Director, Business Strategy

We are UMG, the Universal Music Group. We are the world’s leading music company. In everything we do, we are committed to artistry, innovation and entrepreneurship. We own and operate a broad array of businesses engaged in recorded music, music publishing, merchandising, and audiovisual content in more than 60 countries. We identify and develop recording artists and songwriters, and we produce, distribute and promote the most critically acclaimed and commercially successful music to delight and entertain fans around the world.
 

Famehouse, a division of UMG, is the preeminent leader in D2C solutions in music, defining & delivering the industry’s best-in-class service to connect artists with their fans. Established & headquartered in Philly, Famehouse powers eCommerce for UMG’s labels, artists, and Bravado, along with a select roster of 3rd party clients. Our success & culture is fueled by collaboration—both within FH and with our partners. We are passionate about the impact of eCommerce for artists, providing a full-service solution to grow an artist’s owned business including strategy, creative, storefront merchandising, fulfillment, customer service, technology, and more.
 

How we LEAD:

Merchandise and e-commerce is part of the fabric of music culture. For artists, it’s a way to develop and further articulate their brand. For fans, it’s another pathway to connecting with an artist and the culture they represent.

Famehouse is looking for a Director of Business Strategy to join our team. This person will help identify, shape, and scale growth initiatives at the intersection of music, commerce, and fan engagement. This role will support the Senior Director of Business Strategy and work collaboratively with cross-functional partners to translate complex business insights into clear strategic plans — ensuring strategies are actionable, measurable, and embedded across teams to drive meaningful outcomes for the business, our labels, and our artists. Additionally, you will help prepare materials for the extended leadership team, providing clarity and alignment around business performance and priorities.

The ideal candidate will be a strategic thinker equipped to navigate the evolving merchandise & ecommerce landscape — bringing a strong set of analytical and communication skills, a structured strategy toolkit, an ability to build cross-functional relationships, and a low-ego approach to a fast-paced environment.

How you’ll CREATE:

• Collaborate with stakeholders to understand business challenges, opportunities, and requirements (25%)
  • Evaluate inbound business questions from partners across the organization, determine priority level, scope deliverables, and help manage the roadmap
  • Support roster-level strategies and case studies, collaborating with cross-functional teams to collect inputs, manage timelines, and ensure on-time delivery
  • Advise cross-functional team members on client deliverables as needed, reviewing and refining insights that emphasize strategic recommendations
• Perform data analysis to inform strategy & business cases (25%)
  • Help analyze business, roster, store, campaign, and product-level insights, in addition to client feedback and fan sentiment, in partnership with Insights & Strategy teams
  • Research and monitor external market trends, competitors, adjacent industries, third party consumer insights, and emerging technology to surface and validate business opportunities
  • Collaborate with Insights & Strategy to wireframe, test, and maintain dashboards that track strategic initiative performance
  • Provide reporting on strategic initiative KPIs
  • Regularly monitor business performance against goals and identify over & under performance areas, trends, and patterns
• Create and deliver impactful presentations to communicate findings and recommendations (50%)
  • Help distill insights that clearly articulate business theses and recommendations, collaborating with partners from Insights & Analytics to size opportunities that support proposals
  • Present to all levels of the organization - internal teams, label partners, UMG stakeholders, and/or artist teams - to garner support and adoption of strategic plans
  • Build alignment with cross functional teams responsible for testing and implementing new business capabilities, ensuring strategy translates into execution with measurable impact
  • Contribute slides and manage materials for internal presentations at a regular cadence (e.g. Monthly Team Meetings)
     

Bring your VIBE:

• ~7 years’ experience developing and/or managing strategy in eCommerce, preferably at the intersection of ecommerce and music
  • Established track record of selling through data-backed strategies to clients
  • Natural collaborator — must be willing to set ego aside in order to deliver for our customers (both fans and artists)
  • Exceptional verbal and written abilities — strong communication and presentation skills are essential
  • High EQ and strong interpersonal skills — ability to read the room, adjusting approach and communication style as appropriate
• Deep understanding or interest in the music space, including:
  • Music fandom and the artist-to-fan connection
  • Music business & industry nuances (e.g. Billboard chart rules)
  • Licensing, music IP, and direct-to-fan commerce platforms
  • Deeply interested in the future of music, particularly how it intersects with consumer and technology trends
  • Global perspective on consumer and cultural trends
  • eCommerce, specifically trends and best practices as they apply to the artist-to-fan relationship
• Creative approach to problem solving
  • Comfortable juggling multiple high priority projects simultaneously with strong attention to detail
  • Ability to stay flexible, calm and collected under pressure, and to be accountable for meeting deadlines amidst changing business needs
  • Self-starter attitude, capable of owning important responsibilities from inception to completion with exceptional project management skills
  • Strong critical thinking skills and an ability to make decisions informed by data
• Proficiency in presentation creation, particularly within Keynote & Microsoft Office, as well as Mac OS
• Excel, DOMO, Shopify Analytics, and related data analysis experience
• Degree in music business, business administration, data analysis, or a related field
• MBA is a plus, but not required

Perks Playlist:

• Be part of an entrepreneurial, global organization that values authenticity, drive, creativity, relationships, and a competitive spirit

• Comprehensive medical, dental, vision, and FSA options, as well as:

  • 100% coverage for out-patient mental health services

  • Wellbeing reimbursements for fitness classes, spa treatments, meal services, travel, and so much more (up to $720/year)

  • A lifetime fertility support allowance of $30,000 to plan participants

  • Student Loan Repayment Assistance and Tuition Reimbursement

  • 100% immediately vested 401(k) match on the first 5% of your contribution on eligible compensation

• Variety of ways to prioritize much-needed time away from work including:

  • Flexible Paid Time Off (PTO) for exempt employees

  • 3-weeks PTO for non-exempt employees

  • 2-weeks paid Winter Break

  • 10 Company Holidays (including Juneteenth and Wellbeing Day)

  • Summer Fridays (between Memorial Day and Labor Day)

  • Generous paid parental leave for every type of parent

Check out our full overview of benefits on the Perks Playlist page of the career site.

Disclaimer: This job description only provides an overview of job responsibilities that are subject to change.

Universal Music Group is an Equal Opportunity Employer

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