Rights Specialist

Publishing House of the Evangelical Lutheran Churc•Minneapolis, MN

23h•Hybrid

About The Position

The Rights Specialist position responds to internal and external queries and requests related to Augsburg Fortress Publisher’s intellectual property. The role manages the acquisition of third-party intellectual property, grants non-exclusive permissions, and processes royalty statements from third parties. Augsburg Fortress Publishers (AFP) is a multimedia publishing ministry of the ELCA, composed of five imprints: Augsburg Fortress, Sparkhouse, Fortress Press, Beaming Books, and Broadleaf Books. We publish resources that support Christian worship, faith formation, spiritual growth, and academic study, and professional development. AFP strives to create an environment of inclusiveness, equity, and respect for all regardless of ability, age, ethnicity, faith, gender, gender identity, nation of origin, race, sexual orientation, or socioeconomic status. Individuals who are committed to contributing meaningfully to diversity and inclusion in publishing are encouraged to apply.

Requirements

2+ years’ experience in an administrative position
College degree or equivalent experience
Ability to multitask, be consistent, and be highly organized
Highly detail-oriented and ability to work with varying complexities of different types of product information
Effective problem-solving skills and a results-oriented approach, with the ability to meet deadlines
Ability to comprehend publishing agreements
Ability to work in an environment of change, seeking continuous improvement and innovation in team and house-wide work processes in response to customer needs and budget concerns
Ability to organize systems, materials, and flow of work efficiently and accurately
Excellent communication skills, both verbal and in writing, along with the ability to establish/maintain positive working relationships with internal and external customers
Fluent in Microsoft Office applications, the internet for research, online records management, and related functions

Nice To Haves

Knowledge of church music and basic church practices is desirable

Responsibilities

Respond to non-exclusive permissions requests from third parties accurately, professionally, and in a timely manner
Create, review, and process licensing agreements for AFP content, including reviewing product file records, researching rights language on acquired contracts, and providing direction to internal and external stakeholders
Request permissions and facilitate licensing agreements for use of third-party content in AFP products
Provide internal and external education regarding copyrights and permissions
Register AFP products with the Library of Congress copyright office, and estimate annual expenses based on projected volumes
Process royalty payments, calculating and assigning royalties to appropriate parties
Track receipt of royalty statements from third-party publishers and request documentation as needed
Maintain AFP records in the OneLicense database to ensure accurate reporting of AFP music usage
Respond to queries from AFP contributors regarding permissions and licensing revenue on royalty statements
Maintain an archive of contracts and rights deals
Update, maintain, and audit internal systems so that they accurately reflect contractual terms, including information regarding royalties, rights, contributor discounts, and complimentary copies
Perform seasonal rights audits for frontlist products
Guide, monitor, and manage the work of external vendors in providing accurate, professional, and timely responses to customer rights and permissions queries
Critically engage in the adoption of new workflows by closely following the workflow requirements and ensuring that issues are understood, resolved/mitigated, or escalated as appropriate, so that rights and contracts team workflows continue to adapt to the changing publishing environment and offer the best possible value to the business
With manager support, document new workflows to a high standard and deliver briefing/training to internal and external stakeholders, so that implementation is successful, and the full value of the transformation is realized
Provide back-up for the contracts team
Actively uphold the ethical standards and behaviors expected by AFP