Director, Business Affairs, Glendale, California

Job Summary:

Disney Parks, Experiences, and Products (DPEP) seeks an experienced business affairs professional with strong negotiation skills to be an integral member of the business affairs team across the DPEP consumer products, games, and publishing businesses and franchises. This role is the subject matter expert on rights acquisitions and talent negotiations and is the intersection between the business and legal, touching content, product, and brand matters.

The Director, Business Affairs is a highly visible role that will work in a collaborative fashion with leadership across business units to develop and build deal structures, and analyze, negotiate, and draft publishing, talent, distribution, and other agreements while providing ongoing business affairs counsel. They will advise and work closely with colleagues in creative, production, finance, marketing, publicity, and franchise management within consumer products, games, and publishing, as well as with Business and Legal Affairs members across The Walt Disney Company.

Responsibilities:

• Business focused advice and strategic guidance for a broad range of franchises ( Disney, Lucasfilm, Marvel, ESPN and National Geographic) on a variety of complex business affairs matters including property clearance, talent, third party rights, as well as trademark clearances, guild/union issues, and third party participations across teams
• Analyze, structure, negotiate, and manage the merchandise related aspects of rights acquisition, talent agreements, and distribution agreements for DPEP businesses
• Structure, negotiate and review author and option/purchase deals for the publishing business
• Review talent, production, and commercial deals for The Muppets Studio
• Provide Business Affairs support for PR and Communications teams
• Partner with heads of divisions and business development to provide deal negotiation support for licensed partnerships and new content partnerships/business models
• Review and manage various aspects of property and talent rights globally
• Manage Business Affairs function of clearance process for us of film and television clips in products and advertising including securing talent approvals
• Advise executives and other team members through strategic thinking and firm decision making
• Review budgets and other financial data associated with the development of intellectual property
• Partner with executives to discuss and implement best practices and formulate new processes in connection with business needs
• Develop and maintain relationships with agencies, law firms, production companies, and other relevant industry contacts
• Influence colleagues across the businesses and serve as contact for all other divisions of The Walt Disney Company for rights and talent issues related to merchandise and licensing

Basic Qualifications:

• Ideal candidate has approximately 7 years or more professional business or legal affairs experience at a major law firm or studio media company, including transactional work
• Licensed Attorney + Juris Doctorate (JD)
• Comprehensive knowledge of entertainment and intellectual property law, as well as proficiency in legal analysis and reasoning; strong financial analysis skills
• Ability to communicate effectively in writing and verbally with a range of personalities and styles across all levels of the organization
• Exceptional negotiating skills, strong drafting skills, and creative problem solving abilities
• Collaborative work ethic with sound and ethical judgment
• Ability to work independently and manage a team
• Ability to adapt rapidly in a fast moving environment with evolving priorities, handle ambiguity, and react gracefully under pressure
• Solid knowledge of guild and union agreements and contracts (SAG-AFTRA, WGA, DGA, IATSE)
• Strong professional relationships with talent representatives and business/legal affairs executives

Required Education

Must have a four-year degree and a JD

About Parks, Experiences and Products:

The Parks, Experiences and Products segment includes Disney's iconic travel and leisure businesses, which include six resort destinations in the United States, Europe and Asia, a top-rated cruise line, a popular vacation ownership program, and an award-winning guided family adventure business. Disney's global consumer products operations include the world's leading licensing business across toys, apparel, home goods, digital games and apps; the world's largest children's publisher; Disney store locations around the world; and the shopDisney e-commerce platform.

About The Walt Disney Company:

The Walt Disney Company, together with its subsidiaries and affiliates, is a leading diversified international family entertainment and media enterprise with the following business segments: media networks, parks and resorts, studio entertainment, consumer products and interactive media. From humble beginnings as a cartoon studio in the 1920s to its preeminent name in the entertainment industry today, Disney proudly continues its legacy of creating world-class stories and experiences for every member of the family. Disney's stories, characters and experiences reach consumers and guests from every corner of the globe. With operations in more than 40 countries, our employees and cast members work together to create entertainment experiences that are both universally and locally cherished.

This position is with Disney Consumer Products and Interactive Media, Inc. , which is part of a business segment we call Parks, Experiences and Products .

Disney Consumer Products and Interactive Media, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer. Applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, protected veteran status or any other basis prohibited by federal, state or local law. Disney fosters a business culture where ideas and decisions from all people help us grow, innovate, create the best stories and be relevant in a rapidly changing world.