Hybrid Licensing Manager

at Sun Belle LLC

• Job title: Licensing Manager
• Job type: Full Time
• Experience level: Senior, Lead
• Salary: Not specified
• Degree requirement: Bachelor's Degree
• Location requirements: Hybrid, Petrolina, Brazil

About the role

• Licensing Manager overseeing Sun World protected fruit varieties development in Brazil. Focusing on business growth, relationships with growers and nurseries while managing operational and administrative tasks.

Responsibilities

• The Licensing Manager manages the development of Sun World protected fruit varieties in Brazil.
• This position will focus on grapes, mangos & citrus.
• Build the business - Identify opportunities to develop business and prepare annual action plans for Brazil.
• Promote the Sun World table grape, mango and citrus proprietary fruit programs to licensees and non licensees with objective data and promotional material on new varieties.
• Build relationships with Licensees and other stakeholders - Marketers – schedule regular meetings to discuss market conditions, product demand and variety development.
• Growers – plan regular visits to table grape, mango & citrus properties to foster relationships and keep growers abreast of Sun World variety development.
• Nurseries – regular visits to licensed nurseries to discuss variety development, future demand for vines and ways to collectively deliver a better service to licensed growers.
• Potential licensees – meet with and maintain dialogue with potential licensed marketers, nurseries and growers of Sun World varieties.
• Support services – maintain connection with Sun World personnel who deal with our lawyers and accountants in California as well as with Sun World farming staff on performance of grape, mango and citrus varieties on Company farms.
• Improve efficiencies and reduce risks - Nursery – manage rapid multiplication processes, foundation blocks, new variety establishment and plant material inventory.
• Production – develop benchmarking systems to measure vineyard/orchard productivity drivers and remit back to growers.
• Security - Improve the security of Sun World’s IP through better monitoring and auditing of plantings and fruit sales.
• Administration – work on document systems and control, information collection and communication with Sun World licensees and affiliates.
• Variety evaluation and protection - Work closely with Sun World Variety Development team to identify suitable varieties to test and commercialize.
• Be involved in the variety evaluation process.
• Assess where Sun World varieties fit in the US and export marketplace with regard to competitor varieties and determine a clearer competitive position for each brand or variety.
• Work closely with IP Manager on variety protection.
• Technical support - Coordinate technical support to licensed growers to optimize production and outcomes.
• Plant orders - Manage the annual plant order process liaising between nurseries and growers, including Sun World’s own needs.
• Post-seasonal analysis - Collect and collate fruit royalty data and prepare consolidated information for marketers on seasonal outcomes.
• Monitor grower performance regarding yields and returns, communicate outcomes growers individually and assess any possible instances of unlawful sales.
• Budgets and forecasting - Prepare annual revenue and expenditure budgets and maintain a production forecast model for Brazil.
• Administrative - Manage the preparation and implementation of agreements and oversee timely invoicing and collection of royalties.

Requirements

• Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Science, Business or similar preferred, OR equivalent experience.
• Minimum 10 years in agriculture industry preferably with exposure to, and familiarity with, fruit and the producer community.
• Experience with table grapes, mangoes and/or citrus preferred.
• Familiarity with proprietary fruit varieties, the fruit breeding and plant propagation processes.
• Fluency in English required.
• Fluency in Portuguese strongly preferred; however, Spanish is also acceptable.
• Supervisory experience preferred.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills; written and verbal fluency in English required.
• Highly responsive and organized.
• Proficiency using Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, Teams, PowerPoint)
• Ability to travel 3 days per week on average within the Northeast region of Brazil.
• Ability to travel to international locations (California & Peru) to attend meetings, trainings or seminars. Can expect 4 trips per year lasting 7 – 10 days each trip.

Benefits

• Ability to work outside of normal business hours when required, including nights and weekends.
• Ability to work in fast-paced, demanding environment.