Business Affairs Manager
3 days ago
New York
Location: New York City (Manhattan) / In-Office 5 Days/Week Employment Type: Full-Time (Salary) Company Description Narrative Distribution is a global film and television distributor built to help content owners monetize at scale across streaming, transactional, broadcast, and digital platforms. Formed in 2024 as part of the broader Narrative® family of companies, the company combines modern cloud-based delivery and rights infrastructure with a senior team of proven distribution executives based in Los Angeles, New York, and London. Narrative Distribution maintains direct partnerships with leading platforms — from Amazon and Apple to Disney and Netflix — releasing over one hundred new titles annually while expanding a rapidly growing library with a strong focus on free ad-supported streaming, broadcast channels, and long-term rights monetization. The company releases content through a portfolio of forward-thinking distribution labels: Chroma, a US-based global distributor championing science fiction and horror genre films; Persimmon, a global label devoted to mystery, romance, and true crime storytelling with a focus on direct-to-streaming and television; Wolfe Video, the longest-running and largest distributor of LGBTQ+ films in the world, celebrating its 40th anniversary; and classic film restoration label, Treasury. The Business Affairs team sits at the intersection of deal-making, rights management, and legal operations — playing a critical role in the company’s day-to-day commercial activity across all four labels and the broader distribution business. Role Description The Business Affairs Manager is a key operational role within Narrative Distribution, responsible for the full lifecycle of content licensing agreements across all four company labels — from contract drafting and entry to deliverables verification, vendor negotiations, and dispute resolution. This position involves working with everyone at the company, ensuring that the company’s contractual obligations and rights positions are accurately maintained, actively monitored, and enforced across the distribution business. The Business Affairs Manager interfaces regularly with licensors, licensees, the content acquisition team, the sales team, legal counsel, and finance. Day-to-day responsibilities span broad operational scope. The role maintains accurate records of all rights held, licensed, and encumbered across the film and television catalog; monitors license term expirations, territory restrictions, exclusivity windows, and holdbacks; and coordinates internally to surface availability and flag conflicts before deal execution. This position also drafts, reviews, and negotiates a range of vendor and contractor agreements — including master service agreements, NDAs, and consultant contracts — working from company templates and in coordination with outside counsel as appropriate. When contractual disputes or rights conflicts arise, the Business Affairs Manager serves as a first point of contact for logging and escalating issues, and supports the General Manager and General Counsel in gathering documentation and tracking resolution through to close. The role additionally supports financial operations by reviewing and categorizing incoming invoices from vendors, licensors, and service providers to verify accuracy and alignment with underlying contract terms, and liaising with finance to resolve discrepancies and ensure timely processing of approved payables. This is an excellent opportunity for a detail-oriented, commercially minded professional with experience in entertainment business affairs, content licensing, or a related legal/contracts discipline who is looking to take on meaningful responsibility at a dynamic, fast-growing distribution company. Qualifications Required: • 2–4 years of experience in business affairs, contracts administration, or a related role within film, television, media, or entertainment distribution., • Working knowledge of content licensing deal structures, rights terminology, and standard distribution agreement frameworks., • Demonstrated ability to read, analyze, and summarize complex contractual agreements., • Strong organizational skills and high attention to detail, with experience managing multiple active deals or contracts simultaneously., • Proficiency in Microsoft Office/Monday.com; comfort working in rights management or contract tracking systems (especially Molten)., • Clear written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to interface professionally with external counterparties. Preferred: • Experience at a film or TV distributor, sales agent, studio, or entertainment law firm., • Familiarity with international distribution, co-production, or output deal structures., • Exposure to accounts payable workflows and cost categorization in a media context. Benefits Narrative Distribution offers a competitive benefits package including health, dental, and vision insurance, paid time off, and company holidays. The annual salary range for this role is $69,200 – $75,800, commensurate with experience. Narrative Distribution is an equal opportunity employer.