The Position:

The Director, Distribution & Partnerships will identify, negotiate & directly own the relationships with external partners who will be critical to the growth & success of Topics streaming service. This role will not only identify new areas for growth, but actively develop & improve our existing strategic relationships with major platform & co-marketing partners. The Director will look for opportunities that expand our reach, deliver value to our audience & drive our bottom line revenue.

Reporting:

This position reports to the VP, Marketing & Communications & will work closely with Topics General Manager. The Director will work in collaboration with teams across the organization to ensure every negotiation & contract represents & protects Topic & its parent company, First Look Media.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Nurture & manage ongoing relationships with our current & potential distribution partners (Apple, Roku, Amazon, Comcast, etc.)
• Lead the business strategy across the two business models (SVOD & AVOD/FAST) to develop carriage expansion of Topics content.
• Identify new cross-marketing/product bundling opportunities to increase our delivery footprint & communications reach.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for all new partner on-boarding.
• Own all internal & partner communications including quarterly business reviews, case studies, competitive insights & any other relevant reporting.
• Coordinate & collaborate with key Topic stakeholders to ensure proper & effective negotiation of deals & contracts.
• Keep the team apprised of any changes, deadlines, commitments or other key deliverables that are due or require attention.
• Work closely with the Topic Analytics team to understand & optimize performance.
• Keep up to date with new players in the industry & across the digital landscape.
• Develop pitch documents & materials as needed.
• Other appropriately related projects/duties as assigned.

Background & Qualifications:

• 7+ or more years in a relevant role in media distribution & experience in contract negotiations
• Exceptional communication, negotiation, & relationship building skills
• Strong written & verbal skills.
• Previous experience with the top streaming platforms (Amazon, Roku, Apple) preferred.
• Understanding of AVOD/FAST/Linear/Carriage practices & agreements preferred.
• Experience working with marketing, programming, product, creative, analytics, business affairs & technical teams.
• Demonstrates a proactive & strategic approach to the role.
• Experience working with customer-centered business goals (e.g. subscription, e-commerce or membership).
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced start-up environment