Director, Content Licensing

Description

Summary/objective:

The Director of Content Licensing will manage and negotiate premium film and television licensing for the Angel platform. This role is responsible for licensing activity  with major Hollywood studios, independent distributors, producers, and strategic content partners, securing programming that drives member acquisition, engagement, retention, and long-term enterprise value. Working alongside all internal stakeholders, this leader negotiates domestic and international rights agreements, helping fill the Angel pipeline with content that amplifies light. The ideal candidate combines exceptional commercial instincts, deep industry relationships, sophisticated financial acumen, and a thorough understanding of the evolving streaming marketplace.

Expectations at Angel Studios:

• Amplify light in every action.
• As the owner of your outcomes, you are empowered to break down silos and coordinate with any and all people you need in order to reach your goals.
• You are ultimately responsible for achieving the outcomes while also using resources wisely - whether that be money, people, or time.
• Know your customer - it might be our viewers, investors, creators, or internal Angel Teams. Ensure you understand your customer and are providing what THEY need and not just what you want to build.
• Give consistent and timely candid feedback with compassion - your team members need to know where they stand at all times. If you find yourself doubting a team member, address it swiftly with actionable feedback.
• Contributes in a way that moves the Angel mission forward and exemplifies the team qualities required for working at Angel.
• When faced with roadblocks, mistakes or unforeseen circumstances, consistently and proactively find creative solutions and/or break down barriers to handle the challenge or complication. (Focus is on creating/building/testing/learning/resolution rather than getting stuck and identifying or placing blame).

Key Responsibilities

• Guild Alignment: Partner closely with the Guild team to successfully advance acquired licensed titles through Guild voting and approval processes. Understand Guild preferences and viewing behaviors, position titles accordingly, and incorporate Guild considerations and potential risks into acquisition strategies and deal structures.
• Content Acquisition & Licensing: Identify, evaluate, and advance premium content licensed acquisition opportunities across feature films, television series, library catalogs, and emerging content formats.
• Industry & Studio Relationships: Develop and maintain relationships with major Hollywood studios, television distributors, independent producers, and international content suppliers to identify and advance strategic licensing opportunities.
• Market & Content Evaluation: Evaluate programming opportunities using market intelligence, audience analytics, competitive positioning, Guild viewing behavior, projected member engagement, historical performance, and financial analysis.
• Deal Strategy & Negotiation: Lead negotiations and structure high-value content licensing agreements for Angel’s owned and operated platform, including domestic and international rights, exclusivity, library acquisitions, revenue-share, windowing, and other creative commercial models that balance financial performance with Guild and platform objectives. .
• Financial Analysis & Investment Recommendations: Build and analyze financial models to forecast member impact, revenue generation, lifetime value, ROI, NPV, contribution margin, and overall investment performance. Present acquisition recommendations and business cases to leadership.
• Portfolio Performance & Optimization: Monitor licensed content performance across viewing behavior, member engagement, retention, financial performance, and overall member value. Partner with internal teams to maximize discoverability and long-term value, recommending renewals, rights extensions, windowing strategies, and other portfolio optimization opportunities. 
• Portfolio Strategy: Balance content investments across genres, audience segments, licensing budgets, and strategic priorities to maximize the overall value and performance of the content portfolio.
• Rights Management: Oversee licensed content rights, availability windows, contractual obligations, exclusivity provisions, and distribution restrictions to ensure content is utilized effectively and licensing terms are upheld.
• Industry Intelligence & Representation: Support the Angel acquisitions team at industry markets, screenings, festivals, and other relevant events while monitoring competitive licensing activity, evolving distribution and windowing models, consumer behavior, audience trends, and emerging opportunities to inform acquisition strategy and identify potential partnerships. 
• Deal Execution: Partner closely with Legal and relevant internal stakeholders to move agreements efficiently from initial opportunity through negotiation, contracting, execution, and launch.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these essential functions.

Competencies

• Demonstrated success negotiating and executing high-value content licensing agreements.
• Deep understanding of the entertainment ecosystem, including major studios, distributors, agencies, production companies, and international content suppliers.
• Strong understanding of SVOD, AVOD, FAST, transactional, linear, and other evolving content distribution models.
• Advanced financial modeling and investment analysis skills, including ROI, NPV, contribution margin, revenue forecasting, and lifetime value analysis.
• Strong understanding of content rights, licensing structures, exclusivity, availability windows, and distribution restrictions.
• Ability to use audience analytics, viewing data, market intelligence, and competitive insights to inform acquisition and investment decisions.
• Strong negotiation, deal structuring, and commercial strategy skills.
• Ability to balance financial performance, strategic objectives, audience value, and Guild considerations when evaluating opportunities.
• Strong executive communication skills with the ability to clearly present investment recommendations and complex business decisions to senior leadership.
• Strong cross-functional leadership and collaboration skills, with the ability to work effectively across Legal, Product, Marketing, Merchandising, Finance, and Content teams.
• Strong industry knowledge and ability to identify emerging trends, content opportunities, competitive activity, and evolving distribution models.
• Exceptional relationship-building skills and credibility with senior-level industry executives and content partners.
• Strong strategic thinking and ability to evaluate opportunities from both a short-term deal and long-term portfolio perspective.
• Highly analytical, commercially minded, and comfortable making data-driven recommendations in a fast-moving entertainment environment.
• Preferred experience working for a major streaming platform, Hollywood studio, television distributor, or digital content platform.

Work environment - Required Provo or Minnesota in office availability . When in the main office, expect a comfortable, air-conditioned work environment. Team members are issued their own desks, but the office is an open, shared space and can be fast-paced and occasionally noisy.

Physical demands - Must be able to sit or stand at a desk for extended periods of time. 

Position type and expected hours of work - Regular full-time, 40 hours per week.

Travel required - Frequent domestic and international travel required.

Required education and experience

• Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent
• 10+ years of experience in content acquisition, distribution, licensing, business development, or a related field.

Preferred education and experience

• MBA Preferred.
• Familiarity with Angel, the Angel Guild, and our body of work (films, series, and other projects). 

Work authorization - Must be authorized to work in the United States.

EEO statement

At Angel Studios, we are committed to providing an environment of mutual respect where equal employment opportunities are available to all applicants and teammates.

Other duties

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the team member for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice. 

    Applicants have Federal employment law rights. For more information about these protections, please review the following official posters:

• https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/posters/fmla
• https://www.eeoc.gov/poster
• https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/posters/employee-polygraph-protection-act