Director of Rights & Clearance

Warner Bros. Discovery•Dallas, TX

16d•Remote

About The Position

Welcome to Warner Bros. Discovery… the stuff dreams are made of. Who We Are… When we say, “the stuff dreams are made of,” we’re not just referring to the world of wizards, dragons and superheroes, or even to the wonders of Planet Earth. Behind WBD’s vast portfolio of iconic content and beloved brands, are the storytellers bringing our characters to life, the creators bringing them to your living rooms and the dreamers creating what’s next… From brilliant creatives, to technology trailblazers, across the globe, WBD offers career defining opportunities, thoughtfully curated benefits, and the tools to explore and grow into your best selves. Here you are supported, here you are celebrated, here you can thrive. Your New Role Reporting into the Vice President Legal, the Rights & Clearances Director oversees the Rights & Clearances team which is responsible for ensuring CNN programming containing third party content is clear for exploitation. This role will lead and oversee the Rights & Clearances day-to-day work schedule as well as the on-call weekend and holiday schedule of the Rights & Clearances team. Works closely with VP Legal, advising on all budget matters relating to the department including team travel and compensation. This role can be US in New York, Texas, Georgia or California and will likely work a dayside ET shift. This position is fully Remote.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree from an accrediate college/university.
Minimum 10 years management experience in a similar position/function, including experience managing international team members.
Ability to draft, research, interpret and understand all documents mentioned above.
Must have strong organizational and project management skills and the ability to handle multiple projects simultaneously in a deadline-oriented environment.
Must have an eagerness to readily accept new responsibilities and challenges while learning new skills and improving them from feedback.
Sound analytical skills as well as strong decision-making and problem-solving aptitude.
Ability to work independently as well as in a team setting.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills and the ability to present information professionally, succinctly, and persuasively.
Must be superior at building and maintaining strong internal and external relationships with people at all levels of an organization.
Must have strong industry knowledge and familiarity with television and digital platforms and programming.
Ability to handle confidential information and material appropriately.
Possesses ability to inspire team members to achieve their own professional goals while supporting the goals of the team and the organization.
Must be willing to be available to be on call on the weekends and company holidays on a rotating basis with other Rights and Clearances managers in order to accommodate the 24/7 news cycle.

Nice To Haves

Familiarity with CNN processes, practices, and systems a plus.
Prior experience working within a news organization preferred.

Responsibilities

Leads the strategic direction and day-to-day operation of the international Rights & Clearances team which operates across time zones.
Works closely with the VP Legal advising on all budget matters relating to the department including team travel and compensation.
Works closely with Business Affairs Department to lead the review process including tracking all third-party production deliverables for CNN Original Series and CNN Films.
Supervises the work of other Rights & Clearances members and manages the relationship between the team and the Business Affairs Department.
Serves as the sole point person for the CNN Tribute Award Show and manages all negotiations for talent presenter and performer agreements and any third-party materials included in the program. Analyzes all relevant information, summarizes terms and restrictions for use in all programming and distribution and drafts guidance memos for all editorial staff.
Acquires third party content (video, photos, audio, etc.) for all CNN networks and platforms worldwide. Negotiates, reviews, and drafts related license agreements and other content agreements. Identifies potential copyright and other rights issues in third party agreements and releases. Provides advice and analysis of rights and terms of use of licensed third-party material to all CNN editorial staff worldwide.
Oversees the management of an annual recurring events calendar to timely usage guidance
Ensures Rights & Clearances team is aware of and follows guidance from CNN media attorneys on how to approach fair use risk assessment and analysis for various types of third party content. At the direction of CNN media attorneys, assesses risk and records approvals of fair use requests on a day-to-day basis.
Negotiates and drafts gratis license agreements for organizations approved by PR and senior management.
Co-leads internal database to administer, track and file acquired rights, fair used material, license agreements and invoices. Maintains and updates the internal site on a daily basis for all licensed third party material in order to inform all CNN platforms of permissible uses, rights and restrictions
Controls and tracks information regarding copyright claims and settlements. Produces quarterly reports for the Legal team.
Files, tracks and codes all license agreements and invoices and coordinates payment with CNN accounting/TPAS.