Intellectual Property Manager

Publishers Marketplace; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of Chicago seeks a detailed IP Contracts professional to draft and issue original book publication and series contracts, amendments, and licensing agreements. You will assist senior IP staff with co-publication agreements and translation rights, manage backlist renewals, and maintain templates and archives for press content.

You will liaise with publishers, authors, and journals staff, analyze rights ownership, and train staff on 3rd party permissions, contributing to efficient

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required; graduate work preferred.
• Two years publishing or related field experience; one year supervisory experience.

Responsibilities

• Draft and issue original book publication and series contracts, amendments, cancellations, subsidy agreements, and contributor agreements.
• Assist IP Director with co-publication agreements drafting and issuing.
• Assist International Rights Manager with translation rights acquisition and process tracking.
• Manage backlist reprint renewals, track renewals, data management, and review licensor renewal agreements.
• Maintain contracts, rights, and permissions templates and boilerplate language; keep up to date with IP trends.
• Maintain digital archive of legal documents related to Press books content and journal acquisitions/licensing.
• Coordinate with stakeholders and liaise with publishers, agents, authors, and public regarding IP use and permissions.
• Analyze publication agreements to assess rights and inform future use or reuse of Press IP.
• Provide training to Publishers, Managing Editors, and journals staff on 3rd party permissions issues.
• Trains Permissions & Copyright Coordinator and student assistants; oversee permissions requests and copyright filings.
• Develop and maintain audio strategy spreadsheets for front- and backlist audiobook production options.

Education

Bachelor's degree

Graduate work

Tools

Microsoft Office

Adobe Creative Suite

Database software

Word processing software

Spreadsheet software

Job description

Responsibilities

Drafts and issues all original book publication and series contracts as well as amendments, cancellations, subsidy agreements, and specialized contributor agreements; assists the Director of IP with the drafting and issuing of co-publication agreements. Assists the International Rights Manager with the acquisition of translation rights, including process tracking and submitting advance payment requests. Assists the Paperbacks Editor with the management of backlist reprint title renewals, including process tracking, data management, and reviewing renewal agreements proposed by licensor. Maintains and updates contracts and permissions templates and boilerplate language on an ongoing basis in accordance with evolving trends in intellectual property and industry best practices. Maintains contracts, rights, and permissions data in Press databases. Maintains the digital archive of legal documents related to Press books content. Acts as a liaison to other Press departments to help facilitate the publishing process, especially consulting on 3rd party permissions issues, serial licensing agreements, and use of materials from Books Division titles for publicity, marketing, and design/production purposes. Serves as a liaison to publishers, agents, authors, and the general public regarding Press IP. Analyzes publication agreements and assesses rights held by the Press in order to make independent decisions regarding future use or re-use of Press IP. Provides training and guidance to Publishers, Managing Editors, and other journals staff on questions pertaining to 3rd party permissions issues. Maintains a digital archive of legal documents related to journal acquisitions and licensing agreements. Trains and supervises the Permissions & Copyright Coordinator and student assistants, oversees the coordinator’s work evaluating and granting permissions requests and filing for copyright registration, ensuring compliance with Press policies and governmental requirements, and providing guidance to enhance decision-making accuracy and efficiency. Analyzes permissions activity to help determine updates to fee structures and identify opportunities to increase process efficiency. Ensures that best-practice documentation used by the Coordinator and student assistants is kept up to date as legal and organizational factors change. Devises improvements to departmental workflows and implements technology solutions to improve efficiency on an ongoing basis including representing the IP dept in interdepartmental groups dedicated to on-going development projects and attending meetings with IT department when necessary. Contributes to setting the Press’s intellectual property policies and ensures that procedures are implemented in regard to publication agreements, licensing agreements, 3rd party permissions, and re-use of Press content. Works closely with the IP Director on audio rights licensing and manages relationships with a portfolio of audio publishers for Press Books titles, including fielding inquiries and offers, negotiating terms, and developing template agreements. Communicates and coordinates with stakeholders to effectuate audiobook licensing, approvals, advance/file fee payment, and production. Develops and/or maintains audio strategy spreadsheets for tracking front- and backlist audiobook production options and workflows.

Preferred Qualifications

Education: Bachelor's degree. Graduate work. Experience: Two years of experience in publishing or a related field. One year of supervisory experience. Technical Knowledge or Skills: Microsoft Office. Adobe Creative Suite. Knowledge of database, word processing, and spreadsheet software.

The included pay rate or range represents the University’s good faith estimate of the possible compensation offer for this role at the time of posting.

The University of Chicago offers a wide range of benefits programs and resources for eligible employees, including health, retirement, and paid time off. Information about the benefit offerings can be found in the Benefits Guidebook.