Manager, A&R

Manager, A&R

Department: Creative (A&R)
Reporting To: Claes Uggla
Location: Stockholm, Sweden
Hybrid Working: Minimum of 4 days in the office
Full-time | Permanent

The Role

We’re looking for a passionate and culturally plugged-in A&R Manager to join our team and help shape the future of songwriting across the Nordics and Europe.

This role sits at the heart of the creative community — discovering exceptional talent, building meaningful relationships with writers and producers, and helping drive opportunities for our roster across the global music ecosystem.

Beyond signing talent, you’ll work closely with Kobalt’s existing roster to understand their creative ambitions, identify opportunities and connect them with the right collaborators. As part of our global A&R team, you’ll also work with colleagues across Europe, the US and APAC to create opportunities for our writers and artists internationally.

If you have a sharp musical instinct, strong industry relationships and a deep passion for creators and the independent music industry, this is an opportunity to make a real impact.

What You’ll Do

• Identify, develop and sign outstanding songwriters and producers across the Nordics and Europe.
• Build strong relationships with artists, writers, managers, producers, labels and the wider creative community.
• Support and contribute to writer management and publishing deal negotiations, working closely with Business Affairs to help shape deal proposals.
• Proactively create collaboration opportunities, writing sessions and creative connections for our roster.
• Stay closely connected to emerging trends in music, culture and digital platforms to identify new talent and opportunities.
• Use data and insights alongside creative instinct to support signing decisions and strategy.
• You work closely with Kobalt’s international A&R teams to connect talent with opportunities across Europe, the US and APAC.
• Contribute to the continued growth and success of a world-class creative roster.

What You’ll Bring

Preferred:

• A proven track record in a creative role at a music publisher, label, management company or similar organisation.
• A strong network across the Nordics and European music markets and a great reputation within the creative community.
• Experience working on songwriter or producer deals, ideally across international territories.
• A deep understanding of the music business, publishing landscape and copyright ecosystem.
• The ability to combine creative instinct with data awareness, using both to identify exciting talent and opportunities.
• Strong digital and cultural awareness, with an understanding of social media, streaming platforms and emerging trends.
• Strong communication and relationship-building skills, with the ability to connect authentically with creators and partners.
• A creator-first mindset, with a passion for music and the independent music ecosystem.
• The ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment, take initiative and deliver results.
• An exceptional musical ear and strong instinct for identifying standout songs and talent.

What Success Looks Like

By Month 3: You’ll have developed strong relationships across the Creative team and wider Kobalt network, built a clear understanding of our roster and established an active pipeline of talent and creative opportunities.

By Month 6: You’ll be actively progressing signing opportunities, building trusted relationships across the creative community and creating meaningful collaborations and opportunities for our roster.

By Year 1: You’ll be making a clear contribution to the continued growth of Kobalt’s creative roster, identifying and progressing standout talent and creating opportunities for our writers and producers across the Nordics and internationally.

Key Behaviours for Success

Creative Judgement: You have an exceptional musical ear and strong instinct for identifying standout songs, writers and producers.

Relationship Building: You build authentic, trusted relationships with creators, partners and the wider creative community.

Ownership & Initiative: You’re proactive, comfortable working at pace and take responsibility for turning ideas and relationships into opportunities.

Interview Process

• Introductory call with a member of our Recruitment Team
• Interview with the hiring manager
• Further interview with members of the Creative team
• Feedback at each stage

We aim to complete the full interview process from initial application to offer within three to four working weeks. While we do our best to meet this timeline, there may be occasional delays. If that happens, our Recruitment Team will keep you updated every step of the way.

Why Choose Us

At Kobalt, we’ve championed creators since 2000. Our technology and music services are built to make the industry more transparent, fair and rewarding for artists, songwriters and rights holders. We’re proud to work with some of the world’s most influential talents including Phoebe Bridgers, Sam Fender, Paul McCartney, Foo Fighters, Karol G, Young Thug, Kali Uchis and Andrew Watt.

Our Nordic team works with an exciting roster of artists, producers and songwriters including Jubel/First Class, Kreatell, Léon, Christian Olsson, Elliphant, Mats Norman, Medium, Namasenda, Laleh and Victor Leksell as well as boutique publishers.

We’re a company that thrives on creativity, collaboration and progress. Our values — Music First, Transparent, Tech Powered and Transformative — shape how we work, build and grow together. We are a community of people who care deeply about making a meaningful impact in music and technology.

Kobalt is an equal opportunity employer. We believe in equitable access to opportunities and are committed to building a diverse, inclusive and supportive workplace. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and identities. If you need any adjustments during the hiring process, please let us know — we’re happy to help.

If this sounds like you, then please share your story by filling out the application below.