Download GLOBAL ROLE PROFILE Global Job Title: Head of Business and

GLOBAL ROLE PROFILE
Global Job Title:
Head of Business and Legal Affairs, [Region]
Job Reference Number:
[TBC]
Job Family:
Business and Legal Affairs
Location:
[
Reporting to:
Director of Business and Legal Affairs
Grade:
[TBC]
]
BBC Worldwide
BBC Worldwide Limited is the main commercial arm and a wholly owned subsidiary of the
British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) which operates in the UK and over 200 countries
around the world. The company is self-funded and exists to exploit the value of the BBC's
assets for the benefit of the licence fee payer and invest in public service programming in
return for rights.
We acquire the commercial rights to great programmes such as Doctor Who, Top Gear and
Dancing with the Stars and find ways of earning money from these rights across different
media and markets. In 2011/12, BBC Worldwide generated headline profits of £155 million
on headline sales of £1085 million and returned £216 million to the BBC. In April 2009, the
company was awarded the Queen's Award for Enterprise, recognising the company's
substantial growth in earnings over the previous three years.
From April 2nd 2013, BBC Worldwide introduced a new structure, centred around
geographic business units with commercial accountability, underpinned by strong
centralised functions which offer consistency around content, editorial, brands and digital.
This new structure allows BBC Worldwide to further increase its global presence, get closer
to customers, operate more swiftly and put it in the best position to capitalise on
opportunities around the world.
The seven geographic P&Ls are: Asia; Australia & New Zealand (ANZ); Central & Eastern
Europe, Middle East and Africa (CEMA); Latin America; UK; US & Canada and Western
Europe. The three global business areas - Content, Digital and Brands - set the strategic
framework and parameters for activities within the regions, and keep a close connection
into BBC Worldwide's parent, the BBC.
At BBC Worldwide, our values are at the heart of everything we do; our culture, how we
operate and how we work together to achieve our objectives. We are passionate about
creating the right culture to work in and employing candidates who can demonstrate they
will contribute positively to the organisation. Our values are (as listed in the footer to these
pages): quality, enterprise, respect, creativity, audiences, truat and teamwork.
Purpose of the role
A crucial role for the whole organisation, providing all business and legal affairs support
required by the business in one of its 7 geographical regions. This includes being a vital,
trusted and key advisor to the General Manager of the region; delivering first hand, first
class business and legal affairs support on matters of key strategic, financial and
reputational importance to the business; ensuring that the highest standards of corporate
governance, risk management and compliance with law, policy and regulation are observed
at all times; and leading, managing and developing a team dedicated to all of these tasks.
Accountabilities
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providing an essential contribution from a business and legal affairs perspective to the
design and development of commercial strategy for the business in the region as well as
the plan for the execution of it through achievement of the goals contained within it
(and more generally as a key member of the regional management board)
leading business affairs deal making and contractual negotiation in relation to the full
breadth and depth of the business (by geography and area of business operation including currently channels distribution, television sales, digital distribution, DVD
distribution, merchandising, format sales, publishing, live events, etc)
vitally important primary role in managing risk, ensuring first class corporate governance
and protecting the BBC's brand and reputation both through the provision of advice but
also through the development and implementation of excellent efficient and effective
processes
equally important role in ensuring compliance with all of the BBC policies and
procedures and relevant legislation and regulation (including, for example, fair trading,
anti-fraud and corruption, editorial, ethical and environmental, etc)
analysing business processes as they relate to business and legal affairs and designing
and implementing improvements to these that add value wherever appropriate to
improve the organisation, efficiency and effectiveness of the business
leading, managing, developing and inspiring a team of lawyers and other business affairs
professionals required to also support the business to the highest standard (including
through communicating legal issues and considerations clearly and providing training to
the business to explain and reinforce this)
ensuring the provision of excellent drafting, negotiating and management of contracts
with customers and suppliers in a timely and effective way to deliver the best outcome
for BBC Worldwide
delivering timely and high quality legal advice to the business (evaluating facts and
applying knowledge while recognising the focus of the business) all in a practical and
commercially focussed way in relation to all relevant matters that reduce risk, resolve
issues and maximise the opportunity for the business to deliver on its goals
