Assistant to the Director, Rights Administrator

The University of Arizona Press seeks an Assistant to the Director, Rights Administrator to join the premier publisher of academic, regional, and literary books in the state of Arizona. The Assistant to the Director provides high-level administrative and operational support to the Director and the Press, oversees the contracting process, and manages the Press's subsidiary rights program, including licensing re-use or translation of Press content and interpreting and re-clearing permissions as needed. The Press publishes approximately 50 new books each year, has a robust backlist of more than 1700 titles, and an active digital publishing program.

Outstanding UA benefits include health, dental, and vision insurance plans; life insurance and disability programs; paid vacation, sick leave, and holidays; UA/ASU/NAU tuition reduction for the employee and qualified family members; retirement plans; access to UA recreation and cultural activities; and more!

The University of Arizona has been recognized for our innovative work-life programs. For more information about working at the University of Arizona and relocations services, please click here.

CHARACTERISTIC DUTIES

• Serves as Rights and Permissions Administrator for UA Press: Handles
  permission and subsidiary rights requests for published books and works in
  progress, including researching rights in a title, determining appropriateness
  of use and fair permission fees, negotiating terms on behalf of the Director,
  preparing license agreements, managing internal data regarding rights held and
  licensed, and collecting fees. Researches and re-clears permissions for UA
  Press books scheduled for reprinting or publication in a new format,
  interpreting third-party licenses, paying fees as necessary, and maintaining
  records. Maintains rights and terms with Copyright Clearance Center and handles
  requests for accessible files as required by law. Markets and negotiates book
  translations and all other subsidiary rights. Stays abreast of online piracy
  issues and monitors reports of illegal use of copyrighted material.
• Manages contracts and contracting
  process for books: Prepares and processes contracts and consent-to-publish
  forms, enters and maintains contract and royalty information in Chicago
  Distribution Center's CISPUB program; manages contract filing and internal
  databases, registers copyrights, assists business department with annual
  royalty process, provides research for royalty and rights negotiations, acts as
  primary contact for author information updates, ensures timely payment of
  royalty advances, advises Acquisitions, EDP, and Marketing departments on
  rights status and Fair Use, reverts rights to authors and other tasks as
  needed.
• Provides administrative support for
  Director and Press: Responds to general inquiries, providing excellent customer
  services; drafts correspondence, reports or agendas as needed; schedules
  meetings and maintains Director's calendar; makes travel arrangements; supports
  staff and student recruitment; represents Press and Director at public events
  as needed. Manages office equipment and supplies to ensure smooth office
  operations; develops and maintains office protocols, including mail
  distribution, routing of paperwork, and logging of checks and cash, ensuring
  timeliness and information security; helps develop and maintain central filing
  systems for contracts, licenses, and information related to copyright; helps
  orient new staff in general Press policies and procedures; coordinates
  interdepartmental projects, providing leadership when assigned; hires, trains,
  and supervises student employees in support of the duties of the position;
  liaises with the Dean's office on donor communications and gifts and assists with
  development activities such as grants and proposals, donor stewardship, and
  event planning as needed.
• The UA Libraries support
  the UA's diversity and inclusiveness strategic initiatives designed to create an
  inclusive environment for all faculty, staff, and students. The candidate
  is expected to support and engage in diversity and inclusiveness efforts in the
  department and college.
• Other duties as assigned.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

• Familiarity
  with copyright law and contracts.
• Interest in or knowledge
  of intellectual property, copyright, licensing, and/or contracts.
• Interest in or knowledge
  of book publishing.
• Ability to prioritize own work and multi-task.
• Excellent organizational skills.
• Ability to take initiative and ownership of projects.
• Ability to collaborate well and be open to feedback.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and utilize customer
  service and diplomacy in both internal and external interactions.
• Ability to routinely and independently exercise sound
  judgement in making decisions.
• Skill in the use of personal computers and Microsoft Office
  applications.
• Skill in supervising student employees.
• High level of proficiency in online research.
• Knowledge of contracts and principles of copyright law.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, both written and verbal.
• Ability to work in a highly collaborative and inclusive environment, one
  that values and leverages the benefits of diverse perspectives.
• Positive attitude and strong demonstration of Our Values: Collaboration,
  Continuous Learning, Diversity, Innovation, and Integrity.

• High school diploma or equivalent, or equivalent learning attained
  through experience.
• Minimum of 5 years of relevant experience.

• Experience managing rights and permissions in a publishing setting.