Job Details
ROLE: Senior Lawyer
CONTRACT TYPE: Permanent, Full Time
DEPARTMENT: Legal & Business Affairs
LOCATION: North Sydney, Hybrid
WORKING RIGHTS: Candidates must have Australian full working rights
About BBC Studios ANZ
Working for BBC Studios, we are all part of a premium content and production company that inspires global audiences. We are proud to represent some of the world's biggest, most trusted and loved content brands. In Australia and New Zealand, we bring the best of bold, British storytelling to our region through distributing content to broadcasters, our seven branded services on subscription platforms and our own local production arm, as well as other commercial partnerships such as live entertainment and licensing.
Our Values: Audiences. Creativity. Trust. Respect. Accountability. One BBC.
Job Purpose
Reporting to the SVP Business & Legal Affairs for BBC Studios Direct to Consumer and working closely with the ANZ Head of Global Channels & Streaming, the Senior Lawyer will be responsible for providing world-class business and legal affairs support for all aspects of the BritBox Australia and ANZ Global Channels & Streaming businesses. This may include drafting and negotiating content acquisition, distribution (including app distribution), marketing, services and other general commercial agreements, as well as advising on channel carriage arrangements, music licensing, marketing compliance, data protection, consumer law and other regulatory matters relevant to a digital content business.
It will be important for the incoming person to be a self-starter, happy to pick up tasks and projects that may not fall directly in their remit, and be prepared to get involved in everything from strategy development to detailed execution and delivery.
This role reports into the SVP Business & Legal Affairs for Direct to Consumer (based in UK), with a dotted line into the VP Business & Legal Affairs for Global Channels & Streaming and Commercial News (also based in the UK), and will work on a day-to-day basis with the BBC Studios team based in Sydney, including working with the Head of Business & Legal Affairs for ANZ and providing support across other lines of business in ANZ as may be required.
Key Responsibilities and Accountabilities
- Providing strategic support for BBC Studios ANZ’s growth strategy as a vital, trusted advisor to the team, including its senior leaders
- Leading business and legal affairs support for all aspects of the BritBox Australia business
- Providing business and legal affairs support for the Global Channels & Streaming ANZ business
- Drafting and negotiating content acquisition agreements, and app and content distribution agreements
- Drafting and negotiating a wide range of general commercial arrangements, including for technology and marketing services / partnerships
- Advising on regulatory matters relevant to the broadcast / streaming media industry and direct-to-consumer digital businesses, including in relation to marketing, consumer law and privacy / data protection
- Providing support to the Head of BLA, ANZ on key channel carriage deals
- Advising on music licensing
- Contributing to local regulatory affairs initiatives, such as consultations
- Providing training to internal stakeholders, primarily on regulatory matters (e.g. privacy / data protection)
Knowledge, Skills & Experience
Skills and Personal Attributes Required
- Passionate about British TV and streaming media
- Independent individual contributor and collaborative team player
- A passion and commitment for working in a fast-paced media environment
- Highly analytical and commercially-minded with strong negotiation and partnership/stakeholder management skills
- Excellent attention to detail, strong time management skills and ability to multitask
- Excellent communication skills with the ability to clarify complex issues and concepts for non-lawyers
- Comfortable assessing risk and making sound commercial and legal recommendations and decisions in challenging circumstances
- A track record of providing proactive, specialist, timely and authoritative legal advice and support to senior leaders and key decision-makers
- Motivated to develop themselves, to gain experience and work across other business lines as may be required, and to contribute to knowledge sharing across the team
Qualifications and Experience
Required:
- Solicitor or barrister qualified in Australia
- Proven experience of drafting and negotiating content acquisition agreements (either sales or acquisition side), app and content distribution agreements, with a familiarity of industry standards and common issues
- Proven experience of drafting and negotiating a wide range of general commercial arrangements, including for technology and marketing services, and advising on a range of intellectual property matters
- Proven experience of advising on regulatory matters relevant to the broadcast / streaming media industry and direct-to-consumer digital businesses, including in relation to marketing, consumer law and privacy / data protection
- Understanding of the structures and systems (including regulatory systems) within which broadcasters, television producers and distributors operate
Desired:
- The ideal candidate is likely to have at least 5 years’ post-qualification experience, with at least 3 years’ experience working in the broadcast / streaming media entertainment industry
- In-house experience at a media company
This job spec is not exhaustive and may change from time to time in line with the evolving nature of a dynamic and growing business.
While the role is primarily to support BBC Studios ANZ, we are an international team and therefore we do have some meetings outside of standard Australian business hours.
The PQE level given above is stated purely as a guide. We will consider applications from all candidates who are able to demonstrate the skills and qualifications necessary to fulfil the role.
Perks and Benefits
• 25 days of annual leave
• 18 weeks paid parental leave
• 2 days volunteer leave per year
• Annual Flu Vaccinations
• Annual Skin Checks
• Employee Assistance Program and Wellbeing resources
• Access to Coaching programmes and LinkedIn Learning courses
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