Consumer Products Licensing Approvals Coordinator

About Our Company

VIZ Media has been bringing the finest in manga, anime, and global entertainment to English-speaking fans across the world for nearly 40 years. From classic series like Dragon Ball, Sailor Moon, and Naruto to current hits like My Hero Academia, Demon Slayer, and Chainsaw Man, we continue to offer the best in action, romance, fantasy, and adventure stories for fans of all ages.

Our critically acclaimed manga, graphic novels, and books have won Eisner, YALSA, and Hugo awards and are available in both print and digital editions, and our premier catalog of anime titles can be seen on TV and via streaming and digital download, as well as in collectible Blu-ray and DVD sets at major retailers.

Learn more about VIZ Media, anime, and manga at www.viz.com.

Job Summary

VIZ Media, the world leader in English-language versions of manga and anime (Japanese comics and animation), is looking for a CPG Licensing Approvals Coordinator to join our CPG Licensing & Promotions team. The Consumer Products Licensing Approvals Coordinator will facilitate the Product Development life cycle between licensors and licensees. Highly process and schedule oriented, this position manages the submission, review, and approvals of hardlines & softlines product, packaging, and marketing materials for the outbound licensing team. The ideal candidate must be able to speak, read, and write professionally in both English and Japanese in order to communicate effectively with internal staff and Japanese companies.

What you’ll do:

• Coordinate merchandise licensing design, specification, and concept approval process and support licensor and licensee relationships


• Handle regular communication between licensor and licensee on brand specifications and style guidelines


• Build and maintain favorable working relationships with rights holders, partners, and licensees’ other internal departments


• Work closely with various internal teams to support marketing and design to promote VIZ’s properties


• Monitor approval status to meet marketing/production schedules


• Assist with development of brand presentation materials as needed to inform licensors of key initiatives and secure approvals


• Assist with administrative duties including shipping/mailing, digital/physical filing, contact management


• Participate in internal and external partner meetings to present updates, lead kickoff calls, and conduct development/check in calls


• Provide guidance to CP team on asset direction and needs to inform future strategic planning


• Assist in Japanese interpretation and translation as it pertains to Consumer Products licensing


• Represent the company at various events and meetings, including traveling to licensing and sales trade shows

In addition to these responsibilities, performs other activities as assigned.

The ideal candidate has:

• A minimum of one (1) year of professional experience in a related field such as product development, manufacturing, licensing/consumer products, design, customer service, or administration in a media/entertainment company


• Knowledge of consumer products/entertainment such as anime, manga, and related merchandise and some exposure to entertainment media (comics, anime, video games)


• Proficiency with Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign)


• Ability to fluently read, write, and speak professionally in Japanese, including strong interpretation skills from Japanese to English and English to Japanese


• Ability to prioritize and balance multiple projects simultaneously


• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills


• Bachelor's Degree or equivalent experience, with a record that demonstrates suitable preparation for this position

Additional preferred experience:

• Previous experience with marketing and licensing a PLUS


• Drawing/illustration/fine art skills

Work Environment & Schedule

Location: The CPG Licensing Approvals Coordinator must be local to the San Francisco Bay Area. VIZ Media operates on a hybrid schedule with 2 days of work onsite at our downtown San Francisco office expected weekly.

Schedule: This is a Regular Full-Time position (40 hours per week) with core hours of 10 am to 4 pm with flexibility outside of core hours.

Compensation: $65,000 - $75,000 annually, depending on experience, with additional variable compensation