Role Overview
ZARO and his friends are the emotional heart of ZaroVerse. Your job is to take those characters outside our own stores and platforms and into the wider world – toys, fashion, food, games, cross-IP collabs and more. As Head of Global Merchandising & Licensing, you'll design and run the global program that puts our characters into other companies' products and worlds, while protecting the integrity of the brand. You'll work closely with ShopZaro, Gaming, Media & Animation, and Web3, and report directly to the founder.
Key Responsibilities
- Build and execute the global licensing strategy for ZaroVerse across toys, apparel, FMCG, QSR, lifestyle, and digital.
- Source, assess, and negotiate partnerships with plush and toy manufacturers, including 'build-your-own' / Stuff-a-Bear–style experiences.
- Partner with brands in fashion, accessories, stationery, home, F&B, and promotions.
- Lead character and brand licensing into third-party games and virtual worlds (skins, characters, in-game events, IP crossovers).
- Design a clear licensing framework: categories, territories, royalty structures, minimum guarantees, terms, and approval flows.
- Create and own brand + character usage guidelines and ensure partners follow them (visual model, tone, ethics).
- Work closely with ShopZaro as an internal licensee, keeping a clean boundary between our own retail P&L and external licensees.
- Collaborate with Head of Gaming & Interactive to make sure cross-IP game content feels natural and fun, not forced.
- Coordinate with Media & Animation on launch calendars, campaigns, and storytelling to support major product launches.
- Build and manage a small Licensing & Merch team over time (category leads, approvals, coordinators).
- Own the licensing P&L and pipeline reporting, including forecasts, renewals, and performance dashboards.
What You'll Bring
- 7–15+ years in consumer products, licensing, merchandising or partnerships for character/IP, entertainment, toys, or lifestyle brands.
- A track record of closing real deals: toy lines, QSR promos, fashion collabs, character or game licensing, or similar.
- Strong negotiation skills and comfort dealing with global partners (brands, factories, distributors, agencies).
- A clear sense of where to scale reach and where to protect the brand – you know when to say no.
- Ability to talk both 'business' and 'creative': from royalty structures to how a character should look and feel.
- Experience building simple, practical processes and documentation instead of bureaucratic complexity.
- Fluent English; additional languages are a plus.