VP, People eXperience, The Orchard

The VP, People Experience (PX), Business Partner for The Orchard owns the strategy, leadership and delivery of the PX agenda for The Orchard’s global business. You are the senior 
PX voice: the trusted advisor to the CEO, COO and The Orchard leadership team, and the leader who translates their business plans into coherent, best-in-class employee experiences 
across the full employee journey. This is both a strategy and a delivery role. You set direction in partnership with the Americas and Global PX leadership, and you lead a team of six to execute it. You will be a member of the PX Business Partner Leadership team and The Orchard leadership team. This role dual reports into the President & COO, The Orchard, and SVP People eXperience/VP Head of Business Partners. You will be a driver of our PX vision: to be recognized as a people-centric company that transforms the music industry and beyond.

What you'll do:

Strategic Business Partnership

● Serve as day-to-day PX Business Partner and trusted advisor to the CEO, COO and The Orchard leadership team, with oversight of the broader teams’ employee experience 
through your PXBP team (with responsibility for ~800 employees across over 50 markets around the world).
● Set priorities. Partner with the CEO and COO to define the priorities that matter most, anchored in the business plan and the annual culture survey and translate them into a 
clear PX strategic plan across the employee journey.
● Drive operational improvement. Identify and implement opportunities to improve how the business runs, systems, processes, new technology and ways of working, workflow 
integration, workforce planning, and staffing models, in partnership with the wider Americas PX team and the COEs.
● Build strong relationships. Cultivate durable, candid relationships with leadership and employees; serve as a key liaison and trusted business partner on all People 
eXperience initiatives, programs, and processes, balancing strategic counsel with hands on support.
● Guide employee relations. Provide oversight and judgment on employee relations issues in partnership with the People Relations team, escalating as appropriate and 
owning the leadership-facing dimension of sensitive issues.
● Shape enterprise initiatives. Partner with the leadership team and territory leads on key organization development and initiatives that carry implications beyond the local 
market, up to the global business.
● Lead through data. Deliver quarterly people-data and insights reviews to your leadership teams and use data, analytics and financials to build the business case for 
change.
● Support M&A. Contribute to M&A activities through PX due diligence, cultural and systems integration, in close partnership with the VP PX M&A lead, The Orchard M&A 
team and PX Operations and Total Rewards.

Operational Delivery & Leadership
● Lead the annual compensation planning and review cycle for The Orchard’s global business. Working with COO & CFO on budgeting and local PX partners, compensation 
team on process and delivery.
● Partner on the annual Business Planning process with the CEO, COO & CFO Reflecting on organizational successes and challenges, establishing key people 
priorities that drive and enable the business strategic plan for the year ahead.
● Drive weekly people planning with the CFO and COO on headcount, open roles, employee contracts and people shifts.
● Facilitate quarterly people data and insights review with The Orchard Leadership team address key themes and propose solutions to any trends.
● Operational Delivery. Collaborate, influence and partner with COEs and local PX business partners on operational aspects that impact the full employee cycle from hiring 
to exits, including intern and early career experience and fixed-term contractors. 
● Oversee the onboarding experience of all new hires and ensure PXBPs are guiding the experience in partnership with direct People Leader
● Lead the annual employee engagement survey process from planning through action, including communications, analysis of results, and partnering with senior leaders 
to develop and execute meaningful action plans.

Culture, Change and Continuous Impact
● Champion the culture. Lead, role model and develop a strong culture through our Global People Promise and Values, one that fuels inclusion, innovation, and 
collaboration.
● Think like a business leader. Build deep commercial and industry acumen and adapt PX practices and approach to reflect and enable our creator first approach.
● Lead Change. Drive organizational change and transformation. Guide leaders and employees through the change curve and build teams and individuals that are resilient, 
adaptable, and steady under pressure.
● Raise engagement. Own employee engagement initiatives that lift performance and satisfaction, and act on what the culture survey and listening data tell you.
● Advance inclusion. In partnership with The Orchard’s D&I team and The Orchard’s leadership team, develop and deliver strategies for diversity, accessibility and inclusion 
at every level.
● Build learning capability. Champion The Learning Collective and a culture of continuous learning and growth for leaders and employees, including your own, and lift 
adaptability to new technologies, systems, and ways of working, as well as the continued development of The Orchard Academy.

