SHADOW is seeking a Business Affairs Manager (6–8 years’ experience) to oversee the financial, contractual, and operational integrity of creative projects. This role sits at the intersection of creative, production, finance, and procurement, ensuring projects are properly scoped, budgeted, compliant, and executed efficiently.
What you bring:
- Demonstrated experience in business affairs, procurement, finance operations, or production management within an agency, media, or marketing environment
- Proven expertise in scoping, budgeting, and financial management for creative/production work
- Experience negotiating with vendors, freelancers, and third-party partners
- Knowledge of contracts, SOWs, and production agreements; familiarity with SAG-AFTRA/AFM guidelines preferred
- Understanding of copyright, trademark, publicity rights, and music licensing
- Experience working with client procurement and sourcing teams
- Strong organizational, analytical, and communication skills; ability to manage multiple projects in a fast-paced environment
- Proficiency in project management and financial tools (e.g., Monday.com)
What you do:
- Process Standardization: Define, implement, and continuously refine the standard operating procedures and documentation required for Statement of Work (SOW) creation and all procurement efforts across the organization.
- Legal Risk Mitigation: Take the lead on managing all necessary rights, clearances, and licensing (including music, talent, intellectual property, and Name, Image, Likeness) to guarantee absolute legal and contractual adherence.
- Interdepartmental Alignment: Work closely with all internal teams to ensure every SOW accurately reconciles project deliverables, approved budgets, and legal language with both internal best practices and specific client requirements.
- Full Contract Lifecycle Management: Oversee the entire process for contracts, from initial drafting and comprehensive review to the negotiation of SOWs, estimates, vendor agreements, and production partner deals.
- Indirect Spend Management: Direct the legal and financial aspects of all indirect procurement, handling contract negotiation for outside vendors and freelancers.
- Vendor Relations & Compliance: Manage the complete vendor onboarding pipeline and monitor their ongoing compliance with our standards.
- Client Procurement Partnership: Serve as the dedicated point of contact, partnering directly with client procurement teams to navigate and finalize contract negotiation, onboarding, and compliance procedures.
- Resource Planning Collaboration: Act as a key partner to producers by evaluating production bids, reviewing estimates, and analyzing staffing plans; contribute directly to overall resource allocation, staffing forecasts, and project planning.
- Bridging Vision and Budget: Function as the critical link between departments, expertly balancing the ambition of the creative vision with practical financial constraints and operational necessities.
Annual Compensation
$125K - $150K (commensurate with experience)
What We Provide:
- Medical + dental + vision insurance
- Generous PTO and paid holidays
- Dedicated mental health days
- Unlimited sick time
- Give Back. We want SHADOWs to extend their hearts and give back to their various communities and interests, on the clock! We offer 40 hours of paid VTO annually (voluntary time off)
- 401(k) retirement plan with matching
- Pre-tax commuter and healthcare benefits
- 12 weeks paid leave for new parents
- Individualized career mapping
- Summer Fridays (early close Fridays Memorial Day - Labor Day)
- Hybrid work schedule (1-3 days in office per week, depending on role)
While SHADOW intends to maintain these employee benefits, the Company reserves the right to modify, amend or terminate these benefits at any time and for any reason.
Additional Information
SHADOW promotes a diverse and high performing company culture. SHADOW is dedicated to providing equal opportunities to all qualified persons, and to recruit, hire, train, promote, and compensate persons in all jobs without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, or sexual orientation.
All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.
Similar Jobs
.png){kind=logo}
What We Do
SHADOW is a creative marketing and communications agency with integrated disciplines across media relations, influencer marketing, experiential and event production, social media management and content development. Using these services, we shape insights and ideas into stories, animate stories into moments and engineer moments into movements. We are also connectors – we create inter-client synergies to maximize opportunity as well as leverage industry relationships for introductions, partnerships, business development and more. With a robust portfolio of brand campaigns, cross-categorical experience, and a deep rolodex of industry relationships, we have captured the loyalty of some of the world’s most prestigious companies, including luxury and lifestyle brands, retailers, tech start-ups, publishers, personalities, non-profit organizations and hospitality groups. We are a New York-based agency, with a west coast presence made possible through our SHADOWest suite of services.
