The Pokémon Company International

Sr. Manager, Sr. Corporate Counsel, Media & Entertainment

Media
8 - 10 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Ten+ years of legal experience with a focus on media and entertainment.
  • Five years of direct media and entertainment experience preferred.
  • Demonstrated ability to build and lead high-performing teams.
  • Juris Doctor (JD) from an accredited law school or equivalent qualification.
  • Bar license in good standing, preferably in Washington state.
  • Exceptional drafting and negotiation skills with strong communication abilities.
  • In-house counsel experience in the entertainment or technology industry.

Responsibilities

  • Lead and support a high-performing legal team focused on media.
  • Negotiate outbound licensing deals for animated films and series.
  • Act as primary counsel for the in-house media production team.
  • Collaborate with senior leaders to support global media initiatives.
  • Draft and negotiate various entertainment production agreements.
  • Coordinate with music administration and IP Clearance teams on licensing strategies.
  • Create and maintain contract templates and streamline legal processes.

Benefits

  • 100% employer-paid healthcare premiums for employees.
  • Generous paid family leave.
  • Employer-sponsored life and income protection insurance.
  • 401k Employer Matching for US employees.
  • Pension contributions for UK/IRE/MX employees.
  • Fitness reimbursement programs.
  • Commuter benefits and LinkedIn learning opportunities.
  • Comprehensive relocation packages available.
Full Job Description
Job Title: Sr. Manager, Sr. Corporate Counsel, Media & Entertainment Job Summary: The Legal department at The Pokémon Company International is looking for a managing attorney with extensive entertainment licensing experience to lead legal support for Pokémon's expanding media business. This person will partner closely with Pokémon's media production, media sales, business affairs and music administration teams to lead strategic licensing negotiations, provide support for media production projects, and advise internal clients regarding a broad range of legal, contractual and business issues. The Sr. Manager, Sr. Corporate Counsel will manage a small team and be accountable for people development and performance. FLSA Classification (US Only): Exempt People Manager: Yes What you'll do • Lead, develop and support a high performing team of legal professionals dedicated to TPCi's media. • Lead negotiations for outbound licensing of Pokémon animated films and series with domestic and international broadcast and video-on-demand (VOD) partners. • Serve as primary production counsel to The Pokémon Company International's (TPCi) in-house media production team. • Work closely with the Chief Legal Officer and TPCi's media and business development senior leaders to support global media initiatives. • Structure, draft and negotiate a wide variety of entertainment production and licensing agreements. • Work closely with TPCi's music administration and Intellectual Property (IP) Clearance teams to holistically advise on IP rights and licensing strategy. • Contribute to the creation and maintenance of contract templates, policies, and playbooks for in-house media production, and streamline business and legal processes. What you'll bring • Ten+ years or more of post-qualification professional experience. • Five (5) or more years of experience working in media and entertainment. • Two (2) or more years of demonstrated ability building, developing and leading high-performing teams through mentorship, coaching, and growth-focused leadership. • Juris Doctor (JD) from an accredited law school or equivalent educational qualification. • Bar license in good standing in Washington state or another jurisdiction is required. If not currently admitted to practice in Washington, qualified to seek admission to practice in Washington and successfully register with the Washington State Bar upon hire. • Exceptional drafting, negotiation, communication (written and verbal), and interpersonal skills. • Demonstrable experience innovating new processes to streamline operations and increase efficiency, transparency, and partnership between business teams and legal. • In-house counsel experience with a company in the entertainment or technology industry . • Experience in working in media and entertainment, as well as experience working internationally or collaborating across cultures, is preferred. • Working knowledge of talent relations and guild/union experience preferred. • Experience working internationally or collaborating across cultures preferred. Base Salary Range: For this role, new hires generally start between $162,000.00 - $216,000.00 per year. The full range is $162,000.00 - $293,000.00 per year. This range is applicable for the labor market where the role is intended to be hired. The final base salary is directly related to the candidate's qualifications and professional experience uniquely. #LI-MK1 #LI-Hybrid How you'll be successful • Passion for Pokémon: Develops an understanding of the Pokémon brand, the impact it has on our people, culture, business, fans, and communities, and applying that knowledge and passion to everything you do. • Challenging the Expected: Approaches challenges with curiosity and creativity, embracing the possibility of failure as an opportunity to learn something new, develop innovative ideas, solve complex problems and identify unique opportunities. • Integrity and Respect: Demonstrates integrity and respect by leading with empathy, listening to others, seeking out different perspectives, and taking personal responsibility for decisions, actions, and results. • Dedicated to Quality: Takes ownership to maintain and promote high standards, looks for new ways to learn and improve, and embraces a growth mindset to seek and apply feedback from others in an effort to continuously improve. • Building Relationships: Develops and strengthens relationships, adopting a "team first" mentality and working collaboratively to solve problems and meet shared goals. • Delighting Customers: Listens and understands the interests and needs of our customers and stakeholders, making them feel heard and important, and embracing these learnings to continue delivering a unique Pokémon experience. What to expect • An innovative culture driven by impact, delivering meaningful outcomes. • Company events that celebrate the spirit of Pokémon. • Competitive cash-based compensation programs. • 100% employer-paid healthcare premiums for you. • Generous paid family leave. • Employer-paid life insurance. • Employer-paid long and short-term income protection insurance. • US Employees: 401k Employer Matching. • UK/IRE/MX Employees: Pension Employer Contributions. • Fitness reimbursement. • Commuter benefit. • LinkedIn learning. • Comprehensive relocation package for certain roles. • Hybrid work environment. The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this role. They are not to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required. Employees may be required to perform duties outside of their normal responsibilities from time to time, as needed. For roles in the United Kingdom, candidates will need the right to work. In some cases, and for some roles, the Company may be able to arrange a visa. For roles in Ireland, this role requires candidates to have the right to live and work in the Republic of Ireland. However, we welcome applications from all nationalities and may consider supporting an employment permit application, in appropriate and suitable cases.

About The Pokémon Company International

The Pokémon Company is a Japanese company responsible for brand management, production, publishing, marketing, and licensing of the Pokémon franchise, which consists of video game software, a trading card game, anime television series, films, manga, home entertainment products, merchandise, and other ventures. It was established through a joint investment by the three companies holding the copyright of Pokémon: Nintendo, Game Freak, and Creatures. It began operating in 1998 and adopted the moniker Pokémon Ltd. in October 2000. The company is headquartered in the Roppongi Hills Mori Tower in Roppongi, Minato, Tokyo. The company has separate subsidiaries that handle operations in different parts of the world, with the Pokémon Company International supporting the territories outside Asia and being responsible for brand management, licensing, marketing, the Pokémon Trading Card Game, the animated TV series, home entertainment, and the official Pokémon website on the territories outside Asia. The Pokémon Company also handles publishing of all Pokémon video games since 2001 alongside Nintendo. The Pokémon Company is mostly responsible for marketing and funding, while Nintendo handles distribution of the titles in Japan and outside it. Both companies work together in localization, production, QA, and other aspects. The company is solely responsible for publishing and licensing mobile Pokémon titles, unlike console titles where it has help from Nintendo.
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