Senior Manager - Business Affairs

The R/GA Content Team strives to reimagine storytelling blending artistry innovation and technology to inspire a new standard of creative excellence. We create a wide range of video motion audio 3D and computer graphics photography and social media influencer strategy tailored to our client’s business needs. Our team consists of producers editors animators motion graphics specialists creative technologists strategists and business affairs with a range of traditional agency broadcast experience to production company-style line production.

Our Senior Business Affairs Manager manages the fiscal and legal client responsibilities across simultaneous content productions with a strong emphasis on emerging technology from brief to delivery. This role has deep knowledge of current and developing creative technology applications software and hardware and can manage the research for new technologies and their applications in production.

The ideal person is interested in creating never-been-done-before content and supporting a department that will develop unprecedented work. This role will support our Content Studio in both the US and Internationally.

Here’s what you should know if you want to be a Senior Business Affairs Manager at R/GA:

On any given day you might

Talent and Partner Contracting

• Lead and coordinate talent and partner contracting across all production areas (film digital audio interactive) including negotiating SAG-AFTRA non-union celebrity influencer and global content creator agreements.

• Ensure compliance with all contract provisions and secure necessary rights while maintaining strong knowledge of SAG-AFTRA AFM contracts and non-US talent negotiations.

• Provide a firm understanding of talent negotiations contractual use cases and best practices when using AI tools.

Legal and Rights Management

• Draft and review Statements of Work (SOWs) covering deliverables staffing plans legal terms production management creative reviews and payment structures.

• Assess creative materials for legal issues (copyright trademark IP liability) conduct trademark searches and clear/license third-party materials (e.g. music images software).

• Work closely with legal counsel to address production liabilities and create agency and client solutions.

Production Oversight

• Review draft and negotiate partner and vendor agreements to ensure alignment with client SOWs Master Service Agreements (MSAs) and industry standards.

• Collaborate with producers and creatives to address content production challenges and legal issues.

Talent and Budget Management

• Prepare formal production estimates for client approval including talent session fees usage residuals and other related costs.

• Declare and manage insurance policies for productions.

• Work with network broadcast standards departments to secure spot clearance in the US and Canada.

• Reconcile budgets track out-of-pocket expenses and actualize jobs upon completion.

Music and Licensing

• Negotiate and manage contracts for music vendors ensuring compliance with union and non-union standards.

• Clear and license music props locations and other assets featured in projects.

Collaboration and Record-Keeping

• Collaborate with finance teams to expedite vendor payments maintain accurate records of third-party material licenses and talent contracts and oversee asset storage to ensure proper ownership and client access.

Risk Assessment and Problem-Solving

• Assess legal financial and clearance risks during creative development to guide production strategies.

• Partner with finance legal counsel cross-functional teams and external agencies to ensure smooth production operations.

The ideal person

• Excels in verbal and written communication conveying complex information clearly and effectively.

• Possesses excellent negotiation skills with the ability to lead discussions resolve conflicts and secure favorable terms for the organization.

• Demonstrates strong leadership abilities mentoring and guiding team members on Business Affairs matters while fostering a culture of growth and collaboration.

• Is a team player who thrives in a collaborative environment capable of balancing priorities across various stakeholders and departments.

• Thrives under pressure adapting seamlessly to fast-paced environments while meeting tight deadlines with exceptional attention to detail.

You bring

• 8+ years of business affairs management production finance and/or production accounting experience with at least 5+ years of related work experience in an agency business affairs environment.

• Contract and Talent Management expertise skilled in drafting reviewing and managing contracts including licensing talent agreements (celebrity and influencer) and vendor purchase orders.

• Extensive knowledge of SAG-AFTRA AFM and other performance union guidelines with the flexibility to manage non-union talent when required.

• Global talent experience including handling global union and non-union talent-hiring processes.

• Experience managing multiple work streams under tight deadlines and collaborating with Risk Management to assess and mitigate production and contract concerns.

• Tax and payroll knowledge including a strong understanding of production/state tax incentives AICP bidding formats payroll processes and union labor agreements.

• Experience in organizing tracking and reporting on diverse production details.

Bonus Points

• Portuguese and/or Spanish bilingual skills

This role can be performed remotely anywhere in the United States with the exception of Alabama Hawaii Indiana New Mexico Pennsylvania and Tennessee.

The hiring range for this position is $130000 to $161000. Where an employee or prospective employee is paid within this range will depend on among other factors actual ranges for current/former employees in the subject position; budgetary considerations; tenure and standing with the company (applicable to current employees); as well as the employee’s/applicant’s applicable skills pertinent experience and qualifications.