Senior Manager, Partner & Licensing Integration Strategy

Who We Are

2K is headquartered in Novato, California and is a wholly owned label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO). Founded in 2005, 2K Games is a global video game company, publishing titles developed by some of the most influential game development studios in the world. Our studios responsible for developing 2K’s portfolio of world-class games across multiple platforms, include Visual Concepts, Firaxis, Hangar 13, CatDaddy, Cloud Chamber, 31st Union, HB Studios, and 2K SportsLab. Our portfolio of titles is expanding due to our global strategic plan, building and acquiring exciting studios whose content continues to inspire all of us! 2K publishes titles in today’s most popular gaming genres, including sports, shooters, action, role-playing, strategy, casual, and family entertainment.

Our team of engineers, marketers, artists, writers, data scientists, producers, thinkers and doers, are the professional publishing stewards of 2K’s portfolio currently includes several AAA, sports and entertainment brands, including global powerhouse NBA®️ 2K,  renowned BioShock®️, Borderlands®️, Mafia, Sid Meier’s Civilization®️ and XCOM®️ brands; popular WWE®️ 2K and WWE®️ SuperCard franchises, TopSpin 2K25, as well as the critically and commercially acclaimed PGA TOUR®️ 2K

At 2K, we pride ourselves on creating an inclusive work environment, which means encouraging our teams to Come as You Are and do your best work! We encourage ALL applicants to explore our global positions, even if they don’t meet every requirement for the role.  If you're interested in the job and think you have what it takes to work at 2K, we encourage you to apply!

What We Need

Founded in 2005, 2K Games globally publishes world class games across a range of AAA genres built by some of the most influential game development studios in the world, including Visual Concepts, HB Studios, Hangar 13, Gearbox, CatDaddy, Cloud Chamber and Firaxis. We are proud to publish critically acclaimed franchises including PGA TOUR 2K, NBA 2K, WWE 2K, Borderlands, LEGO 2K Drive, Marvel’s Midnight Suns, Sid Meier’s Civilization, XCOM, Mafia and more.

The Senior Manager of Partner & Licensing Integration Strategy is a member of the 2K Sports Product team and is responsible for strategically driving player delight and commercial growth through the development and execution of innovative, ROI-positive partner and license activations within and across the 2K Sports portfolio of titles (WWE 2K, PGA TOUR 2K, TopSpin 2K, and more).  

You will partner closely with your peers on the Product team to identify new immediate and future-focused partnership/licensing-related opportunities and franchise feature recommendations.  You will collaborate with our Studios to develop comprehensive product, feature and cross-portfolio strategies that expand existing business opportunities and identify/enable new high potential partner and activation opportunities.  You will work hand in hand with the Partnerships and Licensing Team to align on an optimized process for communicating key product concepts and requirements, enabling the Partnerships Team to pitch sponsorships to maximize paid partners and the Licensing team to pursue strategic licenses and target rights in the most efficient, comprehensive, and cost effective manner possible.  Finally, you will work with our partners in Analytics to develop a framework for measuring, analyzing and reporting the impact and ROI of 2K Sports partnership and licensing integrations to both internal and external stakeholders. 

What You Will Do

Be a Licensing Organizing Force & Paid Partnerships Accelerator for our Franchises

• Work closely with the Partnerships team to determine overall viability, specific challenges and unique rights requirements for various implementations & activations
• Build detailed, franchise-specific partner/licensing-focused feature recommendations through the Investment process (for both new projects and incremental releases for existing franchises) and collaborate with Product Management to prioritize the full range of franchise recommendations for future releases
• Lead the dialogue with each Studio to ideate, evaluate, workshop and refine both evergreen and opportunistic brand/license product integration opportunities
• Identify opportunities for integrating brand/licensing partners across multiple franchises in the 2K Sports portfolio in a connected and amplified manner
• Collaborate with the Partnerships team to build, maintain and optimize a new brand/license product integration workflow designed to streamline the negotiation process for Partnerships and external partners, while also opening the door for more innovative and creative rights negotiations 
• Partner with our Production and Legal teams to devise a new, more streamlined process for scheduling, securing, approving and delivering assets 
• Work with external partners, Studios, Legal and Production to execute and optimize the more streamlined process over time, maximizing efficiency and minimizing costs related to inaccurate, late arriving, or otherwise sub-optimal asset delivery

