Senior Manager, Business Affairs

About R/GA
In our 40-year history, we’ve changed a lot—from a culture-defining film title studio (Superman, Alien, Ghostbusters); to an interactive advertising agency; to an award-winning product and marketing agency with design, technology, communications, ventures, and IP practices. We like change, and we like to navigate our clients through it too.

Our approach to work is always human first. This unwavering focus helps us create meaningful and memorable experiences that live across digital platforms and often blur the line between the digital and real worlds. We believe disruptive thinking happens when you collide experts in design, technology, and culture.

About the Role
The R/GA Studio’s mission is to advance storytelling through the use of emerging technology. The Studio produces a wide range of video, motion, audio, 3D and computer-generated graphics, photography, and social and influencer-led content, all tailored to our clients’ business needs. The team is made up of editors, animators, motion-graphics specialists, creative technologists, strategists, and producers with experience spanning traditional agency broadcast work through production-company-style line production. Studio producers partner closely with Business Affairs to conceive, create, and deliver work that moves our clients’ businesses forward.

The Senior Manager, Business Affairs supports projects across all of R/GA US and may occasionally support projects for our international offices as needed.

Here’s what you should know if you want to be a Senior Business Affairs Manager at R/GA:

On any given day you might

Talent and Partner Contracting

• Lead and coordinate talent and partner contracting across all production areas (film, digital, audio, interactive), including negotiating SAG-AFTRA, non-union, celebrity, influencer, and global content creator agreements. 
• Ensure compliance with all contract provisions and secure necessary rights, while maintaining strong knowledge of SAG-AFTRA, AFM contracts, and non-US talent negotiations.
• Provide a firm understanding of talent negotiations, contractual use cases, and best practices when using AI tools.

Legal and Rights Management

• Draft and review Statements of Work (SOWs) covering deliverables, staffing plans, legal terms, production management, creative reviews, and payment structures.
• Assess creative materials for legal issues (copyright, trademark, IP, liability), conduct trademark searches, and clear/license third-party materials (e.g., music, images, software). 
• Work closely with legal counsel to address production liabilities and create agency and client solutions.

Production Oversight

• Review, draft, and negotiate partner and vendor agreements to ensure alignment with client SOWs, Master Service Agreements (MSAs), and industry standards.
• Collaborate with producers and creatives to address content production challenges and legal issues.

Talent and Budget Management

• Prepare formal production estimates for client approval, including talent session fees, usage, residuals, and other related costs.
• Declare and manage insurance policies for productions.
• Work with network broadcast standards departments to secure spot clearance in the US and Canada.
• Reconcile budgets, track out-of-pocket expenses, and actualize jobs upon completion.

Music and Licensing

• Negotiate and manage contracts for music vendors, ensuring compliance with union and non-union standards.
• Clear and license music, props, locations, and other assets featured in projects.

Collaboration and Record-Keeping

• Collaborate with finance teams to expedite vendor payments, maintain accurate records of third-party material licenses and talent contracts, and oversee asset storage to ensure proper ownership and client access.

Risk Assessment and Problem-Solving

• Assess legal, financial, and clearance risks during creative development to guide production strategies.
• Partner with finance, legal counsel, cross-functional teams, and external agencies to ensure smooth production operations.

The ideal person

• Excels in verbal and written communication, conveying complex information clearly and effectively. 
• Possesses excellent negotiation skills with the ability to lead discussions, resolve conflicts, and secure favorable terms for the organization.
• Demonstrates strong leadership abilities, mentoring and guiding team members on Business Affairs matters while fostering a culture of growth and collaboration. 
• Is a team player who thrives in a collaborative environment, capable of balancing priorities across various stakeholders and departments.
• Thrives under pressure, adapting seamlessly to fast-paced environments while meeting tight deadlines with exceptional attention to detail. 

You bring

• 7+ years of business affairs management, production finance and/or production accounting experience, with at least 5+ years of related work experience in an agency business affairs environment.
• Contract and Talent Management expertise, skilled in drafting, reviewing, and managing contracts, including licensing, talent agreements (celebrity and influencer), and vendor purchase orders.
• Extensive knowledge of SAG-AFTRA, AFM, and other performance union guidelines, with the flexibility to manage non-union talent when required.
• Global talent experience, including handling global union and non-union talent-hiring processes.
• Experience managing multiple work streams under tight deadlines, and collaborating with Risk Management to assess and mitigate production and contract concerns. 
• Tax and payroll knowledge, including a strong understanding of production/state tax incentives, AICP bidding formats, payroll processes, and union labor agreements.
• Experience in organizing, tracking, and reporting on diverse production details.
• Ability to travel domestically and internationally approximately 4–5 times per year, as needed

We are open to candidates in NYC, Los Angeles, the San Francisco Bay Area, and Portland, OR .

The hiring range for this position is $130,000 to $155,000. Where an employee or prospective employee is paid within this range will depend on, among other factors, actual ranges for current/former employees in the subject position; budgetary considerations; tenure and standing with the company (applicable to current employees); as well as the employee’s/applicant’s applicable skills, pertinent experience, and qualifications.

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