Business Affairs Manager

UnitedMasters | Translation•New York, NY

5h•Hybrid

About The Position

UnitedMasters is building a marketplace that connects artists, brands and fans - empowering artists to earn and grow. UnitedMasters has taken the bold step of building a music distribution service that, radically, puts artists first - disrupting the legacy music business by letting up-and-coming artists distribute their music directly to fans through streaming services while maintaining ownership of their master recording rights and up to 100% of royalties. Through the combination of UnitedMasters’ music distribution platform and its deep ties to brands, UnitedMasters enables independent artists and change-makers to grow and earn unlike any other platform. The UnitedMasters team is made up of musicians, marketers, engineers, and storytellers with backgrounds from YouTube, SoundCloud, Pandora, Facebook, Uber, Dropbox, Complex, VICE, and more. We work hand in hand with the award-winning creative teams that forge those innovative partnerships at Translation (our in-house creative advertising agency). We are looking for a Business Affairs Manager to join Translation’s McDonald’s team! This role is based in Brooklyn, New York with four days in-office and one day remote.

Requirements

Work well under pressure and move with the storms of pitches and deadlines
Experience in building relationships with account, creative, legal, production, & finance
Able to meet deadlines with accuracy and minimum supervision
Strong organizational skills and high attention to detail
Ability to solve problems with keen instincts
Experience working on union & non-union productions
Knowledge and experience with the SAG-AFTRA Commercials Contract
Familiarity with talent payment workflows including session and usage payments for union and non-union talent.
Understanding of SAG-AFTRA commercial payment structures and usage tracking.
4+ years of experience in business affairs, production, talent management, or related roles within an advertising agency, production company, or entertainment environment.
Working knowledge of SAG-AFTRA Commercials Contract and union/non-union production practices.
Exposure to talent payment processing, usage tracking, or production financial management preferred.

Nice To Haves

4-Year College Degree preferred
Experience working with talent payroll vendors or payment systems (e.g., Extreme Reach or similar platforms).
A quick thinker, and multi-tasker
Able to summarize and speak in layman terms
Excellent verbal and written communication skills

Responsibilities

Review creative materials and advise agency teams on talent, music, insurance, copyright, and intellectual property considerations, recommending appropriate next steps.
Work in tandem with internal legal counsel to manage rights, clearances, and contractual matters across productions.
Prepare and review estimates for talent fees, residuals, and other talent/music related production costs.
Advise teams on union matters, including SAG-AFTRA and AFM guidelines.
Track usage for large-scale talent guarantees and monitor renewal or renegotiation needs.
Create and issue key production documentation including talent agreements, licenses, insurance certificates, production contracts, and vendor scopes of work.
Review scripts, decks, rough cuts, and final creative for clearance or risk considerations.
Coordinate with production, finance, and payroll vendors to process session and usage payments for talent, ensuring payments are accurate, timely, and compliant with union and non-union requirements.
Maintain organized records of talent agreements, payment documentation, and job materials for reporting, compliance, and audit purposes.
Monitor talent budgets and support reconciliation of talent-related costs throughout the production lifecycle.
Ensure vendors and talent payments are processed on time in coordination with Account Management and Finance, and assist in closing projects financially.
Ensure all relevant documentation is captured in job jackets and completion reports.