Senior Legal Counsel

BBC Studios; Singapore; On-site; SGD 150,000 - 230,000; Full time

Job summary

BBC Studios in Singapore is seeking a Senior Legal Counsel to lead business and legal affairs across Asia, delivering strategic, commercially focused advice while managing risk. You will partner with senior stakeholders, draft and negotiate complex agreements, and guide regulatory and compliance matters in a fast-moving media environment.

The role requires regional leadership, in-house experience, and a collaborative One BBC mindset to drive high performance across markets.

Qualifications

• Admitted to practise as a lawyer in a common law jurisdiction (Singapore or the UK preferred).
• 8-10 years Post-Qualification Experience.
• Fluency in English.
• Extensive negotiating, rights management, contracting and copyright experience.
• Experience of working in an in-house legal team, ideally in a media business.
• Knowledge/understanding of the legal and regulatory framework in the region within which the BBC Studios business operates.

Responsibilities

• Lead drafting, negotiation and management of commercial agreements and legal documentation.
• Provide strategic legal and business affairs leadership to the Asia business.
• Foster relationships across senior stakeholders and cross-territory teams.
• Mitigate legal and business risk and support dispute resolution.
• Ensure governance and compliance with BBCS policies and regulations.
• Line-manage members of the team and mentor colleagues.
• Lead complex cross-functional projects and ensure delivery.

Skills

Qualified lawyer

PQE 8-10

English fluency

In-house experience

Media law knowledge

Team leadership

Education

Bar admission

Job description

WE ARE BBC STUDIOS

A globally renowned media company borne of the BBC. We make and distribute the world’s most sought-after TV, audio and digital content.

JOB DETAILS

• Role: Senior Legal Counsel
• Contract Type: Permanent, Full-time
• Location: Singapore

PURPOSE OF THE ROLE

The Senior Legal Counsel operates as the lead business & legal affairs partner for BBC Studios’ businesses across Asia, providing strategic, commercially focused legal advice to support the delivery of business objectives while ensuring effective risk management. The role works closely with senior stakeholders across the region, leading on complex legal, commercial and operational matters whilst contributing to a high-performing regional legal team. A highly collaborative 'One BBC' mindset with the ability to work effectively across divisions and markets are critical to this role.

Your Key Responsibilities And Impact

• Negotiation and contracting: To lead the drafting, negotiation and management of a wide range of commercial agreements and legal documentation, supporting business objectives while identifying and mitigating legal, financial and reputational risk.
• Advising: To provide strategic legal and business affairs leadership to the Asia business and act as a trusted adviser to internal clients (including senior management) on commercial, regulatory and business and legal affairs matters.
• Stakeholder management: To positively represent BBC Studios and proactively foster and develop collaborative, creative and commercial relationships at senior level – both externally and internally across the BBC Group.
• Risk management: To mitigate legal, contractual and business risk, and support the resolution of disputes concerning content, brand and IP protection.
• Compliance: To ensure that governance, standards and frameworks are adhered to and translated into compliant individual deals within a coherent pan-BBC approach. To ensure compliance with BBCS policies and procedures and relevant legislation and regulation.
• Team management: To line-manage members of the business and legal affairs team while maintaining a culture of teamwork, integrity and empowerment. To guide, support and develop other members of the team and deputise where appropriate.
• Teamwork: To confidently foster excellent relationships across multiple lines of business and territories and be a strategic business partner. To collaborate effectively with and assist other members of the team as may be required.
• Project management: To lead or assist on complex legal, commercial and cross-functional projects to ensure effective delivery, stakeholder alignment and use of resources.

Your Skills And Experience

Key Criteria

• Admitted to practise as a lawyer in a common law jurisdiction (Singapore or the UK preferred; US or Australia jurisdictions will also be considered).
• 8-10 years Post-Qualification Experience.
• Fluency in English
• Extensive negotiating, rights management, contracting and copyright experience.
• Ability to manage diverse workstreams and to apply complex analytical and problem-solving skills under pressure in a complex, evolving environment.
• Experience of working in an in-house legal team, ideally in a media business
• Knowledge/understanding of the legal and regulatory framework in the region within which the BBC Studios business operates (broadcast, streaming, content distribution, advertising)
• An approach that encompasses teamwork, openness, creativity, flexibility, resilience, passion and energy, in an assured and professional manner.
• Builds and maintains team standards of high performance and professionalism.

Desirable

Comprehensive knowledge of, and experience in the broadcast and streaming sector.

JOB IMPACT

Decision Making

• Analyse and interpret legal issues in a timely fashion and advise the business on how best to address them in its operations.
• Operate with autonomy and drive.

Scope

• Support commercial activities and operations across BBC Studios’ distribution business in Asia and ANZ.
• Face a wide variety of complex and challenging legal issues, including those arising from developing geographic and product markets.
• Ability to work across multiple time zones, territories, and business lines.
• Ability to line-manage team members

Strategic Impact / Influence

• Provide creative, intelligent, and clearly directed contributions at both the Business Affairs and Legal levels.
• Provide leadership and supervision of a high performing and professional team.

Reporting Structure

Part of the APAC Business & Legal Affairs team reporting to the Head of Business & Legal Affairs, Global Channels & Streaming, APAC and line-managing members of the business and legal affairs team.

Disclaimer

This job description is a written statement of the essential characteristics of the job, with its principal accountabilities, incorporating a note of the skills, knowledge and experience required for a satisfactory level of performance. This is not intended to be a complete, detailed account of all aspects of the duties involved.

Please note: If you were to be offered this role, the BBC will conduct Employment screening checks which include Reference checks; Eligibility to work checks; and if applicable to the role, Safeguarding and Adverse media/Social media checks. Any offer made is conditional on these checks being satisfactory.

Before your start date, you may need to disclose any unspent convictions or police charges, in line with our Recruitment policy. This allows us to discuss any support you may need and assess any risks. Failure to disclose may result in the withdrawal of your offer.

For any general queries, please contact: [e-mail]