Story Development & Editorial Manager (Licensed IP) - (Contract)

Job Description

Job Description

Thank you for considering the Story Development & Editorial Manager (Licensed IP) role with Moonbug Entertainment, Moonbug is an award-winning global entertainment company inspiring kids everywhere to laugh, learn and grow. The company is behind some of the biggest kids’ entertainment brands in the world including CoComelon and Blippi. Moonbug believes every child should have access to our entertaining and enriching content, which is why our shows are available on more than 150 video platforms globally including Netflix, Disney+, BBC iPlayer and YouTube Kids. Moonbug is also a global leader in pre-school music and audio experiences, available on 100+ audio platforms globally. Moonbug brands extend far beyond the screen to include streaming music, toys, games, books, live events, and even theme park exhibits.

Moonbug is part of Candle Media, an independent, creator-friendly home for cutting-edge, high-quality, category-defining brands and franchises. By bringing together elite talent operating at the intersection of content, community, and commerce, it helps to position leading entertainment businesses for accelerated, sustainable growth in the current market and beyond.

This role reports onsite in our New York office.

The Role:

At Moonbug, we don't just extend stories, we invent new ways for families to experience them. We're looking for a creative leader who is excited to challenge convention, experiment with new formats, and bring bold new ideas that push our franchises beyond the expected and into entirely new experiences for families.

Sitting within the Franchise division, with key responsibilities across Consumer Products & Experiences (CP&E) Publishing division, you will serve as the core consultative and editorial bridge across the entire business. You will ensure that every book, game script, podcast, product description, and character bible speaks with an authentic, unified, and compelling voice across all IPs, tailored to the audiences. This is a high-impact role requiring an expert storyteller who can effortlessly transition from high-level franchise strategy and narrative content development to granular manuscript editing.

Key Responsibilities:

Cross-Departmental Narrative Stewardship

Act as the central editorial powerhouse, driving storytelling excellence across six key business pillars:

• Publishing: Driving the publishing business will be the primary focus of this role. You will oversee the global fiction, non-fiction, and comic/graphic novel narrative content development. Originate narrative stories, write manuscripts, ensure lore accuracy, and approve final print text.
• Audio (Books & Podcasts): Shape the audio-first narrative landscape. Provide editorial direction on podcast scripting, audio drama narratives, and audiobook development and adaptation.
• Books: Work with existing licensees to guide audiobook development where necessary. Originate audiobook stories aligned with print stories developed in house.
• Podcasts: Work with the Audio team to influence storytelling and narrative in the Moonbug podcast catalogue.
• Wider Consumer Products: Partner with toy, apparel, and lifestyle teams to weave narrative into physical products where relevant.
• Brand (Character Bibles): You will partner with the existing creative team to ensure consistency across Character Bibles and into all narrative content. Support and guide the creative team to develop the most comprehensive versions of the Character Bibles for internal teams and external licensees to use.
• Studio & Production: Work cross-functionally with the Studio & Production teams to share narrative content which can be used across Publishing and Studio. Influence stories used in content to creative a cohesive IP ecosystem
• Gaming: Collaborate on world-building, dialogue trees, game lore, and in-game text.

Global Franchise Strategy

• Scale stories across multiple categories seamlessly, ensuring a unified "canonical" universe while respecting the unique formatting needs of different media.
• Review and approve narrative copy from external global partners and licensees to protect brand integrity on a massive scale.
• Champion bold, original storytelling ideas and identify opportunities to expand Moonbug franchises into new formats, platforms, and consumer experiences.
• Act as a creative catalyst across the organization, proactively bringing forward innovative concepts that strengthen our brands and unlock new opportunities for publishing, products, gaming, audio, and beyond.
• Think beyond traditional publishing models, helping Moonbug pioneer next-generation approaches to franchise storytelling and audience engagement.

Requirements

Skills & Experience Required:

• Licensed IP Mastery: Proven track record of managing, writing, or editing for major, top-tier global entertainment franchises and licensed properties. You understand how to play within established lore boundaries while innovating.
• Experienced Editor: Extensive experience structural editing and copyediting across diverse formats—spanning story and chapter books, comic books, interactive game dialogue, and script writing. Preferably experienced in developing stories for children aged 0-7.
• Global Experience: Creating story for different markets - focus markets are US and UK.
• Cross-Category Fluent: A portfolio demonstrating your ability to write and judge copy for both physical products (Publishing/Consumer Products) and digital experiences (Gaming/Audio).
• Senior Stakeholder Management: Exceptional communication skills. You are comfortable pushing back on external partners or defending narrative decisions to C-suite executives and creative directors.
• Commercial Acumen: An understanding of how narrative drives consumer behavior, product sales, and global brand loyalty.
• Additional Languages: preferred
• Global Operations: Coordinate seamlessly across multiple international time zones (particularly UK and US - NY & LA)