Director Legal and Business Affairs - 12 month FTC

Music is Universal. It’s the passionate and dedicated team at Universal Music who help make us the world’s leading music company. From A&R to finance, legal to digital, sales to marketing, Universal Music is the place to grow and develop your career within a truly commercial and innovative business that leads in everything it does.

Everyone is welcome to apply for our roles, and we are determined to ensure that no applicant or employee receives less favourable treatment because of gender, race, disability, sexual orientation, religion, belief, age, marital status, background, pregnancy, or caring responsibilities. We also recognise the importance of diversity of thought within our teams and are fully committed to embracing the talents of people with autism, dyslexia, ADHD, and other forms of neurocognitive variation. We will always seek to make appropriate adjustments to recruitment, workplaces, and work processes to be fully inclusive to people with different needs and working styles. If you need us to make any reasonable adjustments for you from application onwards, including alternatives to the online form or to disclose a neurocognitive condition, please email UniversalMusicCareers@umusic.com.

The key focus for this temporary, 12 month role within UMGB’s Legal & Business Affairs teams includes:

• Internal support and advice
• Internal and external compliance
• Contract drafting, negotiation and execution

We’re looking for a commercial transactional lawyer with proven music industry experience negotiating with artists and rights holders. Experience negotiating brand partnership deals within the music and/or entertainment industries is highly valued, but an understanding of the music industry is critical. You will oversee the legal and business affairs operations across UMGB to ensure smooth processes, best practices, and maximise returns.

Skills & Experience

• Commercial Practice: Proven experience of negotiating and drafting bespoke contracts to accommodate unique deal types. Strong commercial aptitude for drafting contracts which deliver value and protect UMG’s interests. Ability to help prepare and catalogue precedents. Managing internal approval processes with senior management and enforcing internal policies. Experience settling routine commercial contracts such as non‑disclosure agreements and data sharing agreements.
• Music: An expert understanding of the music industry and the different rights holders (record labels, publishers, performing rights organisations etc). Experience drafting recording contracts and ancillary recorded agreements (e.g. mixer agreements, producer agreements, side artist agreements etc.), publishing agreements, synch licences, distribution agreements etc. Expertise in intellectual property law and commercial contracts. Experience in commissioning bespoke music and the recording process. Understanding of the live music industry and tour promotion.
• Brand Partnerships: Prior experience of brand partnerships, talent endorsements, and/or licensing agreements. Experience working with advertising and creative agencies.

Personal Specification

• Experienced qualified lawyer, with demonstrable track record in a senior level business affairs role within a music / digital content or entertainment business.
• Solid experience in commercial, IP, contracts and copyright work (drafting, negotiating and advising).
• Proven ability to forge strong relationships across multi‑functional and multi‑territory business.
• A solid experience of negotiating and implementing various deal types with business partners and potential other brands.
• Solid experience of working with top name acts, management, agencies and brands.
• Proven track record in identifying and understanding commercial opportunities and advising on legals and growing revenues within a business.
• A demonstrable track record working on a fast‑paced, global team across multiple deals simultaneously.
• Experience of working at an international level.

Bonus Tracks: Your Benefits

• Group Personal Pension Scheme (between 3% and 9%)
• Private Medical Insurance
• 25 paid days of annual leave
• Interest Free Season Ticket Loan
• Holiday Purchase scheme
• Dental and Travel Insurance options
• Cycle to Work Scheme
• Salary Sacrifice Cars
• Subsidised Gym Membership
• Employee Discounts (Reward Gateway)

Just So You Know… the company presents this job description as a guide to the major areas and duties for which the jobholder is accountable. However, the business operates in an environment that demands change and the jobholder's specific responsibilities and activities will vary and develop. Therefore, the job description should be seen as indicative and not as a permanent, definitive, and exhaustive statement.