Rights Manager

Word on Fire • Elk Grove Village, IL

4d • Onsite

About The Position

Word on Fire Catholic Ministries is a nonprofit global media apostolate that supports the work of Bishop Robert Barron and reaches millions of people to draw them into—or back to—the Catholic faith. The Rights Manager serves Word on Fire (WOF) by overseeing rights management across all intellectual property (including books, digital content, video, audio, and other media) in the ministry. The Rights Manager ensures that all third-party content used by Word on Fire is properly licensed and that Word on Fire’s own intellectual property is responsibly managed and protected.

Requirements

• 5 years of rights management experience (publishing or media industry preferred)
• Strong commitment to the mission of Word on Fire and promoting high-quality, diverse Catholic media products
• Exceptional organizational skills and attention to detail
• Experience managing rights in a creative environment
• Prior experience establishing processes
• Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously and meet deadlines
• Strong written communication skills, especially in professional correspondence and relationships
• Familiarity with basic legal/contract terminology, workflows
• Comfort with using technology to track rights usage through a process- and systems-based approach
• Proficiency in Google (especially Docs and Sheets) and Microsoft Office (especially Excel and Word)

Nice To Haves

• Experience in publishing, media, or intellectual property management
• Familiarity with rights and permissions workflows in book publishing
• Familiarity with systems including but not limited to Ironclad and Firebrand
• Experience with contract management systems or databases

Responsibilities

• Assist in the configuration of a centralized system for tracking all Word on Fire licensing agreements across all media platforms
• Monitor contract terms, including expiration dates, print runs, and usage limits
• Manage renewals of licensing agreements as needed
• Maintain accurate records and reports of all rights-related agreements across books, digital content, video, audio, and other media
• Ensure compliance with all contractual obligations across departments
• Manage all requests to license third-party content (text, images, video, audio, music, etc.) for Word on Fire projects
• Coordinate with Publishing, Design, and other departments as appropriate, to facilitate permissions requests (e.g., excerpts for books, anthologies, or media projects)
• Identify rights holders, initiate contact, negotiate terms when needed, and execute agreements
• Track all correspondence and documentation related to permissions
• Ensure all licensed materials are properly credited and compliant with contract terms
• Respond to external requests to reproduce or excerpt Word on Fire content across all media formats
• Evaluate requests in light of organizational policies and existing agreements
• Draft and execute licensing agreements for approved uses
• Assist Compliance Director with monitoring of software licensing for third-party software licenses and WOF-licensed software

Benefits

• Several 100% Word on Fire-paid insurance benefits: life, short-term disability, and long-term disability
• Other insurance benefits: medical, dental, vision, HSA, FSA, accident, critical illness, and hospital indemnity
• A retirement plan with a 3% target employer contribution
• Generous paid time off and paid holidays
• Paid parental leaves at 100% of base salary
• Access to Word on Fire’s incredible wealth of content and resources

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed