There’s a rare opening for a senior post at Games Workshop, as the firm is seeking a Senior Licensing Category Manager to head up the videogames team inside its Licensing department. Translating that from corpo-speak, this is a senior position that bridges the gap between the Nottingham based miniature maker and the global videogame studios like Creative Assembly and Saber Interactive which hold the licenses to make Warhammer fantasy and Warhammer 40,000 videogames.
A fixer and deal maker, then, as well as a team leader responsible for the licensing officers who liaise with the developers actually making games and ensure they do everything by the book. Licensed Warhammer 40k games have been on fire of late, with some of the best Warhammer 40k games ever made dropping in the last two years – Owlcat’s Rogue Trader and Saber Interactive’s Space Marine 2 being the highlights – so whoever gets this role has a high bar to clear.
The details for the role are currently live on Games Workshop’s careers website. The new senior manager will have a big influence on what games get made, as they will “support the team in identifying, pursuing, and signing high-quality, high-value licensees that align with Games Workshop’s licensing strategy and IP brand values”. And it looks like they’ll be directly involved with some of the bigger projects, managing “high-profile video game accounts, building and maintaining strong business relationships”.
Then there’s the financial angle, “monitoring the revenue growth performance of all existing licences to identify any opportunities and risks”, as well as working “closely with the legal team to draft and finalise intellectual property agreements”. GW has repeatedly identified licensing revenue as a growth opportunity in its annual financial reports, and Space Marine 2’s explosive success shows just how high the ceiling can be – in its first three months alone it netted GW over $20 million.
The requirements for the role, “solid experience in product, account, or commercial management within the videogames industry, along with a good understanding of contracts and commercial negotiations”, suggest that it’s likely to go to a producer from a videogame development studio or publishing house. GW has a history of promoting internal talent, but this specification seems tailored to draw in someone who understands the culture of the videogame industry.
Should you be interested in applying, you have until 4pm PT / 7pm ET / midnight GMT on October 19. GW does not list a salary.
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If you’re a videogame producer considering a career change and want to learn more about the Warhammer 40k universe, our guides to the Warhammer 40k factions are a great starting point.