Licensing Sales Associate

Join the leader in collaborative licensing and help us advance inclusive and efficient new patent licensing approaches to drive innovation globally. Via Licensing Alliance is dedicated to accelerating global technology adoption, fostering participation, and generating return on innovation with balanced IP licensing solutions for innovators and manufacturers of all sizes around the globe. Via administers dozens of patent licensing programs in audio, video, broadcast, power, and more for a variety of technologies, consisting of 25,000 patents in over 130 countries, with nearly 100 current patent holders and over 3,000 current licensees.

Via Licensing Alliance, a subsidiary of Dolby Laboratories, is an independently managed company owned by industry-leading participants with over 25 years of intellectual property licensing leadership. We are the world's largest patent pool administrator. We aggregate patents around key innovations and offer licensing solutions that give companies streamlined access to standardized technologies. For decades, we have served as a trusted bridge between our licensors and licensees, driving a strong and efficient IP licensing environment that yields better products and technologies for people around the world.

The opportunity

We are seeking an exceptional bilingual licensing and business development professional to lead and expand Via’s licensing activity in Japan.

This is not a conventional sales role. You will work directly with Japanese technology companies, manufacturers, automotive and mobility companies, consumer-electronics companies, semiconductor businesses, content and media stakeholders, and other technology implementers and innovators. You will lead commercially complex conversations involving intellectual property, licensing economics, standards-based technologies, product and supply-chain structures, and long-term strategic partnerships.

The ideal candidate combines the commercial discipline of a high-performing enterprise-sales or business-development executive with self-motivated in a highly dynamic corporate environment required for sophisticated IP licensing. 

What you will do

• Develop and execute Japan licensing and business-development strategies for assigned Via licensing programs.
• Identify, prioritize, and engage prospective licensees across relevant Japanese industries, including consumer electronics, automotive, mobility, semiconductors, telecommunications, Streaming media, software, industrial technology, and connected devices.
• Build senior relationships with decision-makers in business, legal, IP, engineering, procurement, finance, and executive-management functions.
• Own the full commercial licensing cycle: market mapping, account strategy, executive outreach, discovery, value articulation, commercial negotiation, contract progression, closing, and post-signature relationship management.
• Present the business, legal, and economic rationale for Via licensing programs in accurate, persuasive, and commercially practical Japanese and English.
• Conduct complex licensing discussions involving product scope, supply-chain models, reporting structures, royalty calculations, historical exposure, audit concepts, and implementation planning.
• Work closely with global Licensing, Legal, Program Management, Finance, Technology, Operations, and external-advisor teams to move opportunities forward.
• Develop account plans for strategically important Japanese companies and maintain a disciplined, accurate pipeline.
• Analyze market structure, technology adoption, product shipments, supply chains, competitive dynamics, and potential licensing exposure to identify actionable opportunities.
• Support the launch, expansion, and market adoption of new licensing programs in Japan.
• Gather market intelligence from licensees/licensors, and industry stakeholders, then translate it into recommendations for global program strategy.
• Represent Via professionally at customer meetings, industry events, standards-related forums, trade associations, and other appropriate business settings.
• Maintain the highest standards of integrity, confidentiality, professionalism, and fair dealing in all licensing activity.

Required qualifications

• 3-7 years of progressive experience in enterprise sales, strategic business development, technology licensing, strategic partnerships, corporate development, technology consulting, or a closely related commercial role.
• Native-level or business-fluent Japanese and professional fluency in English, including the ability to negotiate, present, write, and communicate effectively in both languages.
• Strong executive presence and the ability to build trust with Japanese corporate stakeholders.
• Experience selling or negotiating in one or more technology-driven industries, such as automotive, connected vehicles, telecommunications, semiconductors, consumer electronics, software, media technology, industrial technology, power, connectivity, or IoT.
• Excellent commercial judgment, negotiation capability, and ability to remain composed in high-stakes and sometimes adversarial discussions.
• Ability to understand technical concepts sufficiently to communicate with engineering, IP, legal, and business audiences.
• Strong analytical capability, including market research, account prioritization, business-case development, commercial modeling, and pipeline management.
• Demonstrated ownership mentality: the ability to define a strategy, create momentum, and deliver results with limited supervision.
• Willingness to travel within Japan and internationally as business needs require.

Preferred qualifications

• Direct experience in patent licensing, standards-essential patents, patent pools, FRAND licensing, technology-transfer agreements, or IP commercialization.
• Experience working with Japanese companies in automotive, electronics, communications, semiconductor, industrial, or digital-media markets.
• Familiarity with standards-based technologies and ecosystems, such as audio/video codecs, digital broadcasting, EV charging, power technologies, IoT.
• Experience working with corporate IP departments, general counsel offices, licensing executives, standards teams, or technology-transfer groups.

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