Job Description

Remote Option

About Our Company

VIZ Media has been bringing the finest in manga, anime, and global entertainment to Englishspeaking fans across the world for nearly 40 years. From classic series like Dragon Ball, Sailor Moon, and Naruto to current hits like My Hero Academia, Demon Slayer, and Chainsaw Man, we continue to offer the best in action, romance, fantasy, and adventure stories for fans of all ages.

Our critically acclaimed manga, graphic novels, and books have won Eisner, YALSA, and Hugo awards and are available in both print and digital editions, and our premier catalog of anime titles can be seen on TV and via streaming and digital download, as well as in collectible Bluray and DVD sets at major retailers.

Learn more about VIZ Media, anime, and manga at .

Job Summary

VIZ Media, the world leader in Englishlanguage versions of manga and anime (Japanese comics and animation), is looking for a Manager of Global Hardlines & Digital Licensing to join our CPG Licensing & Promotions team. This position will manage hard line and digital accounts across the VIZ portfolio, including Toys/Collectibles, Novelty, Digital/Video Games, Games, Housewares, Sporting Goods, Consumer Electronics, F&B, and Publishing, either directly for domestic business or through agencies for international accounts. The Manager will craft and execute short and longterm hardlines strategy and manage P&L for these business lines. Additionally, the manager will prospect, pitch, and negotiate partner deals and renewals as well as identify category opportunities and provide daytoday account support. This role also works closely with the Approvals/Brand Assurance team on merchandising plans and overseeing the product life cycle.

What youll do:

• Create Hardlines strategy that delivers against broader Consumer Products division strategy
• Daytoday partner management: provide/receive business & brand updates and offer partner support
• Support and manage international agencies and licensees
• Draft deal memos and collect prospective partner information for review and approval with licensors
• Act as key liaison between licensees, agents, retailers, and brand partners, and VIZ internal departments (including but not limited to: Publishing, Marketing/Social, Legal, Finance, & Product Development)
• Manage P&L responsibility including forecasting and tracking partner sales, revenue, and payments
• Build franchise strategy decks, presentations, and sales tools
• Support and build VIZ CP programs and marketing activations to elevate our retail presence
• Identify white space and category expansion opportunities in the hardlines business
• Lead negotiations for new and existing licensees, cobrands, retailers, promotions, and brands
• Manage international agents, providing strategy guidance, relevant business/content updates, sales tools, and daytoday support of business
• Work closely with Brand Assurance/Approvals teams to ensure adherence to the product life cycle/timelines
• Build relationships with our licensor partners, including participating in and creating business review decks
• Collect, review, and approve partner line plans and ensure licensees stay within their production timelines
• Create business update presentations monthly, quarterly, and adhoc reports to licensors
• Compile and review sellin and sellthru reports from partners for review and analysis
• Maintain strong relationships and communications with licensors about brand and partner strategy and business development
• Represent the CPG division at annual conventions, partner summits, trade shows, and client meetings

The ideal candidate has:

• 5+ years of hardlines consumer products licensing experience, especially within digital and toys/collectibles
• 5+ years of experience in positions with a sales function
• Strong network of hardlines industry companies and contacts
• Experience managing P&L with ability to analyze data and interpret financial information
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• High attention to detail and with comfort managing multiple projects and priorities at once.
• Passion for building and maintaining client and other professional relationships.
• Proficiency with Google Suite (Slides & Sheets), Microsoft Office (PowerPoint), Canva, and Keynote. Knowledge of Asana and other project management software is a plus!

Additional preferred experience:

• Knowledge of pop culture, anime, and manga, especially VIZ properties - strongly preferred
• Businesslevel Japanese language proficiency - nice to have, but not required

Location: The Manager, Global Hardlines & Digital Licensing position is open to candidates within the state of California. If local to the San Francisco Bay Area, the candidate should expect to work onsite at least once per week. Some business travel, including internationally, is expected for this role to visit licensees and licensors, participate in trade shows and conventions, and attend retailer meetings. Candidates must be able to travel as needed.

Schedule: This is a Regular FullTime position (40 hours per week) with core hours of 10am to 4pm with some flexibility as needed.

Compensation: $90,000 - $110,000 annually, depending on experience, with additional variable compensation

VIZ Media offers the following benefits to its eligible employees:

• Partially subsidized Health, Dental, and Vision insurance
• 401(k) savings plan including employer matching
• Flexible Spending health and dependent care
• Commuter stipend for inoffice work
• Life Insurance/AD&D/STD/LTD
• Legal & ID Theft insurance
• Group Pet insurance rates
• Paid holidays, vacation, and sick time plus your birthday is a holiday!
• Wellness program, including fitness membership discounts and reimbursement
• Full time casual dress

As part of a multimedia entertainment company, employees may be subjected to workrelated content such as: sexually explicit images, nudity, and graphic violence. Applicants should be willing to work with this type of content.

VIZ Media is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate based on race, color, ethnicity, ancestry, national origin, religion, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, disability, veteran status, genetic information, marital status, or any legally protected status.

Please beware of recent scams to online job seekers. Any email from the VIZ Media recruiting team will come from an @viz.com email address (for example,janedoe@viz.com ) or from our recruiting system Greenhouse (for example,no-reply@greenhouse.io ). If the email is not from one of these addresses, it is not from VIZ Media.

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