This International firm has a base in the UK and is designer and supplier of officially licensed sports merchandise. They work with some of the biggest names in sport – including Premier League and Scottish football clubs, Rugby firms the NFL, UEFA and FIFA – to bring gifts, souvenirs and accessories to fans through leading retailers, club stores and online channels. They are heavily involved in the Women's/Men's World Cup as well as the EUROS.

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

Graduate Job Title: Product & Licensing Executive

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.

Key responsibilities

Licensing approvals

• Submit concepts, artwork, pre-production and production samples to licensors through their approval portals. Please note we have a design team so you will not be designing (more checking the work)
• 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

About you

Essential

• A keen interest in sport – you follow football, rugby, the NFL or other major sports and understand what fans want
• A degree (or equivalent) in any subject; business, product design, marketing or fashion are a plus
• Excellent organisation – you can juggle lots of products, deadlines and people at once
• Strong attention to detail, especially when checking artwork, logos and specifications
• Confident, clear communication by email and phone, including with overseas suppliers
• The persistence to chase politely until you get an answer
• Good Excel skills and comfortable learning new systems

Desirable

• Work experience or an internship in product, buying, merchandising, licensing or sourcing
• Some understanding of how products are made and shipped from overseas factories

What we offer

• Hands-on training across product development, licensing and sourcing
• Exposure to some of the world's biggest sports brands
• A clear path to progress into a Product Manager role

HOURS OF WORK:

9 – 5.30 Monday – Thursday, 9 – 4pm Friday (1 hour lunch) Office based.

HOLIDAYS/BENEFITS:

22 days holiday plus bank holiday.

Company pension (Aviva)

Discretionary Company Bonus (annual)