Associate Director, Business & Legal Affairs

Job Purpose The Associate Director is responsible for transactional, litigation and other departmental matters aimed at enabling the business to achieve its objectives. This role negotiates and drafts contracts and other documents, and participates in efforts to protect SMP’s songwriters and intellectual property rights. What You’ll Do Draft and negotiate various types of publishing agreements, including co‑publishing, purchase agreements, administration agreements, modifications/extensions, etc. Respond promptly to requests from various internal and external clients. Partner and collaborate with royalty personnel on responses to audit claims; negotiate and draft audit settlement agreements. Partner with Sony in‑house litigation staff and outside counsel on litigation matters: review claims, coordinate responses to discovery requests, review answers, motion papers, briefs, etc. Partner closely with A&R staff on preparation of proposals. Prepare and circulate deal approval memos. Advise internal clients on legal issues and risks, complex agreement structures, approval processes, copyright issues, company policies and procedures, intellectual property and agreement strategy. Support the continuous improvement of standard form agreements and legal processes. Perform other relevant duties as assigned. Who You Are JD required, licensed and in good standing to practice law in California and/or NY. Excellent drafting, writing and communication skills. Prior experience working for a law firm or corporate experience negotiating and drafting. 2+ years’ experience working in the media industry. Demonstrated experience working effectively in a diverse environment. Strong communication, interpersonal and organizational skills. Ability to multi‑task and juggle competing priorities. Strong organizational skills with high attention to detail. Ability to be innovative and suggest changes/improvements within scope of work. Ability to professionally interface with all levels of the organization, clients and vendors. Willingness to learn and adapt to new responsibilities in a fast‑paced environment. Related licensing experience within the entertainment industry. Ability to research legal matters quickly and accurately. Knowledge of domestic and international copyright issues. Knowledge of PRO issues and foreign PRO issues. High levels of integrity, discretion and honesty. Ability to adhere to deadlines, execute on tasks and handle multiple, diverse assignments. Strong time management skills. Computer literacy (MS Word & Excel essential). What We Give You Inclusive, collaborative and global community that fuels the creative journey. Modern office environment designed to foster productivity, creativity and teamwork. Attractive and comprehensive benefits package including medical, dental, vision, life & disability coverage, and 401K with employer matching. Voluntary benefits such as company‑paid identity theft protection, mental health and meditation resources, fertility coverage, paid leave for childbirth or bonding, caregiver leave, programs for loved ones with developmental disabilities and neurodiversity, subsidized back‑up child and elder care, and reimbursement for adoption, surrogacy, tuition and student loans. Investment in professional growth & development. Time off for a winter recess. Disclaimer The anticipated annual base salary for this position is $103,100.00–$147,200.00. This range does not include any other compensation components or other benefits that an individual may be eligible for. The actual base salary offered depends on a variety of factors, including the qualifications of the individual applicant for the position, years of relevant experience, specific and unique skills, level of education attained, certifications or other professional licenses held, and the location in which the applicant lives and/or from which they will be performing the job. Honesty, trustworthiness and ethical conduct are material requirements for the responsibilities outlined above. SMP will consider qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records in accordance with applicable law. Sony is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religious creed, sex (including pregnancy), gender, national origin, citizenship, ancestry, age, physical or mental disability, military status, status as a veteran or disabled veteran, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital or family status, genetic information, medical condition, or any other basis protected by applicable federal, state, or local law, ordinance, or regulation. We are aware that unauthorized individuals or organizations may attempt to solicit personal information or payments from job applicants by impersonating our company through fraudulent job postings. We take these matters seriously but cannot control third‑party websites. To protect your personal information, please verify that any job posting you respond to also appears on our official Careers page: Please also be advised that we never request personal identifying information (such as Social Security numbers, bank details, or copies of identification documents) during the initial stages of our application process. If you have any doubts about the authenticity of a job posting or communication, please contact View email address on click.appcast.io before submitting any information. EEO is the Law EEO is the Law Supplement Right to Work (English/Spanish) E-Verify Participation (English/Spanish) #J-18808-Ljbffr Sony Music Publishing