Senior Manager, Business Affairs (ABC News)

About the role

The Business Affairs Senior Manager of ABC News will report to the Executive Director of Business Affairs. This individual will undertake business affairs activities, lead or support negotiation for complex deals, distill complex contracts into manageable summaries, and work with all units of ABC News to service internal and external production work as well as internal on-air and off-air talent deals. The role requires the ability to work within tight deadlines on multiple projects in a fast-paced environment. Familiarity with documentary, docu-follow, and narrative non-fiction projects is essential.

Responsibilities

• Negotiate independently or assist in the negotiation of a high volume of deals in a fast-paced environment for developing, producing, and/or acquiring content, including non-scripted series, limited series, documentaries, and specials.
• Negotiate ancillary production-related agreements such as producer agreements, talent agreements, option agreements, and underlying rights agreements.
• Negotiate contracts for ABC News on-air and off-air talent, including determining major deal points such as compensation and production duties.
• Create work plans and procedures to accomplish assigned tasks in partnership with key stakeholders, enforce applicable policies, and recommend improvements where needed.
• Partner with internal teams, including legal, production, labor, standards, publicity, editorial/creative, and marketing, to ensure adherence to company policy, meet deadlines, and improve cross-departmental processes.
• Support deals post-close by tracking pertinent dates and cash flow models.
• Review and approve invoices and payments in conjunction with production management.
• Manage relationships with agents, lawyers, and executives throughout the entertainment industry.

Requirements

• At least seven (7) years of experience in media, business, or corporate law.
• Strong familiarity with documentary and narrative non-fiction projects.
• Outstanding skills in writing, reviewing, and negotiating contracts.
• Excellent communication and organization skills.
• Proven ability to build and maintain internal and external relationships.
• Highly organized with the ability to manage multiple projects under tight deadlines.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree.
• J.D. degree from an ABA-accredited law school and admission to a state bar.

Preferred Qualifications

• At least three (3) years of experience in project or process management.

Pay

The hiring range for this position in New York, NY is $110,100 to $147,600 per year. The base pay offered will take into account internal equity and may vary depending on the candidate’s geographic region, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. A bonus and/or long-term incentive units may be provided as part of the compensation package, in addition to the full range of medical, financial, and/or other benefits, dependent on the level and position offered.