Be a Subject Matter and Insights Expert in License and Partner Integration Performance

• Develop and maintain a best-in-class understanding of partner and license integrations in 2K Sports games as well as competing Sports gaming products across the industry
• Analyze existing and historical brand and license integrations in 2K Sports franchises to identify ROI positive opportunities for expansion and/or reactivation
• Collaborate with the appropriate research teams to develop various player touchpoints for gaining valuable community insights and feedback on past/current brand/license integrations and inform future brand/license integration strategy
• Partner with Analytics to develop a KPI framework and quantitative measures for success for each brand/license deal and/or activation, enabling more informed future deal evaluation, decision making, rights requirements, etc. 
• Re-evaluate every element of the current brand/license integration workflow, including the process for sharing brand/license integration concepts, brand/license targets, collaborating on rights requirements to provide maximum integration flexibility and determining the right altitude and frequency for external reporting
• Work with Analytics & Partnerships teams to prepare a framework and related resources (eg Dashboards) for presenting post-deal and/or post-activation performance analysis to internal, Studio and external/Partner stakeholders while maintaining ownership of the overall performance narrative and appetite/possibilities for future collaboration 

Drive Innovative Partner and License Strategy

• Partner with the Product, Commercial, Marketing and cross-functional teams to identify new potential strategic product integration opportunities, as well as identify partners who may be a potential fit

Who We Think Will Be a Great Fit

The ideal candidate for this role is curious about player and partner motivations, passionate about delivering outstanding user experiences and data-driven in evaluating opportunities and making decisions. You seek the ‘WHY’ before determining the ‘HOW’.  You excel working cross-functionally to solve big questions and find new ways to build value for our players and our business.  You are an exceptional communicator capable of presenting critical information to all levels of leadership.  Perhaps most importantly, you care deeply about your partners and strive to build strong, trust-based relationships.

• 5+ years of direct experience in Partnerships, Licensing and/or Product roles
• Highly organized, energetic, flexible, collaborative, and proactive team member and natural leader who can effectively and efficiently manage both strategic and tactical operational initiatives
• Adept at identifying, communicating, managing, and mitigating risks; the best candidates are able to look around corners and see risks others do not
• Ability to manage ambiguity and devise solutions to challenging problems
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, and able to work collaboratively across numerous internal and external teams
• Working understanding of live services mechanics and strategies across AAA genres and franchises today (both premium and Free-2-Play) is a plus
• Strong knowledge of relevant brands and partners across sports and professional leagues associated with 2K Sports franchises
• Experience in developing long-term partnership growth plans and executing against those plans
• Strong partner relationship management and solution development skills 
• Possesses a network of relationships with partners, potential partners, competitors to aid in opportunity identification 
• Ability to communicate, lead, influence and drive results at all levels (from senior executives to individual contributors) and all functions (such as engineering, marketing, sales, services, finance and legal) in a complex technical and evolving business environment and under conditions of fast pace and ambiguity 
• Experience working with global teams across time zones and geographies preferred 
• Inclusive and collaborative – driving teamwork and cross-team alignment 
• Strong executive presence including communication and presentation skills 
• Problem solving mentality leveraging internal and/or external resources, conflict resolution, and follow through with partners 
• Ability to travel globally and locally to visit partners and teams up to 25% of the time. 

As an equal opportunity employer, we are committed to ensuring that qualified individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, perform their essential job functions, and receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us if you need reasonable accommodation.

Please note that 2K Games and its studios never use instant messaging apps or personal email accounts to contact prospective employees or conduct interviews and when emailing, only use 2K.com accounts.
The pay range for this position in California at the start of employment is expected to be between $115,000 and $165,000 per Year. However, base pay offered is based on market location, and may vary further depending on individualized factors for job candidates, such as job-related knowledge, skills, experience, and other objective business considerations. Subject to those same considerations, the total compensation package for this position may also include other elements, including a bonus and/or equity awards, in addition to a full range of medical, financial, and/or other benefits. Details of participation in these benefit plans will be provided if an employee receives an offer of employment. If hired, employee will be in an 'at-will position' and the company reserves the right to modify base salary (as well as any other discretionary payment or compensation or benefit program) at any time, including for reasons related to individual performance, company or individual department/team performance, and market factors.