Contracts & Rights Manager

Knewin

What’s the fastest game bird in Europe? This was the question that inspired the founding of Guinness World Records back in 1955. Starting with a single book published from a room above a gym, GWR has grown to become a global multimedia brand, with offices in London, New York, Beijing, Tokyo and Dubai. Today, we deliver world-class content, not just through books, but via TV shows, social media and live events. Whatever the medium, our ultimate purpose is to make the world a more interesting, fun and positive place.

Job Summary:

This role is vital in managing the details of our TV and media deals. The job involves keeping track of contracts, making sure they’re put into our Rightsline system correctly, and checking that everything agreed upon is followed through.

The role holder will work with little supervision and collaborate with different teams including Legal, Finance, and Sales, providing essential reports and guidance on complex distribution and licensing agreements and their implications.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Oversee the accurate entry of contracts and amendments into the rights management system, Rightsline.
• Perform regular reviews of deal memos, contracts, and amendments for product inclusion and categorization into Rightsline.
• Act as a point of contact for the Legal and TV departments, resolving any contract-related queries before system entry.
• Ensure timely and precise input of new assets, programs, and contract changes into Rightsline.
• Maintain the accuracy of rights and product information within the system, reflecting the details of executed contracts.
• Facilitate the filing and electronic archiving of executed contracts and ensure important terms are communicated to relevant departments (e.g., social teams, materials delivery, PR, Finance).
• Provide support by generating sales & availability reports, producer payment reports, and updates on deal processing, renewals, and expiries.
• Work closely with the Finance and Sales departments to verify fulfilment of contractual obligations, and to ensure the timely issuing of invoices.
• Coordinate with the Finance department with regards to debtor aging.
• Look at future uses of Rightsline for the company including the project area for GWR Studios, and become the company’s super user, taking on training workshops for other members of the department.
• Use extensive TV distribution administration knowledge to recognize and address rights grants, availabilities, and pricing issues.
• Process large volumes of data, maintaining a high level of accuracy and attention to detail.
• Communicate complex deal points and contractual terms to sales staff for clarification or amendment.
• Provide guidance on intricate sales orders and address any arising issues to ensure problem resolution and team efficiency.

Job requirements and qualification:

• A Bachelor’s Degree in Media or equivalent
• Experience working in a similar contracts management role

Other Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Proficient understanding of TV distribution and licensing, including rights grants, availabilities, holdbacks, pricing issues, exclusivity terms, revenue recognition and royalties.
• Demonstrated experience with rights management systems, with a preference for knowledge of Rightsline.
• Proven ability to manage and process large volumes of data with high accuracy and meticulous attention to detail.
• Familiarity with legal contract terminology and the ability to interpret and implement contractual obligations.
• Strong organizational skills, with the capability to manage multiple tasks and prioritize effectively under tight deadlines.
• Excellent communication skills, both written and oral, to clearly convey complex information to diverse audiences.
• Analytical and problem-solving abilities, with a capacity to identify issues and develop practical solutions.
• Competency in utilizing Microsoft Office Suite, particularly Excel, Word, and Outlook, for various reporting and administrative tasks.