Director, IP Licensing & Partnerships

About the Role:

Teachstone is seeking a Director of IP Licensing & Partnerships to help shape how our intellectual property, content, data, and AI-enabled capabilities are protected, extended, and translated into long-term business value.

This role sits at the intersection of product, legal, technology, and go-to-market strategy. You will lead the evaluation, structuring, negotiation, and operationalization of strategic partnerships while helping establish scalable frameworks for IP governance, licensing, and responsible innovation.

This is a highly cross-functional leadership role requiring strong strategic judgment, comfort operating in ambiguity, and the ability to balance innovation with business, legal, and operational risk. This role requires up to 25% travel.

What You’ll Be Responsible For:

Strategic Partnerships & External Relationships

Identify, evaluate, and prioritize strategic partnership opportunities across technology, research, AI, content, distribution, and platform ecosystems

Lead partnership lifecycle management from opportunity assessment through negotiation, launch, governance, and ongoing performance evaluation

Structure and negotiate agreements including licensing, integrations, co-development partnerships, vendor relationships, and data-sharing arrangements

Conduct vendor and partner evaluations with a focus on strategic fit, scalability, security, operational complexity, and long-term business value

Develop clear recommendations on whether opportunities should move forward, evolve, or be discontinued

Intellectual Property Strategy & Governance

Partner closely with Legal and Product leadership to operationalize Teachstone’s IP strategy across content, products, data, and AI-enabled experiences

Help establish governance frameworks and guardrails related to AI usage, derivative outputs, data rights, content licensing, and video-based technologies

Support protection and responsible extension of company intellectual property, trademarks, frameworks, and proprietary content

Identify and proactively mitigate risks related to IP misuse, licensing exposure, data governance, and partnership obligations

Work alongside external counsel and internal stakeholders on licensing structures, partnership agreements, and IP-related matters

Commercial Strategy & Monetization

Contribute to pricing, packaging, and monetization models for IP-driven offerings and partnerships

Support build vs. buy vs. partner evaluations with a strong strategic and financial perspective

Ensure partnerships align to product strategy, customer outcomes, operational readiness, and long-term company goals

Help translate emerging market opportunities into actionable business recommendations

Cross-Functional Leadership

Partner across Product, Engineering, Legal, Growth, Operations, and Executive Leadership teams

Translate complex agreements into operational plans with clear ownership, dependencies, and success measures

Drive alignment across stakeholders with competing priorities and perspectives

Help establish scalable internal processes for evaluating and managing partnerships and licensing opportunities

Performance & Strategic Insights

Define and track partnership success metrics including strategic impact, adoption, revenue contribution, operational leverage, and risk exposure

Monitor partnership performance and recommend scale, optimization, renegotiation, or exit decisions

Bring a strong point of view on market trends, strategic opportunities, and emerging risks in AI, content, and education technology

What We’re Looking For:

Experience

8+ years of experience in strategic partnerships, business development, product strategy, licensing, IP-related roles, or adjacent leadership functions

Experience structuring and negotiating complex partnership, licensing, or vendor agreements

Experience working closely with external counsel and internal legal teams

Experience evaluating third-party vendors, platforms, or strategic technology partners

Experience operating within product or technology organizations, not solely marketing or channel partnerships

Experience managing cross-functional initiatives with executive visibility

Skills & Capabilities

Strong strategic, commercial, and operational judgment

Ability to navigate ambiguity and build scalable frameworks

Comfortable operating across legal, technical, product, and business conversations

Strong communication and stakeholder management skills

Ability to influence decision-making across all levels of the organization

Able to move effectively between strategy and execution

Preferred Qualifications

Experience with AI-enabled products, data governance, or responsible AI practices

Experience with content licensing, research-based IP, or media/content ecosystems

Background in SaaS, edtech, platform, analytics, or learning technology environments

Familiarity with video-based technologies, data-rich products, or AI-driven platforms

What We Offer:

Fair, Competitive Pay: We ensure equal pay for equal work, using consistent salary bands based on market benchmarks, reviewed annually. Prior salaries, negotiation skills, or fear of conflict don’t influence your pay. Salary Range: $140,000 - $160,000, determined by your experience and skills. Comprehensive Benefits: Medical/dental, 401(k), PTO, insurance, development opportunities. Details provided at offer . Eligibility depends on your role and employment status.

Ready to Make a Difference? At Teachstone, we believe that every interaction shapes a brighter future. If you're passionate about transforming education and want to be part of a team that's committed to meaningful impact, we want to hear from you. Apply today and help us create classrooms where every child thrives!

At Teachstone, we encourage all individuals to apply and bring their unique perspectives to our team. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, protected veteran status, disability, age, or any other characteristic protected by law. We value the different experiences and ideas our team members bring and believe they are essential to solving complex challenges and driving our mission forward.