Director Legal, Trademarks and Brand Protection in New York, New York at Wella Company

Position Title: Director Legal, Marketing and Digital IP Attorney

Location: New York City (hybrid, 3 days in the office)

Reports to: Head of IP

Direct Reports: NA

Scope / Brands: Global (with US-focus)

ROLE PURPOSE

The Director, Marketing and Digital IP Attorney will lead the IP function's fourth pillar, Marketing & Digital, sitting alongside Patents, Trademarks, and Brand Protection within the global IP team. This role is the primary legal partner for all marketing, digital and social media IP matters, with a focus on contractual IP licensing, managing the company’s response to third-party claims related to image, music, and sound infringement across digital channels, and social media and domain account management.

The Director will combine hands-on legal expertise with proactive risk management, building the guidelines, processes, and training programs needed to minimize exposure for the business. While the role is global in scope, the primary focus will be on the US.

Success in this role will be measured by reduction in inbound IP claims, response time to third-party demands, training completion rates across marketing and digital teams, and the effectiveness of prevention frameworks in reducing repeat exposure.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

MARKETING AND DIGITAL IP STRATEGY & BUSINESS PARTNERING

• Act as the lead IP partner for marketing, digital, and social media teams on all marketing and digital content and IP matters globally
• Develop and implement a digital IP strategy aligned with the broader global IP framework
• Advise on IP risks across digital campaigns, social media activations, influencer content, and online marketing initiatives
• Establish cross-functional workflows with marketing and social media stakeholders to identify and mitigate third-party IP risks before content publication or campaign launch
• Provide ad hoc advice on US trademark clearance and prosecution matters as needed, in support of the Trademarks & Brand Protection team
• Partner with the Head of IP on high-risk or strategic marketing or digital IP issues

SOCIAL MEDIA & DOMAIN NAMES & DIGITAL CONTENT IP LICENSING

• Lead the review, negotiation, and management of contractual IP licenses for digital and social media content, including music, images, video, and user-generated content
• Develop standardized licensing frameworks and approval processes for digital content usage across brands and markets
• Advise on rights clearance for campaigns, social media posts, influencer partnerships, and digital activations
• Track license terms, renewal dates, and territorial or platform-specific restrictions to prevent unauthorized use
• Support social media account clean-up initiatives, including account mergers, consolidation of duplicate or legacy accounts, and re-appropriation of handles or pages across platforms
• Coordinate with marketing, digital, and platform partners on account ownership transfers, naming alignment, and resolution of unauthorized or dormant accounts
• Lead domain name portfolio clean-up, including review and consolidation of domain name ownership, transfers, and retirement of unused or legacy domains
• Coordinate with the Brand Protection team to ensure clear delineation of responsibilities (domain name watching and takedowns remain with Brand Protection; this role manages portfolio ownership and hygiene)

RESPONSE TO THIRD-PARTY IP CLAIMS (IMAGE & MUSIC)

• Serve as the primary point of contact for incoming cease and desist letters alleging image, music, or sound infringement allegations in the Company’s digital and social media content
• Assess the validity and risk level of inbound claims and develop response strategies in coordination with external counsel
• Arrange for prompt takedown or removal of third-party assets across digital platforms and social media channels when warranted
• Manage negotiations with rights holders and their counsel to resolve claims efficiently, including settlement discussions where appropriate
• Coordinate closely with the Brand Protection team to ensure clear delineation of responsibilities: proactive enforcement and copyright takedowns remain with Brand Protection, while this role handles inbound third-party claims
• Maintain a tracker of all inbound claims, response timelines, outcomes, and associated costs to identify patterns and inform prevention efforts

PREVENTION: GUIDELINES, PROCESSES & TRAINING

• Develop and maintain clear dos and don'ts guidelines for social media posting, covering image sourcing, music/sound usage, user-generated content, and influencer material
• Create practical content clearance checklists for marketing and social media teams to follow before publication
• Design and deliver regular training programs for marketing, digital, and creative teams, focused on reducing the risk of third-party IP infringement allegations in digital content
• Build standardized processes for pre-publication IP risk review of campaigns, social media posts, and digital activations
• Use data from inbound claims (volume, type, root cause) to identify recurring risk areas and update guidelines accordingly
• Monitor evolving platform rules, licensing market practices, AI-generated content developments (including AI images, AI music, and synthetic voices), and regulatory changes to keep prevention tools current.

KEY INTERFACE

• Internal: Marketing, Digital, Social Media, Creative, Communications
• External: Law firms, digital platforms (Meta, TikTok, YouTube), music and image licensing agencies, rights holders

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE

• Qualified lawyer with strong experience in IP law, with particular depth in copyright, digital media, and content licensing; background in trademark law additionally preferred
• Proven track record in: (a) Digital and social media IP advisory; (b) music, image, and content licensing (negotiation and management); (c) responding to copyright and IP infringement claims (preferred); (d) business partnering in consumer goods, beauty, media, or entertainment sectors
• Experience managing external counsel and multi-jurisdictional digital matters
• Familiarity with digital platform policies (e.g., Meta, TikTok, YouTube) and content takedown mechanisms

KEY SKILLS & COMPETENCIES

• Strong business judgment and strategic thinking, with the ability to translate IP risk into practical guidance for non-legal teams
• Excellent negotiation and communication skills
• Ability to balance legal risk with commercial priorities in a fast-moving digital environment
• High level of autonomy and execution capability
• Collaborative, with the ability to operate in cross-functional global environments
• Comfortable building new processes and frameworks from the ground up

We disclose the compensation range for positions in compliance with local law. Actual salaries will vary and may be above or below the range based on various factors including but not limited to location, experience, skills and in comparison to internal incumbents currently in similar roles. Pay Range: $225-245,000 salary per year. The range listed is just one component of Wella Company's total rewards package for employees. Other rewards may include annual bonus plan or variable pay, depending on the role. In addition, Wella Company provides a rich variety of benefits to employees, including health insurance, life and disability insurance, 401(k) retirement plan, paid holidays and paid time off (PTO).

NOTICES

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, national origin, disability, veteran status, or other legally protected status.

If you need assistance and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application process, please email NA.Recruiting@wella.com. This email account will not respond to inquiries regarding the status of a candidate’s application.

Wella participates in the E-Verify Program to confirm eligibility to work in the United States. Information regarding your rights: Know Your Rights and Pay Transparency Nondiscrimination Provision.

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