Director of Rights Management and Contract Operations - Reuters Agency 

This full-time hybrid position will be based in either London or Gdansk, with hybrid working available (in office 3 days per week).

At Thomson Reuters, respecting intellectual property and the rights and contractual obligations that govern how content and data may be used is fundamental. Intellectual property is the lifeblood of our business. 

Reuters is seeking an experienced professional to join our Agency Commercial Operations team. This role is responsible for end-to-end rights management and contract operations across the Reuters Agency business, ensuring that rights we acquire (for Reuters' use) and rights we license (to customers, partners, and other third parties) are governed, accurately captured and operationalized throughout the contract lifecycle. The role also leads the Agency's IP enforcement program, including emerging risks associated with AI-enabled misuse. 

We are trusted to protect rights from misuse, whether they belong to Thomson Reuters or to third parties, and to ensure the rights we acquire and license are clearly defined, accurately captured, and consistently applied throughout the life of an agreement. From the journalism we publish to the products and partnerships that scale our content globally, strong governance over rights, licenses and permissions is essential to our identity and our ability to innovate. 

That means we have a special responsibility to: (1) safeguard the intellectual property and rights we create and acquire, (2) translate contracts into operational reality so permissions and restrictions are implemented in products and workflows, and (3) enforce our rights decisively when misuse occurs. 

By doing so, we protect our business, support our colleagues, serve customers with confidence, manage risk responsibly and compete effectively in the market. 

About the Role

As Director of Rights Management and Contract Operations, you will be responsible for:

Rights Management 

• Owning all aspects of rights management across the Agency business (including rights acquired for Reuters' use and rights licensed/granted to customers, partners and third parties).

• Developing and executing a strategy to evolve how Reuters tracks, governs and reports on rights granted and acquired - ensuring rights data is captured at contract stage and maintained across the full license lifecycle (renewals, amendments, terminations and usage changes). 

• Establishing and maintaining global governance for rights acquisition and licensing matters (including rights data standards), partnering closely with Content Partnerships, Editorial, and other stakeholders. 

• Serving as an advisor to internal stakeholders and external customers on rights management questions - proactively providing guidance and responding to escalations and complex requests. 

Contracting operations 

• Managing and developing a small team of Rights Management specialists, sat within the Global Commercial Operations team.

• Overseeing the work of the Global Contract Operations team and all operational aspects of the contract lifecycle: drafting support, approvals and sign-off coordination, product permissioning/entitlement enablement and contract data management. 

• Driving continuous improvement across workflows, controls, and enabling tools so the team can operate efficiently and processes are optimized for scale, speed, and risk management. 

• Monitoring and supporting consistent application of relevant policies across departments, helping ensure Reuters' commercial, rights and IP interests are uniformly protected. 

IP Enforcement 

• Leading all aspects of IP enforcement across the Agency business, including intake, triage, escalation pathways, case management and outcomes reporting. 

• Establishing clear governance for IP enforcement activities, aligned with Commercial Policy, Reuters legal counsel and other stakeholders - ensuring cases are handled consistently and reach timely resolution. 

• Overseeing third-party relationships supporting IP enforcement (including technology vendors) and ensure performance, controls and escalation processes meet business needs. 

• Leading efforts to counter misuse of Reuters IP by third parties using AI tools/technology. Building strong situational awareness of the external environment, monitoring ongoing change and providing regular updates and recommendations to business and technology leaders to manage risk and optimize outcomes. 

• Acting as a subject matter expert on copyright-related issues and track relevant industry developments that could affect Reuters' risk position or enforcement strategy. 

About You

You're a fit for the role of Director of Rights Management and Contract Operations if you have:

• Demonstrable knowledge of content rights, licensing and copyright. 

• Strong contract lifecycle and contract data management experience (CLM a plus). 

• Proven ability to build governance and drive consistent policy adoption globally. 

• Experience operating IP enforcement workflows and vendor/tool ecosystems. 

• A systems and data mindset: clean inputs at signature, usable rights records, actionable reporting. 

• Excellent communication skills and a pragmatic approach to decision-making, with the ability to balance risk, compliance, and commercial outcomes. 

Please Note: Complete applications must be submitted by 23:59 on Sunday 1st March 2026. Early applications are encouraged.

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