SVP, Business Affairs, Animation - Film Group

Every great story has a new beginning, and yours starts here.

Welcome to Warner Bros. Discovery… the stuff dreams are made of.

Who We Are…

When we say, “the stuff dreams are made of,” we’re not just referring to the world of wizards, dragons and superheroes, or even to the wonders of Planet Earth. Behind WBD’s vast portfolio of iconic content and beloved brands, are the storytellers bringing our characters to life, the creators bringing them to your living rooms and the dreamers creating what’s next…

From brilliant creatives, to technology trailblazers, across the globe, WBD offers career defining opportunities, thoughtfully curated benefits, and the tools to explore and grow into your best selves. Here you are supported, here you are celebrated, here you can thrive.

Your New Role

The SVP negotiates the acquisition or sale of literary material, employment of above and below-the-line personnel agreements, and licensing arrangements; assists in the preparation of agreements, financial reports, production reports, and budgets; and pre-production deals.

Your Role Accountabilities 

• Responsible for negotiating animation deals and business relationships, including deals for production partners, ATL roles, voice talent, rights for films in development and production, and repped/HOD BTL roles.
• Work with Animation executives to develop consistent engagement/deal strategy for production partners, above-the-line roles, and voice talent.
• Work with animation and production executives to develop consistent engagement deal strategies for production partners, ATL roles, voice talent, and repped/HOD BTL roles on WBPA films.
• Participate in negotiating feature film acquisition agreements for animation feature films.
• Oversee business affairs administration activities, including contractual obligations and commitments, animation-specific agreement forms, payments and schedules, etc.
• Interact with the Warner Bros. legal department to handle production legal, litigation, copyright and trademark, music, and rights and clearance matters for WBPA films (e.g., script and art clearance; MPAA title registration).
• Collaborate with Production and Production Finance on third-party vendor activities for multi-picture engagement and films in development and production. Liaise with Production Finance on the finance function's intersection with legal (e.g., use of loanouts, start packet contents).
• Negotiate and supervise papering of deals with third-party vendors providing front- and back-end services for films in development and production

Qualifications and Experience

• BA/BS in Business or related field required. JD strongly preferred.

• Minimum of 10 years of previous business affairs or legal experience, preferably in major studio development and production of feature-length motion pictures with all budget ranges, including high-budget films.

• Knowledge of general business practices.

• Knowledge of animation production techniques and procedures.

• Ability to communicate effectively and tactfully, both orally and in writing, with people at all levels.

• Knowledge of the entertainment industry.

• Knowledge of budget preparation methods.

• Ability to read and understand business contracts.

• Knowledge of negotiation techniques and procedures.

• Must have the ability to communicate effectively and tactfully with persons on all levels, in person and on the telephone.

• Must have the ability to pay close attention to detail and understand written and oral instructions.

• Must have the ability to organize and schedule work effectively.

• Must have the ability to work well under time constraints.

• Must be able to handle multiple tasks.

How We Get Things Done…

This last bit is probably the most important! Here at WBD, our guiding principles are the core values by which we operate and are central to how we get things done. You can find them at www.wbd.com/guiding-principles/  along with some insights from the team on what they mean and how they show up in their day to day. We hope they resonate with you and look forward to discussing them during your interview.

The Legal Bits…

In compliance with local law, we are disclosing the compensation, or a range thereof, for roles in locations where legally required. Actual salaries will vary based on several factors, including but not limited to external market data, internal equity, location, skill set, experience, and/or performance. Base pay is just one component of Warner Bros. Discovery’s total compensation