Intellectual Property Controller

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 loves uncovering information, problem solving, and bringing order to complexity. 

 

Key Responsibilities

 

As an Intellectual Property Controller, you will support our publishing teams by managing key compliance processes, researching third‑party rights, and helping safeguard the integrity of our content. You’ll work across plagiarism checks, permissions clearance, risk assessment, and record‑keeping, contributing to high‑quality educational materials used across Southern Africa.

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 

Experience

• 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

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Job Posting End Date:

2-07-2026