Director, Physical Operations – Procurement and Capacity Planning

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.
 

Virgin Music Group (VMG) is the world’s leading partner to independent labels and artists, delivering a modern, global services platform across distribution, marketing, analytics, and physical commerce. With teams in 30+ countries, VMG supports artists and entrepreneurs with flexible, data-driven solutions that scale globally.

How We LEAD

Our Global Physical Procurement, Supply Chain & Logistics team manages the end-to-end lifecycle of physical music products — from forecasting and manufacturing through global distribution — ensuring products reach fans on time, at the right cost, and at the highest quality.

The Director, Physical Operations – Procurement & Capacity Planning is a senior operational leader responsible for owning and optimizing global manufacturing capacity across VMG’s third-party production network, with a primary focus on vinyl records.

This role serves as the central authority for capacity strategy, bridging release planning, production execution, procurement, and plant relations. You will ensure release schedules are met while navigating constrained manufacturing environments, shifting demand signals, and complex global supply chains.

• We plan ahead and execute with urgency

• We operate as one team across functions and regions

• We address challenges early and decisively

• We stay artist-first while building scalable systems

How You’ll CREATE

Capacity Planning & Strategy

• Own short- and long-term capacity plans across third-party manufacturing partners

• Secure and allocate capacity to meet release schedules, pre-orders, and forecasted demand

• Translate forecasts and release plans into actionable plant-level commitments

• Maintain forward visibility into plant load, tooling, and seasonal constraints

Execution & Performance Management

• Monitor plant performance against committed capacity, lead times, service levels, and quality

• Escalate and resolve capacity shortfalls, missed commitments, or quality-related issues

• Actively manage constraints, bottlenecks, and priority changes, communicating updates clearly

• Serve as an escalation point for high-impact or time-sensitive releases

Cross-Functional Leadership

• Coordinate capacity planning across multiple Production Managers globally

• Partner closely with Release Planning, Forecasting, Procurement, and Logistics teams

• Ensure consistent prioritization and execution across regions, formats, and vendors

Risk Mitigation & Manufacturing Reliability

• Identify and mitigate manufacturing and capacity risks across the supply base

• Improve reliability through vendor performance management and diversification strategies

• Support onboarding and qualification of new manufacturing partners

• Drive adherence to SOPs and continuous improvement initiatives

Manufacturing Expertise & Systems

• Apply deep knowledge of vinyl manufacturing process, including plating, pressing, and packaging

• Inform planning decisions with a practical understanding of technical constraints

• Partner on the evolution of capacity planning, forecasting, PO, and production tracking tools

• Track KPIs including capacity utilization, lead times, on-time delivery, and vendor performance

Bring Your Vibe

At VMG, physical products are a core part of the artist experience. This role plays a critical part in ensuring creativity is matched with execution — delivering reliable, scalable physical releases to fans worldwide.

You are a hands-on operator who thrives in fast-moving environments. You’re comfortable managing complexity, making decisions under pressure, and leading through influence. You bring a strong point of view, operational discipline, and a passion for delivering great products to fans.

• Proven experience in a senior capacity planning or manufacturing operations role

• Direct experience with vinyl or physical media manufacturing strongly preferred

• Strong understanding of third-party manufacturing networks and vendor management

• Ability to balance speed, cost, quality, and risk in high-stakes environments

• Excellent communication and cross-functional collaboration skills

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

We are an E-Verify employer in Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Utah.

For more information, please click on the following links.

E-Verify Participation Poster: English / Spanish

E-Verify Right to Work Poster: English | Spanish

Job Category:

Salary Range:

The actual base salary offered depends on a variety of factors, which may include, as applicable, the qualifications of the individual applicant for the position, years of relevant experience, specific and unique skills, level of education attained, certifications or other professional licenses held, and the location in which the applicant lives and/or from which they will be performing the job.  All candidates are encouraged to apply.