Director Brand Partnerships & Licensing

TEAM:  Partnerships

CLIENT: Portfolio

REPORTING TO: Business Director

ABOUT US

tms unites technology, marketing, and sourcing to drive transformational change for the world’s leading brands. With 1,200+ employees across 26 countries, we offer an impressive range of solutions – from inspiration and innovation to category management and delivery.

Operating as a creative agency, a strategic consultancy, a sourcing business, and a technology provider, we engage with over 110 million customers every single day for our clients, including McDonald’s, T-Mobile, O2, Starbucks, and adidas.

Most importantly, we're a place where you can achieve great things, and be recognized as the best.

WHAT MATTERS THE MOST

Breakthrough, business-driving ideas come from extraordinary people with the freedom to be their most authentic selves at work. Authenticity and diversity are critical elements of our business. They can only be realized when we create access and equity for all. We foster a culture of inclusion and belonging and aspire to be ever-evolving.

tms is a place where brilliant people are better together. If you want your ideas to be heard and to contribute to a culture of inclusion and authenticity, bring us your voice! Visit us at tmsw.com.

At tms we believe that from day one our job is to prepare you, develop you, train you and invest in you so that while with us you will become ready to take on the next challenge better prepared than you thought possible. So whether you’re here for a meeting, a project, or a career – be prepared to Leave Changed.

WHY WE THINK YOU WILL LOVE THIS ROLE 

Partnerships are a critical part of how our clients drive engagement, loyalty and brand relevance.

As Partnerships Director, you will lead the development, negotiation and delivery of high-value brand partnerships across a portfolio of major global clients. You will combine commercial acumen, industry relationships and strategic thinking to identify and secure partnerships that create tangible value for both clients and partner brands.

This role sits at the centre of client strategy, partner ecosystems and commercial deal making. You will act as a senior advisor to clients, represent tms in the market, and lead a team responsible for identifying, structuring and delivering partnership opportunities.

You’ll be joining a global team working with some of the world’s most recognised brands to design programmes that reach millions of consumers every day. You’ll have the opportunity to shape partnership strategies for major global clients while building your own network and reputation in the industry and you’ll work alongside a team that values collaboration, ambition and delivering work that makes a real commercial difference.

WHAT YOU WILL BRING TO THE ORGANIZATION

Partnership Strategy & Commercial Leadership

• Identify and develop partnership opportunities that support client objectives across loyalty, engagement and promotional programmes.
• Lead the end-to-end partnership process from opportunity identification and partner outreach through negotiation, contracting and launch.
• Provide strategic counsel to clients on how to design, structure, and optimise partnership models to achieve maximum mutual value and long‑term business impact.
• Craft and lead partnership strategies that enable clients to achieve their strategic objectives and maximise the value of their external collaborations.
• Structure commercially sound deals that create clear value exchange between brands while protecting client and agency commercial interests.
• Advise clients on partnership strategy, market opportunities and category developments.
• Use market insights and data to identify emerging opportunities and inform recommendations.

Partner Acquisition & Relationship Management

• Leverage existing industry relationships while proactively identifying and engaging new partner brands.
• Develop compelling partnership propositions that align brand objectives and unlock co-marketing value.
• Lead complex negotiations and manage key partner relationships at a senior level.
• Ensure successful execution of partnership activations and maintain strong long-term partner relationships.

Client Leadership

• Act as a trusted advisor to client teams on partnership opportunities and programme development.
• Collaborate with strategy, creative and account teams to ensure partnerships are integrated into broader programme design.
• Communicate partnership performance, insights and optimisation opportunities to clients and internal stakeholders.
• Identify opportunities to expand partnership programmes and unlock additional value for clients.

Commercial & Financial Management

• Contribute to forecasting, financial planning and revenue growth across client accounts.
• Identify opportunities to expand partnership portfolios and generate incremental revenue.

Team Leadership

• Lead and mentor members of the partnerships team, supporting their professional development and performance.
• Create a collaborative team environment focused on delivery, creativity and commercial impact.
• Work closely with senior leadership to evolve the partnerships offering and strengthen tms’ market position.

SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE WE WOULD LIKE YOU TO HAVE

• Significant experience in partnerships, brand collaborations, sponsorship, or strategic alliances.
• Strong commercial acumen with experience structuring partnership agreements and negotiating complex deals.
• Demonstrated ability to identify, develop and deliver successful brand partnerships.
• Experience working with major consumer brands or within marketing, loyalty, media or partnership agencies.
• Strong client relationship skills with the ability to influence senior stakeholders.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills.
• A well-developed industry network and the ability to open conversations with partner brands.
• Highly organised, commercially minded and comfortable operating in a fast-moving environment.

 And we’d love you to have…  

• Experience working with global consumer brands.
• Experience in consumer electronics, telecoms, loyalty or promotional marketing.
• Experience leading business development initiatives or building partnership ecosystems.
• Understanding of emerging trends in partnerships, loyalty and customer engagement.

If you have any questions about the job, we are open to discussing this role further, so please feel free to get in touch.