Specialist, Rights and Permissions

Job Title - Specialist, Rights & Permissions

Help safeguard Pearson’s assessment products by securing, documenting and tracking permission to use third-party photos, video and text. You will combine accurate licensing work with confident stakeholder communication and disciplined project control in a confidential, deadline-driven environment. Also known in the market as: Rights & Permissions Specialist; Copyright & Licensing Specialist; Rights Clearance Specialist; Content Licensing Specialist.

About the Role

You will join Pearson’s Rights & Permissions team, supporting third-party content use across Assessment & Qualifications products and services. The role manages routine and moderately complex clearances, from asset intake and rights research through licence negotiation, documentation, delivery and audit trails.

Working across several projects at once, you will partner with content development and production teams, rights holders and vendors. You will apply established sourcing and permissions practices, keep milestones on track and flag inconsistencies, risks or sensitive issues to senior colleagues.

This is a UK-based hybrid role with attendance at Pearson’s Strand office at least once each week. The work supports high-stakes assessment products and requires care, discretion and reliable follow-through.

What You’ll Do

• Execute rights and permissions requirements for assigned projects and moderately complex assets.
• Research rights ownership, request permissions and negotiate licence terms with rights holders.
• Document clearances, costs, risks and decisions in rights-management systems.
• Manage rights milestones across the full content development and production workflow.
• Work with content, production and portfolio stakeholders to resolve permission requirements.
• Support Pearson’s preferred sourcing strategy, supplier tools and stakeholder training.
• Prepare accurate progress, issue and risk reporting, maintaining complete audit trails.
• Apply ethical principles when reviewing AI-generated assets and contribute to wider rights initiatives.

What We’re Looking For

• Practical experience in rights and permissions, content licensing, copyright clearance or comparable asset-rights work.
• Working knowledge of UK copyright and the ability to interpret and apply licence terms.
• Experience in educational publishing, commercial publishing or an equivalent content environment.
• Strong written and spoken English, including professional business correspondence.
• Excellent organisation, project management and time management across concurrent deadlines.
• High attention to detail and a consistent approach to accuracy, confidentiality and audit records.
• Confidence using databases for input, tracking, reporting and auditing, with the ability to learn IPM, Blueprint and Tableau.
• Clear problem-solving skills and judgement about when to escalate an inconsistency or risk.
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to work productively with rights holders, vendors and cross-functional teams.
• An undergraduate degree or an equivalent combination of education, professional training and relevant experience.

Location & Working Pattern

United Kingdom. Hybrid working with attendance at Pearson’s Strand office (London) at least once per week.

Why Join Pearson?

You will help protect the integrity and timely release of high-stakes assessment products while developing broad experience across copyright, licensing, sourcing, systems and stakeholder partnership. You will join a stable, knowledgeable team and contribute to how rights work evolves, including the ethical review of AI-generated assets.

Pearson is an equal opportunities employer. We select people based on relevant skills and experience and are committed to equality, diversity and the secure, confidential handling of applicant information.

Your Rewards & Benefits

• We know you’ll do great work, so we give a lot back with some of the best benefits in the business. We know one size doesn’t fit all, so our workplace programs meet the different needs of our diverse teams, and their families, too.
• Please see our attractive UK benefits here:Home - Pearson Benefits
• #LI-Hybrid