Our Team
The Business & Legal Affairs department is responsible for all television business affairs and legal matters related to the acquisition and pre-broadcast review of all content used worldwide by Discovery’s television networks. The department negotiates and drafts acquisition, commission, co-production, and talent agreements; reviews scripts and rough cuts of programs prior to broadcast to minimize legal exposure; analyzes media rights associated with all programming agreements; responds to usage requests made by the company’s many lines of businesses; and provides advice and counsel on a wide array of production-related and legal issues such as guild, insurance, and rights clearances.

The Role
Experienced subject matter expert to work in the Rights Management group supporting Discovery’s worldwide content distribution initiatives through content availability analysis. The role will also research, review, and interpret key provisions in programming agreements and input this information into a rights management database for client use.

1. As a key contact provide timely and accurate rights and clearance information to all content distribution teams throughout the company.
2. To advise on the exploitation of content on various digital media platforms and offerings, and regarding editing, promotions, social media, and other ad hoc projects.
3. To understand and interpret key terms in a range of programming and related third-party content agreements in connection with resolving rights and clearance queries.
4. To assist with the management of monthly rights clearance reports as needed.
5. Research, review, and interpret key provisions in programming agreements and input this information into rights management database for client review.
6. Perform data quality control for the content of the rights management database and corporate inventory system.
7. Approve and process network program sharing requests in the corporate inventory system.
8. Manage rights related processing of program deliverables and maintain the elemental expirations summary.
9. Update rights management database with legal do not air and other program-related notifications.
10. Any other duties as determined by the supervisor.

* A proven skill base covering the above functions would be a key advantage. Prior rights management, business affairs, or legal experience is essential.
* 1 – 2+ years of rights management, business affairs, or legal experience
* Must have strong IT skills and be comfortable with databases, Excel, Word, and PowerPoint.
* Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to work effectively at all levels within the company.
* Clear and concise communicator (both orally and written) and able to summarize complex information.
* Well organized with excellent attention to detail.
* Minimum of 2 years relevant contract analysis experience
* Bachelor’s degree or equivalent are required.
* Ability to work in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment on multiple projects and stay calm under pressure.
* The ideal candidate will be a bright, diligent self-starter who thinks and communicates clearly, is well organized, proactive, and grasps concepts quickly.
* Emotionally intelligent outlook with the ability to diffuse and calm others.
* Inclusive behavior and makes sure all key stakeholders are kept in the loop.
* A flexible attitude to workload is required as is the ability to work within tight deadlines and under pressure in a fast-paced environment.
* Ability to manage time judiciously and deal effectively with competing interests.
* Enthusiastic, confident, sociable, and able to interact with clients from different cultures and backgrounds.
* Team player with a flexible and hands on approach.
* Paralegal certification or background is ideal; MBA or JD a plus.
* Must have the legal right to work in the United States.

Knoxville, Tennessee, KX, TN