Associate Director, Music Publishing Licensing in London

We are seeking to recruit an outstanding executive to be a deal owner and business lead in our Music Publishing Licensing team, at the Associate Director level. Reporting to a Director of Publishing Licensing, the Associate Director's primary focus will be to negotiate and coordinate music publishing licenses across EMEA and North America.

The Associate Director is responsible for existing and new Spotify licenses, establishing and maintaining key relationships with music publishing rights holders, and providing strategic and analytical support to help enable new business initiatives and developments. The right candidate will serve as an advocate and ambassador for the Spotify platform, whilst ensuring that our interests with music publishing rights holders are fully aligned to support the ongoing growth and development of the music publishing community and Spotify.

• Initiate, negotiate and close key music publishing licenses in relevant EMEA and North American markets.
• Work cross-functionally to optimize our publishing licensing infrastructure and enable Spotify to innovate and grow its business across a variety of markets.
• Act as the key point of commercial interface for music publishing rights holders in these markets.
• Lead all commercial aspects of music publishing license agreements once they are effective, analysing the commercial impact of each license over time.
• Provide support to the wider commercial and legal licensing team on broader commercial initiatives, business developments, commercial analysis and strategic planning.
• Work cross-functionally daily with internal teams including Legal, Finance, Publishing Operations, Publisher & Songwriter Relations and Accounting to structure, develop, negotiate and implement all license terms.
• Work strategically with other internal product and business teams to ensure that the publishing licenses reflect and accommodate Spotify’s evolving business and product needs.

• At least a Bachelor’s Degree with a minimum of 8+ years of working experience in the music industry, preferably music publishing and/or the tech and media sector, with a focus on negotiating/music licensing.
• You have knowledge of digital music and streaming; key music publishing partners, business models, market dynamics and future opportunities.
• A self-starter and independent worker who demonstrates resourcefulness and can apply excellent commercial competence.
• You have excellent negotiation and strategic skills. You are a creative thinker and you are solutions-orientated.
• You are experienced at working across different cultures and time zones.
• You have experience in deal structuring, deal analysis and are a strong negotiator.
• You have a deep understanding of music copyright, licensing and the challenges and opportunities the industry faces today.
• A highly self-motivated individual who thrives in an environment that presents unique and new challenges constantly.
• You have strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Very good analytical and numerical skills. You can build and explain financial models and have strong spreadsheet skills.
• You are well organized with the ability to plan and deliver on tight deadlines with attention to detail.
• You thrive working in a dynamic, fast-paced environment as part of an international team, working closely with a number of internal partners.
• You are a confident and eloquent presenter, both to small and large audiences at a senior level.
• You are proficient in both written and spoken English. Additional language skills are desirable.

This role is based in our London or New York office. We offer you the flexibility to work where you work best! There will be some in-person meetings, but still allows for flexibility to work from home. We ask that you come in 2-3 times per week.

Spotify is an equal opportunity employer. You are welcome at Spotify for who you are, no matter where you come from, what you look like, or what’s playing in your headphones. Our platform is for everyone, and so is our workplace. The more voices we have represented and amplified in our business, the more we will all thrive, contribute, and be forward-thinking!

At Spotify, we are passionate about inclusivity and making sure our entire recruitment process is accessible to everyone. We have ways to request reasonable accommodations during the interview process and help assist in what you need. If you need accommodations at any stage of the application or interview process, please let us know - we’re here to support you in any way we can.

Spotify transformed music listening forever when we launched in 2008. Our mission is to unlock the potential of human creativity by giving a million creative artists the opportunity to live off their art and billions of fans the chance to enjoy and be passionate about these creators. Everything we do is driven by our love for music and podcasting. Today, we are the world’s most popular audio streaming subscription service.