of license expiry dates and ad-hoc license updates
- FNM Tasks: Undertake FNM-associated tasks
- Log Checking: Check log generation, rotation, and aggregation
- Report Creation: Create ad hoc license reports, etc.
- IT Compliance: Work with and adhere to customer operational IT processes (Incident, Problem, Change Management, etc.)
6. Licensing Manager Overview
- Partner Liaison: Liaison with current licensing partners including but not limited to Hasbro, Kikkoman, Toei, Huy Fong Foods, Cartoon Network, Marvel, and more
- Timeline Coordination: Coordinate product timelines, marketing timelines, and strategic initiatives with each partner
- Term Negotiation: Coordinate and negotiate with prospective partners on royalty rates and contractual terms
- Approval Coordination: Coordination of product approvals, sample approvals, and category development
- Royalty Liaison: Liaison with the accounting department and licensing partners on royalty schedules and calculations
- Opportunity Research: Research and outreach for new licensing opportunities with relevant brands and properties
- Executive Reporting: Report directly to the Chief Creative Officer and the CEO
- Strategy Analysis: Understand and analyze business objectives and economics to formulate a licensing strategy accordingly
- Industry Relationship: Establish a strong relationship with music publishers, labels, artists and other stakeholders in the music industry
- Deal Negotiation: Lead the negotiation to achieve the business objectives
- Deal Follow-Up: Post-licensing, follow up with the stakeholders to make sure the deliverables are on track and analyze the impacts once the deal is effective
- Contract Processing: Ensure the review, follow-up and processing of contracts and payments related to the licensing of musical works, in partnership with the legal, accounting and music owners
- Team Support: Provide support to the wider legal and licensing team on broader commercial initiatives and strategic planning
- Trend Analysis: Analyze new trends and music business models of the music industry
7. Licensing Manager Details and Accountabilities
- Opportunity Identification: Identifies new sales opportunities for MPLC
- Market Understanding: Maintains a deep understanding of MPLC markets, pricing, processes, and sales techniques, and client needs
- Team Oversight: Oversees assigned Licensing Sales Team activities and operations
- CRM Review: Reviews CRM workflow such as history, activities, opportunities, campaigns, leads, and overall pipeline progress
- Communication Review: Reviews Licensing Sales Representative client communications such as emails, letters, and phone calls
- Target Assurance: Ensures the team meets monthly and quarterly targets
- Executive Advising: Advises the Vice President of Licensing on Licensing Sales Representative team strengths and opportunities
- Team Coaching: Manages and coaches the assigned Team
- Team Collaboration: Inspires Team collaboration
- Motivation Creation: Creates a motivating environment
- Training Identification: Identifies Team training and development needs
- Meeting Conducting: Conducts weekly Team and individual meetings
- Pipeline Management: Maintains and builds own sales pipeline
- Client Engagement: Engages in face-to-face client meetings and trade shows
8. Licensing Manager Tasks
- Applicant Assessment: Determine a need to meet with applicants regarding the criminal background and/or other application issues
- Issue Resolution: Assist and direct in the resolution
- Revocation Approval: Approve notice of revocation and suspension of license/certification for individuals or vendors with unresolved or unfavorable background information
- Hearing Participation: Participate in appeal hearings, prepare and present exhibits as documentation for license denials, suspensions, revocations and suitability hearings
- Violation Investigation: Investigate license-related violations of the Gaming Compact/Code, Gaming regulations, NIGC regulations and the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act
- Database Maintenance: Develop and maintain a database on all Gaming Regulatory/Casino employees and vendor licensing/certification applicants and related information
- Regulatory Compliance: Ensure compliance with the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, National Indian Gaming Commission (NIGC) Regulations, the Gaming Compact, Tribal Codes, Regulations, and Policies and Procedures
- Quality Assurance: Develop, implement and monitor quality assurance programs to ensure compliance with the Gaming Compact, Ordinance and internal controls, which safeguard tribal assets
- Policy Evaluation: Evaluate policies, procedures and practices for accomplishing program objectives
- Process Evaluation: Develop and maintain an effective evaluation process
- Form Development: Develop and/or revise forms necessary for the operation of the licensing process and procedures
- Employee Training: Train and develop employees regarding background investigations, licensing processes, and relevant laws, rules and regulations
- Budget Participation: Participate in budget development
- Objective Development: Participate in the development of Gaming Commission objectives
9. Licensing Manager Roles
- Process Creation: Create, own and implement Borrego Licensing Standard Processes and Tools
- Database Maintenance: Create and maintain a transparent licensing database for company-wide use
- Team Assistance: Assist Account Managers and Operations teams with licensing qualifications and questions
- KPI Tracking: Create, maintain and track key performance indicators
- Progress Monitoring: Monitor the progress and success of the Contracts team
- Process Improvement: Participate in continuous improvement efforts as identified to support licensing efforts
- Committee Coordination: Facilitate coordination with the Licensing Oversight Committee
- License Requirements: Identify requirements to obtain and maintain licenses associated with planned EPC growth
- License Coordination: Coordinate the efforts to obtain required licenses within identified timelines
10. Licensing Manager Additional Details
- Criteria Establishment: Establish criteria to qualify as an internal license holder
- Program Facilitation: Facilitate GC and Trade licensing compensation program for BSSI license holders
- Requirement Communication: Communicate jurisdiction-specific Contract or Scope requirements within the EPC group
- License Support: Support license holders with tracking and meeting requirements to maintain and renew licenses in use by Borrego
- Practice Engagement: Ensure license holders are engaged in how to practice in that state, to make sure they are in agreement
- Requirement Identification: Identify requirements to obtain and maintain licenses and/or certifications associated with planned EPC growth
- License Coordination: Coordinate the efforts to obtain required licenses and certifications within identified timelines
- Certification Facilitation: Facilitate the state Engineering Certifications compensation program for BSSI certification holders
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Editorial Process
Lamwork content is developed through structured review of publicly available job postings and documented hiring trends.
Editorial operations are managed by Thanh Huyen, Managing Editor, with research direction and final oversight by Lam Nguyen, Founder & Editorial Lead. Content is periodically reviewed to reflect observable labor market changes.