Director, Acquisitions

Job Description

Director, Acquisitions (M/F/D)

This role is responsible for leading ongoing and future acquisitions of content for Warner Bros Discovery / Max with a primary focus on GSA, undertaking negotiations with major studios, European and local independents per the division within the team, and will be working closely in partnership with other teams across the company; local teams, finance, administration, strategy & analysis and many others, to ensure a complete and successful content portfolio on Max. The role will also play a crucial part in monitoring and fulfilling any European or local investment obligations with acquisitions as needed and will work collaboratively on Pan-European deals and discussions with larger EMEA streaming Acquisition team when relevant.

The Director Acquisitions & Programming GSA reports to VP Acquisitions & Programming France, Benelux and GSA, based in Paris, France.

Your Role Accountabilities…
• Driving and executing Acquisition of content, both current and library for Max GSA. Driving discussion per team account division for pan-EMEA rights and other projects.
• Sourcing, screening, reading and evaluating content for acquisition and pre-buy/co-pro opportunities, looking at estimated performance, programming needs and platform requirements.
• Negotiate commercial terms with licensors (volume, license fees, rights etc.) with respect to budget and legal requirements for Max, as well as collaborate closely with any WBD channels or services in market/region.
• Preparation/distribution
of documentation, both internal and external: set up various approval materials, proposals, deal memos and contracts, and follow the process through to the securing of signatures.
• Ensuring internal administration and communication, for example setting up rights and content overviews and administer information flow to relevant intercompany teams and stakeholders across WBD and Max EMEA.
• Working closely with the Acquisitions and Rights Management teams across Europe, supporting different projects as part of the day to day as well as any expansion to new markets as needed.
• Coordination across teams and regions within the Acquisitions and Programming team with regards to opportunities, rights alignment, benchmarking, communication etc ensuring best practices and service coherence across EMEA.
• Supporting the Programming budget/forecast process, as well as overseeing the budget process and detailed budget work for the relevant market.
• Setting up rights and content overviews and making sure they are kept up to date and monitoring compliance with regulatory requirements, contract obligations and internal content benchmarks.
• Monitor market trends and competitors in market as well as the international content rights market and rights holders.
• Building and maintaining relevant relationships with rights owners, Licensors and other necessary partners in the region.
• Leading the day-to-day work in local market with fellow teams and direct reports, managing stakeholders, setting up necessary forums of collaboration and creating an inclusive transparent environment.
• As part of a dedicated Programming and Acquisitions team there will also be other ad-hoc tasks and periodic projects where support is required and expected.

Qualifications & Experience…
• Relevant experience of rights acquisition within the media/broadcast/TV and content industry, including a deep understanding of Rights, Legal requirements and SVOD service needs.
• Passionate about content!
• Solid and current relationships with Licensors and Rights owners, as well as other market players, with special focus on GSA.
• Good understanding and experience of the GSA audience, rights market, broadcasters, competitors and media industry at large.
• Broad knowledge of cinema and TV, deep evaluation skills and experience of both finished and in-production materials as well as scripts, outlines, bibles etc.
• Sensitivity for market trends and an analytical mind-set
• Highly organized, structured with a strong attention to detail while maintaining strategic overview.
• Well versed in negotiation, drafting and finalization of agreements, setting up spreadsheets and overviews in various formats, calculating benchmarks, business rationale and financial impact
• Advanced level of both written and spoken English.
• Pro-active with an ability to think ahead
• Strong interpersonal skills, team player at heart without prestige, and with collaborative and inclusive approach.
• Strong communication skills
• Ability to multitask across a wide range of different projects, and an agile attitude in quickly moving company
• Enjoy working in a fast-paced result driven environment
• Self-reliable/motivated with a positive outlook

Championing Inclusion at WBD
Warner Bros. Discovery embraces the opportunity to build a workforce that reflects the diversity of our society and the world around us. Being an equal opportunity employer means that we take seriously our responsibility to consider qualified candidates on the basis of merit, regardless of sex, gender identity, ethnicity, age, sexual orientation, religion or belief, marital status, pregnancy, parenthood, disability or any other category protected by law. Severely disabled employees are welcome in our company and will be given special consideration if they are equally qualified. Flexible working hours are offered to assist.

If you're a qualified candidate with a disability and you require adjustments or accommodations during the job application and/or recruitment process, please visit our accessibility page for instructions to submit your request.

Jobcode: Reference SBJ-d5qy31-35-215-180-183-42 in your application.