SCRIPTED TV
LONDON
An award-winning independent scripted television and film production company is looking for a Head of Legal & Business Affairs to lead its legal and business affairs function. This is a rare opportunity to join a highly respected producer of premium scripted content, working alongside senior executives, producers and creative talent on a diverse slate of television and film projects.
Reporting directly to the CEO and Commercial Director, you will lead a small but experienced Business Affairs team while acting as a trusted strategic adviser across every stage of the production lifecycle—from development and financing through production, delivery and distribution.
The Role
You will take ownership of negotiating, drafting and concluding a wide variety of commercial agreements, including:
- Talent, writer and contributor agreements
- Development and commissioning agreements
- Option, book licence and underlying rights agreements
- Co-production and financing arrangements
- Distribution agreements
- Production services and other production-related contracts
- Rights acquisitions and exploitation agreements
Working closely with production, commercial and finance teams, you will provide pragmatic legal and commercial advice, helping to identify risks, protect valuable IP, support rights strategies and enable productions to move forward efficiently.
Alongside your transactional work, you will lead and develop the Business Affairs team, oversee precedent documentation and legal processes, manage complex and occasionally contentious matters, and build strong relationships with broadcasters, distributors, financiers, rights holders and other key industry partners.
About You
You will be a qualified solicitor (or possess equivalent in-house experience) with substantial Business Affairs or media legal experience gained within television, film or the wider entertainment sector.
You'll bring:
- Extensive experience negotiating and drafting complex production, development and rights agreements
- Strong expertise in copyright, intellectual property, contract and trade mark law
- Excellent knowledge of the UK television production landscape, including broadcaster Terms of Trade and relevant collective bargaining agreements
- Proven experience leading sophisticated commercial negotiations
- A commercially minded approach with the ability to balance legal risk against business objectives
- Outstanding drafting, communication and stakeholder management skills
- Previous experience leading, mentoring and developing a legal or business affairs team
Knowledge of the US television market and UK data protection legislation would be advantageous.
This is an opportunity to play a pivotal role within one of the UK's most respected independent production businesses, working on high-profile scripted television and feature film projects with leading writers, producers, broadcasters and international partners.
You will join a collaborative, creative environment where legal and business affairs sits at the heart of the business, offering genuine strategic influence, varied work and the opportunity to shape the future of an ambitious production company.