Senior A&R Executive, Pop (Candidate led up to Vice President)

Job Title: Senior A&R Executive (Pop)
Department: Creative (A&R)
Location: Los Angeles
Hybrid Working: A minimum of 3 days in your local office
Full-time | Permanent

The Role

We’re looking for an experienced and highly connected Senior A&R Executive (Pop) to join our US Creative team. We're excited to consider candidates at different stages of their careers. The final title and scope will be determined based on the background and expertise you bring to Kobalt's Creative team.

This is a senior A&R role focused on identifying, signing and developing exceptional songwriters, artists and producers within Pop. You’ll bring an established track record of successful signings, deep relationships across the US music industry and the creative and commercial judgement to identify opportunities that can make a meaningful impact on Kobalt’s roster.

Alongside originating and leading signing opportunities, you’ll play a senior role in developing our existing clients, creating opportunities for their music and careers and strengthening Kobalt’s relationships across the wider creative community.

You’ll work closely with Business Affairs and our global Creative teams to develop deals and connect our roster with opportunities across the US and internationally.

What You’ll Do

• Identify, develop and sign exceptional songwriters, artists, producers and shares of copyright within Pop.
• Build and maintain a strong pipeline of signing opportunities through your network, creative relationships, market knowledge, data and industry insight.
• Lead the development of significant signing opportunities, working closely with Business Affairs to shape deal proposals and support negotiations.
• Apply strong creative and commercial judgement when evaluating talent, repertoire and potential investments.
• Build trusted, long-term relationships with Kobalt’s roster and identify opportunities that support their creative and career development.
• Create high-value opportunities for clients, including writing sessions, collaborations, song and beat pitches and introductions across the industry.
• Maintain senior relationships with artists, writers, producers, managers, labels, lawyers and other key industry partners.
• Stay ahead of emerging trends across Pop, music, culture, social media and the wider digital landscape.
• Combine creative instinct with data and insight to inform signing decisions and A&R strategy.
• Collaborate with Kobalt’s global Creative teams to create international opportunities for our roster and identify talent across markets.
• Contribute to the continued development and success of Kobalt’s US Creative roster and wider A&R strategy.
• Act as a senior representative of Kobalt within the creative community, strengthening our reputation and relationships in the market.

What You’ll Bring

Preferred:

• Significant A&R experience within music publishing, recorded music, management or a comparable creative environment.
• A strong track record of identifying, signing and developing successful songwriters, artists and producers.
• An extensive and established network across the US Pop music community and a strong reputation within the industry.
• Significant experience developing and progressing writer management and publishing deals within the US market.
• Exceptional creative judgement and a strong instinct for identifying songs and talent with long-term potential.
• Strong commercial judgement and the ability to evaluate opportunities through both creative and financial lenses.
• Deep knowledge of Pop music alongside a strong understanding of the wider music business, publishing landscape and copyright ecosystem.
• The ability to combine creative instinct with data-led insight when evaluating talent and opportunities.
• Strong relationships across management, labels, publishers, lawyers, artists, writers and producers.
• Strong knowledge of social media, streaming platforms and the evolving digital music landscape.
• A collaborative approach with the ability to work effectively across Kobalt’s US and global Creative teams.
• Strong ownership, initiative and the ability to operate effectively in a fast-paced creative environment.

What Success Looks Like

By Month 3: You’ll have established strong relationships across Kobalt’s US and global Creative teams, developed a deep understanding of our existing roster and built an active pipeline of high-quality Pop signing opportunities.

By Month 6: You’ll be progressing meaningful signing opportunities, creating high-value opportunities for our existing roster and actively contributing to the direction and success of the US Creative team.

By Year 1: You’ll have made a measurable contribution to Kobalt’s Pop roster through successful signings, client development and creative opportunities while strengthening Kobalt’s relationships and reputation across the US Pop community.

Key Behaviours for Success

Creative Vision & A&R Judgement: You have exceptional musical instincts and the ability to identify talent, songs and opportunities with long-term creative and commercial potential.

Commercial Judgement: You understand the commercial considerations behind signing decisions and can balance creative conviction with data, market insight and deal economics.

Leadership & Influence: You operate as a senior voice within the Creative team, sharing insight, creating opportunities and positively influencing colleagues and partners.

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, FINNEAS, and Andrew Watt as well as acclaimed writers like Simon Aldred (Rag’n’Bone Man, Liam Gallagher, Celeste) and Clarence Coffee Jr. (Dua Lipa, Lizzo, The Snuts).

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. To get you in the right mood, have a listen here to songs by our talented creators, especially curated to get you in the right mood when looking for the next challenge! 

IMPORTANT NOTICE

Applicants must be eligible to work in the United States. Kobalt is an equal opportunity employer encouraging diversity in the workplace. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, national origin, gender, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, or any other status or characteristic protected by law.

The range provided is for Los Angeles-based hires only and will be commensurate with candidate experience. Pay ranges for candidates in other locations other than Los Angeles may differ based on the cost of labor in that location. Pay range: $100,000 - $180,000