Business Affairs Lead

Who We Are

TBWA\Media Arts Lab (or MAL as you’ll hear us called) is the bespoke global advertising agency dedicated solely to Apple. Our mission is to create smart, simple and iconic work that transforms business and makes culture for the world’s best brand.

We believe that what MAL creates belongs to everyone; and everyone belongs at MAL. We think creativity lives in open, safe and brave spaces, where diverse perspectives can come together, free of prejudice and discrimination. We strive to be a partnership of equals. Everyone has a role to play here, and we invite you to bring your fully authentic and crazy selves to this space. Together, we’ll do the best work we’ve ever done.

We’re headquartered in Los Angeles, California, with 5 further international hubs and over 800 people making great work for Apple in 26 markets around the globe. We’d love to meet you!

Role

We’re looking for a Business Affairs Lead to manage the team in Gurugram. Our Gurugram office is one of two servicing India and reports into the regional hub in Singapore.

This role will report into the Associate Business Affairs Director (based in Singapore) and be part of the wider APAC Business Affairs team which currently consists of 9 people across the region.

The Business Affairs Lead will play a key role in the management of Apple’s advertising content for India, including legal, regulatory, rights and risk management. You will work closely with the Associate Director and Global Director (primarily based in London) in assessing associated risks in the work and broader commercial matters for the market.

The role requires a hands-on, commercially-minded proactive and pragmatic approach to a range of business critical technical tasks. You should be a great communicator, detail-orientated and a collaborative problem solver in the creation, localization, and delivery of work from India, Singapore and the US. You should have the experience to train and mentor your team and ensure the Business Affairs function remains a visible key stakeholder throughout the creative process.

The Work

• Market lead, managing team members in India (currently two).
• Partner with Associate Director to review local origination concepting and development, ensuring individual productions are set up for success.
• Attend key creative & leadership reviews. Vocalise feasibility concerns and propose solutions.
• Apply Company’s risk approach to review and escalate advertising risks, as required. Partner with external legal counsel.
• Mentor and train team members. Review legal comms & contractual drafting. Educate India Agency on Business Affairs’ role, remit and agreed workflows.
• Work with Associate Director on resource allocation and forecasting, department growth & needs.
• Partner with Associate or Global Director (as required) to manage high-level third party negotiations and relationships with key Apple partners.
• Lead Client Business Affairs status meetings. Work with team to prepare associated materials.
• Oversee Production Insurance implementation & assessment of vendor insurance needs.
• Partner with production team to ensure origination and localisation best practice.
• Oversee data privacy compliance with production and research vendors.
• Negotiate vendor service level agreements across all functions, as required.
• Partner with Associate Director in the implementation, monitoring and compliance with corporate and Client policies, guidelines and protocols.
• Handle ad-hoc requests as directed by Global and Associate BA Directors and Singapore Managing Director.

Who will thrive in this role?

• Proven senior leadership experience of the Business Affairs function within the advertising, media or film industries.
• Advanced practical experience of rights contracting and production management.
• Proven experience in high-level negotiations (such as with celebrities & A-list Directors).
• Excellent commercial acumen, including a broad understanding if industry revenue streams, resourcing, forecasting, budgeting and agency structures.
• Proven experience of direct Client management.
• A strong verbal and written communicator, able to adjust to the audience.  
• Team player, highly collaborative, with a calm, positive ‘can do’ attitude and with the ability to work well under pressure.
• Unrelenting ambition to create smart, simple, iconic work that makes culture for the brand.
• Passion for the advertising industry and its regulations, with a keen eye for current trends, culture, and emerging markets.

Diversity + Inclusion

Without inclusion, we won't be diverse. Diversity brings a richness which we believe enables innovation & creativity. As such, MAL is committed to maintaining an open, welcoming and inclusive culture which allows everybody to bring their whole selves to the workplace and simply be who they are at all times.



Media Arts Lab is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes everyone to our team.

If you need reasonable adjustments at any point in the application or interview process, please let us know. In your application, please feel free to note which pronouns you use (for example, she/her/hers, he/him/his, they/them/theirs, etc).