Director, Business & Legal Affairs, Carnival

Director, Business & Legal Affairs, Carnival

• Full-time
• Business Segment:
  Universal Television Entertainment

Carnival Films is a London-based television and feature film production company and part of Universal Global Television, a division of Universal Studio Group. Led by Co-Executive Chairs Gareth Neame and Nigel Marchant, Carnival Films is one of the UK's leading drama producers, with hundreds of hours of content enjoyed by millions of viewers worldwide.

With an award-winning track record of delivering premium drama, Carnival Films continues to bring must-watch television to global audiences. Its slate includes the Critics Choice Television Award-winning and Golden Globe Award-nominated psychological thriller 'All Her Fault', starring Sarah Snook alongside an ensemble cast including Dakota Fanning, Jake Lacy and Michael Peña. The series amassed 45 million hours viewed in its first four weeks, becoming Peacock's most-watched original series launch of 2025 and Sky's highest-performing drama of the year.

Also among its recent successes is 'The Day of the Jackal', a bold contemporary reimagining of the classic thriller starring Eddie Redmayne and Lashana Lynch. The series earned an Emmy Award nomination and two Golden Globe Award nominations, while becoming the biggest new Sky Original ever and Peacock's most-watched original premiere of 2024. A second series is currently in production.

British Academy Scotland Best Scripted Series Award-winning 'Lockerbie: A Search for Truth', a gripping five-part drama about the Lockerbie bombing starring Colin Firth, also debuted to widespread critical acclaim.

Carnival Films' legacy is built on groundbreaking storytelling and includes the global phenomenon 'Downton Abbey'. Spanning six seasons and three feature films, the franchise captivated audiences in more than 250 territories and was recognised by Guinness World Records as the most critically acclaimed television show in the world. The first 'Downton Abbey' feature film grossed more than $200 million worldwide. The sequel, 'Downton Abbey: A New Era', was released in 2022, followed by a third instalment, 'Downton Abbey:
The Grand Finale', in 2025.

Other acclaimed productions include 'The Last Kingdom', which ran for five successful seasons before concluding with Netflix's global number one feature film, 'The Last Kingdom:
Seven Kings Must Die', as well as 'Belgravia' and its sequel series, 'Belgravia:
The Next Chapter', for MGM+ and ITVX.

With more than 200 international awards and honours, including Primetime Emmy Awards, Golden Globe Awards and BAFTA Awards, Carnival Films continues to push the boundaries of global storytelling. Its rich history includes acclaimed titles such as 'Poirot', 'Whitechapel', 'Hotel Babylon' and 'Jeeves and Wooster', as well as celebrated mini-series including 'Traffik', 'Any Human Heart', 'The Lost Honour of Christopher Jefferies' and 'The Hollow Crown' anthology.

We are proud to be a Disability Confident Employer, and we’ll do everything we can to support you during your application. If you need us to make any adjustments to our recruitment process, speak to our recruitment team who will be happy to support you.

The Director, Business and Legal Affairs is a member of Carnival Films' Business and Legal Affairs team, providing legal, commercial and strategic support across the development, financing and production of Carnival's scripted television slate.

Reporting to the Head of Business and Legal Affairs, the role works closely with creative, production, finance and commercial teams to help bring premium content to screen. The successful candidate will lead complex negotiations, advise on a broad range of contractual and rights-related matters, and support projects…