OverviewThe Director, CPG Food Categories is a high-impact leadership role in charge of spearheading the commercial success of Paramount's iconic IP within the North American food and beverage landscape. You will lead the end-to-end business strategy for CPG, transforming fan-favorite franchises into tangible products on grocery and retail shelves. This role requires a blend of strategic vision, financial rigor, and expert negotiation skills to manage a portfolio of licensees while identifying new market opportunities for long-term growth.
Responsibilities- Strategic Planning & Market Expansion
- Define and execute the long-term growth strategy for North American food categories, ensuring alignment with broader franchise goals
- Identify and exploit "white space" opportunities, sourcing new partners to expand Paramount's footprint into untapped food verticals
- Monitor industry trends, consumer behavior, and retail shifts to keep the portfolio competitive and innovative
- Partnership & Deal Negotiation
- Lead the end-to-end licensing lifecycle: sourcing, vetting, and negotiating complex commercial terms for global and regional CPG partners
- Secure favorable royalty rates, robust minimum guarantees, and contractual terms that protect brand integrity and maximize revenue
- Manage a diverse licensee portfolio, resolving operational issues and ensuring high levels of partner performance and satisfaction
- Financial Accountability & Operations
- Maintain full commercial accountability for assigned categories, including building annual revenue forecasts
- Track and assess royalty forecasts, delivering detailed quarterly performance reports and budget reconciliations to senior executive leadership
- Drive category business vision by setting clear revenue targets and growth objectives for the team
- Brand Stewardship & Product Development
- Oversee the licensing of Paramount franchises across all food product categories to ensure they meet Paramount's high-quality standards and brand-safe requirements
- Collaborate with creative and product development teams to review and approve product submissions, ensuring they resonate with the target demographic
- Ensure all consumables comply with relevant safety standards and nutritional guidelines
- Cross-Functional Leadership
- Partner with Retail teams to support licensees with retail sell-in
- Serve as the primary liaison between Legal, Finance, Brand Management and Marketing, and Product Development to advance licensed products from concept to shelf proficiently
- Provide leadership and strategic direction to internal teams, fostering a culture of collaboration and commercial excellence
Basic Qualifications- 8-12 years of professional experience in brand licensing, consumer products, or CPG management
- Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Business, or a related field
- Proven ability to manage budgets, forecast revenue, and interpret complex financial statements and proposals
- A track record of closing high-value deals with major corporate partners
- Exceptional executive presence with the ability to pitch strategies and present data to senior-level stakeholders
Additional Qualifications- Experience in Food & Beverage highly preferred
- MBA is a plus
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Hiring Salary Range: $125,000.00 - 185,000.00.
The hiring salary range for this position applies to New York City, California, Colorado, Washington state, and most other geographies. Starting pay for the successful applicant depends on a variety of job-related factors, including but not limited to geographic location, market demands, experience, training, and education. The benefits available for this position include medical, dental, vision, 401(k) plan, life insurance coverage, disability benefits, tuition assistance program and PTO or, if applicable, as otherwise dictated by the appropriate Collective Bargaining Agreement. This position is bonus eligible.
What We Offer:- Attractive compensation and comprehensive benefits packages. Check out our full list of benefits here: https://www.paramount.com/careers/benefits
- Generous paid time off.
- An exciting and fulfilling opportunity to be part of one of Paramount's most dynamic teams.
- Opportunities for both on-site and virtual engagement events.
- Unique opportunities to make meaningful connections and build a vibrant community, both inside and outside the workplace.
- Explore life at Paramount: https://www.paramount.com/careers/life-at-paramount
