Director – Rights & Clearances

Director – Rights & Clearances

Requirements

• 6+ years of clearance experience in unscripted and documentary television production.
• Strong experience reviewing episode cuts and other project-related materials for legal, clearance, and reputational risks.
• Deep knowledge of copyright, trademark, privacy, defamation, publicity, defamation and fair use principals.
• Fluency with production paperwork such as appearance releases, location agreements, music licenses and guild or union deliverables.
• Proven ability to identify PR and reputational risks in sensitive subject matter (true crime, controversial topics, celebrity content, etc.).
• Skilled in negotiating licenses for third-party materials.
• Highly organized, with excellent recordkeeping and clearance tracking skills.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills and ability to translate complex legal concepts into clear production notes.
• Bachelor’s degree required; paralegal certificate or JD a plus but not required.
• Eligible to work in the US and available to travel and work on-site as production requires.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the rights and clearances lead for episode cuts and related materials to screen for logos, music, archival material, talent appearances, privacy issues, defamation and other clearance concerns.
• Coordinate with internal and external counsel on intellectual property, fair use, defamation, privacy, publicity and other legal risks.
• Flag issues, communicate clearance notes, propose practical fixes and confirm compliance with network and platform guidelines.
• Oversee the securing of licenses for third-party materials by production teams.
• Train producers and editors on best practices early in the creative process.
• Attend creative meetings to anticipate clearance challenges before filming or post.
• Provide rapid turnaround guidance to production and post teams throughout production and editorial processes.
• Maintain organized files for locations agreements, appearance releases, materials licenses, stock footage and vendor files.
• Supervise the preparation of clearance logs and related network legal deliverables.
• Update internal guidelines and templates for ongoing production and studio compliance.

Preferred Qualifications

• Familiarity with studio network delivery requirements (Netflix, Amazon, Hulu Warner Bros. Discovery, Fox, etc.).
• Experience on large-format competition or live event series.
• Prior negotiation of third-party license fees (e.g., professional sports) or stock agency deals.
• Knowledge of international clearance standards for global distribution.