Graduate Product & Licensing Executive – Sports sector

Job description

About

Our client is an International UK-based designer and supplier of officially licensed sports merchandise. Working with some of the biggest names in the sporting sector – including Premier League and Scottish football clubs, the NFL, UEFA and FIFA.

We are a close-knit, fast-moving team where graduates get real responsibility early and see their work on shelves and in club shops.

Job Title: Graduate Product & Licensing Executive – Sports sector

Department: Licensed Sports – Product Licensing

Reports to: Product Manager

The role

You will keep licensed sports ranges moving from design to delivery. Working alongside the product, design and sourcing teams, you will manage licensor approvals, get approved artwork to our factories, and track every product against its critical path – chasing where needed so launches land on time.

This is an ideal first step for a graduate who loves sport and wants a career in product development, licensing or sourcing.

Please note this role is available to start NOW – so we are looking at candidates who have already graduated.

Key responsibilities

Licensing approvals

• Submit concepts, artwork, pre-production and production samples to licensors through their approval portals

• Track every submission, record feedback and make sure comments are actioned before resubmitting

• Keep an accurate approvals log so nothing goes into production without sign-off

• Make sure products meet each licensor's brand guidelines, including logos, trademarks, hologram and labelling requirements

Artwork and factory liaison

• Send approved artwork, tech packs and specifications to factories, checking they are the final approved versions

• Follow up with factories on samples, colour matching and packaging proofs

• Check samples against approved artwork and flag any differences early

Critical path management

• Build and maintain critical paths for each range, from concept to shipment

• Monitor key dates – approvals, sampling, production, delivery – and flag risks to the Product Manager

• Chase licensors, factories and internal teams to keep projects on schedule

• Give clear, regular status updates to the wider team

Product and commercial support

• Help with range planning, product briefs and new product development

• Maintain product and SKU information, including costings and product data sheets

• Support licensing admin such as product submissions, royalty reporting data and contract compliance checks

• Keep up with trends across sport, licensing and retail