Director, Commercial and Business Development - Masterworks Live

At Sony Music Entertainment, we fuel the creative journey. We’ve played a pioneering role in music history, from the first-ever music label to the invention of the flat disc record. We’ve nurtured some of music’s most iconic artists and produced some of the most influential recordings of all time.

Today, we work in more than 70 countries, supporting a diverse roster of international superstars, developing and independent artists, and visionary creators. From our position at the intersection of music, entertainment, and technology, we bring imagination and expertise to the newest products and platforms, embrace new business models, employ breakthrough tools, and provide powerful insights that help our artists push creative boundaries and reach new audiences. In everything we do, we’re committed to artistic integrity, transparency, and entrepreneurship. Sony Music Entertainment is a member of the Sony family of global companies.

Masterworks Live, a wholly owned division of Sony Music entertainment, is a multi-faceted worldwide entertainment business specialising in recorded music and live events. With a mindset to continue investment and expansion globally, the Sony Masterworks ‘live’ division currently encompasses Backyard Cinema, Black Ink Presents, Culture Creative, GEA Live, The Luna Entertainment Group, MAC Global, Proactiv Entertainment, RG Live, RoadCo Entertainment, Roast Productions, Seaview, Senbla, and Terrapin Station Entertainment.

 

Primary Purpose of the Role

Sony Music’s Masterworks Live division is seeking to appoint a senior executive to lead the delivery and growth of the company’s live entertainment business in the region. Whilst positioned within the Sony Music Australia offices in Sydney/Melbourne, the role will also have remit to the global Masterworks Live team.

This role will be the regional hands-on lead for Masterworks Live, both overseeing existing business in support of the group’s promoters as well as securing new business with a view to an overall expansion of the portfolio. Motivated by the bottom line, the successful candidate will therefore have a proven track-record of evaluating opportunity within an existing portfolio and be adept with tracking all aspects of live events, with responsibility for a range of project management tasks ensuring event outcomes are achieved on time, on budget and to quality standards within agreed contracts. Equally the candidate shall have entrepreneurial skills to drive the business forward, placing Sony Music firmly on the region’s map as a promoter and producer of live music and experience led product including identifying and securing new IP aligned with the Company’s brand and ambitions. Additionally, the candidate must bring outstanding stakeholder relationship capabilities and be skilled in building and developing new relationships.

Key Accountabilities

• Commercial development and project delivery for Sony Masterworks ‘live entertainment’ activities in the territory for existing and new IP properties
• Identify, evaluate (including for financial, operational and strategy alignment), negotiate and secure new events and experiences, both existing within the global Masterworks Live properties and new third party IP properties
• High level of understanding of market, including target attendees’ preferences, competition and macro factors to inform projected outcomes and decision-making
• Stakeholder relationship management, including building and developing new networks contributing to revenue growth
• Maximise all commercial rights and profitability, whilst optimising audience experience and building long term brand equity
• Regular reporting into Masterworks Live leadership in NYC/London in relation to Australia alignment with global strategy, including all aspects of current and proposed IP activity, and reporting into Masterworks Live events companies as required
• Identify and implement a team structure to deliver the group’s ambitions

 

What You’ll Do

Commercial Development

• To further develop commercial outcomes for both existing and new event formats of live entertainment in the region
• To identify, evaluate (financial, operational, marketplace and strategy), negotiate and secure new partnerships, I.P. and rights across the territory for Masterworks Live activation.
• To explore sponsorship and other partnership opportunities for the group’s live entertainment activities
• To further develop existing stakeholder relationships and build strong new relationships with external partners, including media, venues, ticketing, suppliers and rights owners
• To utilise your knowledge of the market, customer behaviours, competition and macro factors to assess commercial value and associated risks of potential activities

Project Delivery

Responsibility for existing and new events in Australia including:

• In conjunction with existing Sony promoters, to manage relationships with venues and stakeholders
• Regularly visit venues and their teams
• Oversee all communications plans
• Establish overall event project timelines and budgets, and ensure delivery completed to expectations and budget
• To manage, at a local level, the relationship with ticketing companies
• Ensure all ongoing and post event reporting is completed
• Regular reporting into Masterworks Live leadership in NYC/London in relation to all Australia activity
• Risk management, including ensuring health and safety, insurance and contracting arrangements are satisfactorily completed

Marketing and Promotion Strategy

• Support development of marketing plans and launch strategies
• Work with internal stakeholders to deliver on first party data, cross-promotional plans, activate working teams (including and not limited to Publicity, media buying, content and social media teams)
• Drive the external agencies (if required) to deliver on marketing and promotional plans
• Monitor sales against the marketing plan and adjust as necessary

Financial Management

• Managing budgets with support from the Sony Music Australia Finance team
• Liaising with Masterworks Live finance teams

Who You Are

• You have an entrepreneurial and promoter mindset and capabilities, coupled with an understanding of risk and the ability to work in a corporate environment
• Appropriate tertiary qualifications or demonstrated equivalent, relevant professional experience in the events industry
• Previous work as a promoter highly valued
• You are passionate about live events, music and technology
• Have extensive relationships within events, with a clear sense of how you would contribute deal opportunities from day one
• You are an excellent negotiator with strong business acumen, strategic thinking, attention to detail, and data-driven decision-making
• Experience managing complex project budgets
• Extensive project management experience with the ability to coordinate successfully the planning and delivery of multiple projects involving multiple stakeholders and complexities
• Ability to anticipate and manage contentious and sensitive policy, program and operational issues within a time sensitive environment
• Highly responsive and service-oriented attitude
• Team player with the ability to work collaboratively across departments
• Thorough and thoughtful in your approach to problem solving; practical, creative and efficient
• Exceptional verbal and written skills, able to present ideas clearly and thoroughly to diverse stakeholder audiences
• Proactive self-starter with agility to flex from high-level strategy and tactical thinker to practical project implementation and day-to-day execution
• Well-developed research and analytical skills with the ability to apply ongoing analysis to event investment and development opportunities
• This position has the requirement to work out of hours and it will involve evening or weekend work including travel
• Excellent interpersonal, influencing and networking skills necessary for developing effective business relationships both within and outside the company

What We Give You

• You join a global community with the opportunity to channel your passion every day.
• Flexible working (in office in Pyrmont or from home), empowering you to bring your best.
• Investment in your professional growth and development enabling you to thrive in our vibrant community
• The space to accelerate progress, positively disrupt and create what happens next.
• We give you the platform to champion positive change, with the opportunity to contribute to our social impact, diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.
• We provide an excellent range of benefits like private health benefits, life insurances, inclusive paid parental leave, emergency back-up child care, Linked In Learning, Novated car leasing options plus loads of industry discounts & perks!