Intellectual Property Controller

Responsibilities

• Key responsibilities include:
• IP Rights Management: Conduct plagiarism checks, manage third‑party content workflows, complete risk assessments, and communicate recommendations.
• Permissions Project Management: Assess materials for rights requirements, set up and maintain project folders, and engage with copyright holders for clearance.
• Collaboration & Communication: Support publishers with copyright guidance and negotiate effectively with external rights holders.
• Administrative Support: Track and archive IP documentation, oversee invoicing, and help improve internal processes.
• Reporting & Records: Maintain contract records, generate permissions reports, and analyse trends to support strategic decisions.

Requirements

• Qualification
• Undergraduate degree in arts or social sciences subjects (e.g. English, history, linguistics and philosophy), Publishing, or a related field
• Project management training or qualification advantageous
• At least 1 year working experience, ideally in publishing, editorial/permissions, library studies, or research/administrative roles
• Project management experience with the ability to prioritise tasks and manage multiple projects
• Strong technical skills, particularly MS Office (Outlook, Excel, Word)
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• Detail-oriented, organised, and able to meet deadlines
• Analytical and problem-solving skills
• Self-motivated, proactive, and strategic thinking
• Able to work effectively in a hybrid environment
• This is not a legal specialist role - a legal background is welcome but not required .
• Applications:
• Only applications with a cover letter will be considered.
• Candidates who are interested in this position and meet the requirements may submit their application via the provided link
• NB: In terms of meeting the company's goals with respect to Employment Equity, people with disabilities are encouraged to apply.
• Springer Nature Skills associated with this Job Profile include:
• SN-Balances Stakeholder, SN-Business Insights, SN-Communicates Effectively, SN-Consulting Skills, SN-Decision Quality, SN-Global Perspective, SN-Market Intelligence, SN-Project Management, SN-Publishing Workflows & Systems
• #LI-LN1
• Job Posting End Date:
• 2-07-2026

Benefits

Additional Information

Job Title: Intellectual Property Controller Contract Type: Fixed Term Contract (24 Months) Location: Johannesburg Salary: Market-Related Department: Regional Publishing Services (IP Services Team) Reporting to: Intellectual Property Services Manager Closing Date: 02 July 2026 Macmillan Education is seeking a curious, analytical thinker to join our Intellectual Property Services Team as an Intellectual Property Controller. This role is at the intersection of publishing, rights management, and compliance - and you can excel here even without a legal background. This is the ideal position for someone who love s uncovering information, problem solving , and bringing order to complexity.

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