The Spotify Content Licensing team is seeking a highly experienced professional to be based in its Los Angeles (preferred) or New York offices.
This role will be the business affairs leader in charge of securing a global slate of original and exclusively licensed podcasts.
The ideal candidate will have 20+ years experience working with the entertainment industry and a rich background in digital content. This is a leadership position that will play a central role in helping Spotify achieve its vision of becoming the world’s top audio network.
WHAT YOU’LL DO
- You will manage a multi-time zone, global team tasked with securing agreements with talent agencies and production companies to create a slate of hundreds of owned and exclusively licensed podcasts.
- You will serve as a primary negotiator for flagship deals and support your team on second tier deals.
- You will work directly with Spotify’s Chief Content Officer and the Content leadership team.
- Your work will significantly impact the podcast content strategy and Spotify’s efforts to grow audience and monetization.
- Working with internal legal, accounting and other teams, you will ensure that all programs are in alignment with Spotify’s fiduciary and operational best practices.
- You will gather data, analytics and insights from other internal groups to be applied to the development of new initiatives.
WHO YOU ARE
- You are a superior manager with a track record of attracting and growing talent, managing a global team and managing a deal pipeline of several hundred concurrent projects.
- You have at least twenty (20) years work experience in entertainment, with at least fifteen (15) years working on the licensing of video, audio and/or podcast content. We prefer candidates who have some experience working in a technology company.
- You have an exceptional network of contacts in the entertainment industry, including relationships with talent agents, producers and senior industry executives.
- You have a track record of recommending and popularizing new business models.
- You will be a champion of Spotify’s values (Innovative, Collaborative, Sincere, Passionate, Playful) and demonstrate a Growth Mindset.
- You are a self-starter with a commercial mindset.
- You are a skilled negotiator willing and able to close deals, having closed multiple agreements with commitments of $20 million or more.
- You must be familiar with the complexities related to audio, video and interactive technology, production cycles and IP rights management.
- You have strong analytical skills and the ability to build and explain financial models.
- You possess the ability to work in a fast-paced, all-hands-on-deck, start-up environment that requires efficient communications with cross-functional teams.
- You deeply understand various types of intellectual property deal types (licensing, windowing, co-production, etc.).
- You have an in-depth understanding of the roles played across the media company value chain (production companies, technology companies, talent agencies, record labels), as well as the current and emerging cross-media platforms (social, broadcast, radio, etc.)
- You have a BA Degree. An MBA or other higher education is preferred.
- You are willing to travel (at some times extensively) and work across distant time zones.
We are proud to foster a workplace free from discrimination. We strongly believe that diversity of experience, perspectives, and background will lead to a better environment for our employees and a better product for our users and our creators. This is something we value deeply and we encourage everyone to come be a part of changing the way the world listens to music.