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liaising, and ensuring effective liaison by the rest of the business and legal affairs team in
the region, as appropriate, with other parts of the business and legal affairs function in
BBC Worldwide (eg in relation to content investment, marketing, brand protection,
collective rights management, commercial policy, company secretarial, data protection,
information security, corporate matters, etc)
combining all of the above in a way that does its best, in the appropriate context, to
enable the business to deliver on its financial and non-financial KPIs
Scope & Impact
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responsible for support of a very broad geographic area and substantial and varied
business operations in that area
as a result, facing a wide variety of complex and difficult legal issues including in
developing geographic and product markets
these give rise to a critical need to analyse and interpret these issues in a timely fashion
and advise the business how best to take account of them in its operations
operating with automony, largely in control of the delivery of the accountabilities listed
above both directly and (through their team) indirectly
the role carries very substantial personal and professional responsibility (for the
reputation of the BBC as well as the financial health of BBC Worldwide). It is centred
absolutely and firmly on the professional services to be delivered by the successful
candidate and their team. However, that candidate will also be expected to join the
regional board. The role carries huge possibilities and need for a driven candidate to
provide a creative, intelligent and clearly directed contribution both at the business and
legal affairs level but also at the regional board level. The benefit to the business of
receiving a contribution of this type would be huge (and measurable in financial terms.
Strategic Planning & Decision Making
It is in this area that the successful candidate is expected to excel. Doing so makes all the
difference to the value of in house counsel. There is a premium on analytical thinkers of
high intellect who can identify areas for improvement and areas of opportunity for the
organisation and can apply this to their own area and more generally and deliver clearly and
unambiguosly what is needed in this regard to aggregate in to a coherent strategy for the
region and/or key territories in it.
Precedents and established policy, process and procedure do exist to support a good deal of
what is being delivered. However, for the reasons highlighted above there is constant need
to review and adapt, replace or add to these (often in consultation with other areas of the
business) and to make a material contribution more generally to improving business
activities and processes.
Relationships
Relationships with the Director of Business and Legal Affairs and the Regional General
Manager and their executive team, as well as relationships with the successful candidate’s
own team and the other regional Heads of Business & Legal Affairs are the key relationships.
Developing key objectives; priorities amongst those objectives; and strategies for delivering
on them will be key to the success of the candidate in the role. Regular, collaborative,
interaction with all of these stakeholders will be to the benefit of all (and BBC Worldwide
more generally).
Knowledge & Skills
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Considerable knowledge and experience of international media environments, including
- drafting and negotiating contracts in a content licensing environment
- detailed understanding of contract, commercial and intellectual property law and of
the structures and systems within which broadcasters, producers, distributors
(whether traditional or non-traditional eg digital) operate
- knowledge of the legal and regulatory framework particularly in the region within
which the business operates
Leadership Behaviours (where appropriate)
The role is a senior one in the Business and Legal Affairs team generally and (as key advisor
to the General Manager) in the management of the region. Leadership qualities are
essential to be demonstrated in that context and also in the context of the leadership of the
business and legal affairs team in the region whom the successful will be expected to lead,
manage and develop. Successful communication and relationship building skills will be
crucial (particularly with reference to the General Manager of the Region and their top
executive team (of which the successful candidate will be part) and the Director of Busines
& Legal Affairs.
Education
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qualified lawyer required
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relevant language abilities desirable
Professional Experience
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substantial relevant private practice and in house experience at a level ensuring
interaction with senior executives is required in areas that are referred to above
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strong track record of promoting risk management, compliance and good corporate
governance
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building and leading business and legal affairs teams supporting commercial media
businesses
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working previously in or for businesses in the region (or the same in other regions)