Contracts Assistant, Sourcebooks

Job Description

Contracts Assistant, Sourcebooks

We are currently seeking a Contracts Assistant to join our Sourcebooks contracts team. The Contracts Department represents an unrivaled roster of award-winning and celebrated titles across an editorial breadth that includes notable children's board books, picture books, chapter books, and middle-grade books, break-out young adult fiction and non-fiction, adult fiction, narrative history, science, memoirs, study aids, self-help, personal development and topics of particular interest to women, as well as practical and prescriptive books and impactful titles on themes like teamwork, success, and leadership. The division partners closely with agents, authors, and publishing entities to finalize the acquisition of rights.

The Contracts Assistant is an integral part of the drafting, negotiating, and full execution of contracts and provides the opportunity to interact with our Editorial and Royalties departments regularly, however, our group works with many different areas of the company affording the Contracts Assistant the opportunity to gain an encompassing view of the publishing industry. The Assistant will support the Contracts Director while liaising with legal, royalties & accounting, and the various contracts teams.

The Role:
• Draft and negotiate contracts and contract amendments, and handle rights reversions
• Manage contracts inquiries from other departments such as Editorial, Subsidiary Rights (a team that sells translation and other rights), and Royalties
• Route contracts and amendments to appropriate parties for signature
• Conduct contract research
• Generate, maintain, and distribute any status reports
• Scan files and perform other file/database maintenance
• Liaise with Finance to ensure data for payments or changes to payment due dates is accurate
• Coordinate with team and internal resources to optimize efficiency of processes and workflow
• Support additional project work as needed

The Essentials:
• A self-starter with impeccable attention to detail when drafting and reviewing contracts
• It is essential that the candidate possesses a proactive and independent approach to work, including a strong ability to problem-solve autonomously
• Able to apply organizational methods and strategies to meet deadlines and manage a busy inbox on Outlook.
• Timely follow-up skills with the contracts team, authors, agents, and other departments and able to prioritize and complete multiple projects in a rapidly changing, details-focused environment
• A curious mind that enjoys research projects
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Highly proficient in Microsoft Word, Adobe (PDF), and Excel and an avid interest and ability to learn new applications
• A history or interest in legal, journalism, communications, literature or a related publishing field are a plus

Entry-level salary for this position is $45,000. Full-time employees are eligible for our comprehensive benefits program, kindly include your cover letter and resume in our application system.

Full-time employees are eligible for our comprehensive benefits program. Our range of benefits include, but are not limited to, Medical/Prescription drug insurance, Dental, Vision, Health Care/Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account, Health Savings Account, Pre-Tax and Roth 401(k), Short and Long-Term Disability Insurance, Life/AD&D Insurance, Commuter Benefits, Student Loan Repayment Program, Educational Assistance & generous paid time off.

Jobcode: Reference SBJ-gxn204-3-145-111-125-42 in your application.