About the Role:

Teachstone is seeking a Director of IP Licensing & Partnerships to help shape how our intellectual property, content, data, and AI-enabled capabilities are protected, extended, and translated into long-term business value.

This role sits at the intersection of product, legal, technology, and go-to-market strategy. You will lead the evaluation, structuring, negotiation, and operationalization of strategic partnerships while helping establish scalable frameworks for IP governance, licensing, and responsible innovation.

This is a highly cross-functional leadership role requiring strong strategic judgment, comfort operating in ambiguity, and the ability to balance innovation with business, legal, and operational risk. This role requires up to 25% travel.
What You'll Be Responsible For:
Strategic Partnerships & External Relationships

• Identify, evaluate, and prioritize strategic partnership opportunities across technology, research, AI, content, distribution, and platform ecosystems
• Lead partnership lifecycle management from opportunity assessment through negotiation, launch, governance, and ongoing performance evaluation
• Structure and negotiate agreements including licensing, integrations, co-development partnerships, vendor relationships, and data-sharing arrangements
• Conduct vendor and partner evaluations with a focus on strategic fit, scalability, security, operational complexity, and long-term business value
• Develop clear recommendations on whether opportunities should move forward, evolve, or be discontinued

Intellectual Property Strategy & Governance

• Partner closely with Legal and Product leadership to operationalize Teachstone's IP strategy across content, products, data, and AI-enabled experiences
• Help establish governance frameworks and guardrails related to AI usage, derivative outputs, data rights, content licensing, and video-based technologies
• Support protection and responsible extension of company intellectual property, trademarks, frameworks, and proprietary content
• Identify and proactively mitigate risks related to IP misuse, licensing exposure, data governance, and partnership obligations
• Work alongside external counsel and internal stakeholders on licensing structures, partnership agreements, and IP-related matters

Commercial Strategy & Monetization

• Contribute to pricing, packaging, and monetization models for IP-driven offerings and partnerships
• Support build vs. buy vs. partner evaluations with a strong strategic and financial perspective
• Ensure partnerships align to product strategy, customer outcomes, operational readiness, and long-term company goals
• Help translate emerging market opportunities into actionable business recommendations

Cross-Functional Leadership

• Partner across Product, Engineering, Legal, Growth, Operations, and Executive Leadership teams
• Translate complex agreements into operational plans with clear ownership, dependencies, and success measures
• Drive alignment across stakeholders with competing priorities and perspectives
• Help establish scalable internal processes for evaluating and managing partnerships and licensing opportunities

Performance & Strategic Insights

• Define and track partnership success metrics including strategic impact, adoption, revenue contribution, operational leverage, and risk exposure
• Monitor partnership performance and recommend scale, optimization, renegotiation, or exit decisions
• Bring a strong point of view on market trends, strategic opportunities, and emerging risks in AI, content, and education technology

What We're Looking For:
Experience

• 8+ years of experience in strategic partnerships, business development, product strategy, licensing, IP-related roles, or adjacent leadership functions
• Experience structuring and negotiating complex partnership, licensing, or vendor agreements
• Experience working closely with external counsel and internal legal teams
• Experience evaluating third-party vendors, platforms, or strategic technology partners
• Experience operating within product or technology organizations, not solely marketing or channel partnerships
• Experience managing cross-functional initiatives with executive visibility

Skills & Capabilities

• Strong strategic, commercial, and operational judgment
• Ability to navigate ambiguity and build scalable frameworks
• Comfortable operating across legal, technical, product, and business conversations
• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills
• Ability to influence decision-making across all levels of the organization
• Able to move effectively between strategy and execution

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with AI-enabled products, data governance, or responsible AI practices
• Experience with content licensing, research-based IP, or media/content ecosystems
• Background in SaaS, edtech, platform, analytics, or learning technology environments
• Familiarity with video-based technologies, data-rich products, or AI-driven platforms

What We Offer:

Fair, Competitive Pay: We ensure equal pay for equal work, using consistent salary bands based on market benchmarks, reviewed annually. Prior salaries, negotiation skills, or fear of conflict don't influence your pay.
Salary Range: $140,000 - $160,000, determined by your experience and skills.
Comprehensive Benefits: Medical/dental, 401(k), PTO, insurance, development opportunities. Details provided at offer Eligibility depends on your role and employment status.