Director of Business Affairs

Full-time - Senior

Chicago, IL

About the position

The Director of Business Affairs at Burrell Communications is responsible for managing talent contracts, vendor agreements, and intellectual property rights in collaboration with agency legal counsel. This senior-level position oversees content production across various media, ensuring compliance with contracts and managing negotiations with talent and vendors.

Responsibilities

• Review vendor agreements to ensure compliance with Client SOWs and MSAs.
• Conduct trademark searches for proposed branding, taglines, signage, and design.
• Manage intellectual property rights and clearance acquisitions.
• Negotiate with celebrities and over scale agreements in collaboration with the Director of Business Affairs.
• Work with agency legal counsel on contracts, updates, risk assessments, and indemnifications.
• Review final estimates and caveats with producers before submission to clients.
• Create and issue production contracts, insurance, licenses, talent agreements, and vendor purchase orders.
• Participate in project scoping discussions to provide accurate estimates for talent session fees and related costs.
• Issue talent contracts, session reports, and final casts to payroll vendors.
• Evaluate and manage union claims, audits, or reporting requests.
• Create and negotiate music vendor agreements.
• Monitor cost actuals with producers through project completion.
• Manage account transition documentation for incoming and exiting clients.

Requirements

• 7+ years of Business Affairs experience at an advertising agency required.
• Extensive knowledge of SAG union contracts and compliance interpretation.
• Strong computer skills and willingness to learn new technologies.
• Ability to manage multiple projects with tight timelines.
• High degree of professionalism with a focus on accuracy and attention to detail.
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision and follow up effectively.

Nice-to-haves

• Experience in negotiating contracts with celebrities and talent.
• Familiarity with digital project management tools.

Benefits

• Competitive salary range of $98.8K - $125K per year.
• Equal opportunity employer.