Team Leadership & Cross-Functional Partnership
● Lead your team. Lead, coach and develop a high-performing team of PX professionals across the US and the UK/Europe. Set clear goals, grow their capability, and hold a high 
bar.
● Partner with Sony Music’s centers of excellence (C.O.E’s). Work closely with Talent Acquisition, People Operations, People Relations, Compensation, Benefits, The 
Learning Collective, Organization Success, Diversity and Inclusion, Communication teams to design consistent, high-impact experiences for The Orchard global business.
● Connect to the enterprise. Contribute to a highly collaborative USBP, Americas and Global People Experience team on cross-functional and global projects and initiatives. 
● Deliver for the offices. Ensure close partnership with Finance, Operations, Comms, Diversity & Inclusion, Philanthropy, Social Impact and Environment, Facilities and 
Business & Legal Affairs teams, to develop and deliver an optimal employee experience across all The Orchard offices.
● Strategic global compensation partnership. Work with the Compensation & Benefits teams, to set appropriate pay and reward strategies, using market analysis information 
to keep offerings competitive.
● Keep compliant. Ensure compliance with local employment laws, regulations, dataprivacy standards, and other relevant local policies.

Required Experience:

● 10+ years in HR / People, including 5+ years as a senior HR business partner to C-suite or equivalent executives, leading and developing a team of HR/PX professionals,  including a global distributed or matrixed team.
● You have demonstrated success coaching and guiding senior executives as a trusted business partner, with the ability to shape, challenge, anticipate needs, speak in 
business outcomes and influence at the top table.
● You have experience in working in and leading global teams across different time zones, cultures and can create a team environment wherever people are in the world.
● You thrive in fast-paced, creative, tech-driven, and matrixed environments, with a demonstrated ability to drive pragmatic decision-making in a collaborative, team-based setting.
● You have a track record driving transformative change from both a culture and business perspective.
● You can pivot between strategic solutions and executional activities with agility and can seamlessly adapt to changing business environments and priorities.
● You have proven leadership experience, motivating, engaging and developing a globally distributed and matrixed team.
● You are experienced in handling of complex, high-stakes people matters and difficult messages, delivered with integrity and empathy.
● You have the ability to hold the whole organization in view while adapting to local needs and nuance Preferred
● Experience in music, entertainment, or another creator or talent-driven industry.
● Bilingual in Spanish is a plus.
● Exposure to M&A due diligence and integration.’
● Global experience leading teams and experience working with country employment law

How you show up

● Self-motivated, curious, and compassionate, with strong business and HR acumen and a genuine interest in the music industry.
● A passionate and influential thought partner who builds trust and confidence at every level, instills solidarity across teams and can make complex decisions.
● Excellent communication, presentation, and influencing skills; drives pragmatic, collaborative decision-making at pace.
● Comfortable and effective in flexing your approach in ambiguous, changing environments.
● Acting responsibly and comfortable being a calm and fearless voice in the room in moments of conflict or uncertainty 
● Role modelling and living our values & behaviors

What we give you:

• You join an inclusive, collaborative and global community where you have the opportunity to channel your passion every day  
• A modern office environment designed to foster productivity, creativity, and teamwork empowering you to bring your best 
• An attractive and comprehensive benefits package including medical, dental, vision, life & disability coverage, and 401K + employer matching 
• Voluntary benefits like company-paid identity theft protection and resources for pets, mental health and meditation resources, industry-leading fertility coverage, fully paid leave for childbirth or bonding, fully paid leave for caregivers, programs for loved ones with developmental disabilities and neurodiversity, subsidized back-up child and elder care, and reimbursement for adoption, surrogacy, tuition, and student loans 
• 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  
• Time off for a winter recess

About The Orchard
The Orchard is a leading global music distributor and Artist & Label services company operating in 50+ markets worldwide. The Orchard empowers creators and businesses to grow and adapt in the dynamic global music industry. We specialize in being artist focused, blending industry expertise and technology, leveraging data to drive success, and providing streamlined digital and physical distribution solutions. The Orchard’s comprehensive artist & label services offerings include marketing, sync licensing, premium video services, transparent data analysis, advertising, rights management, radio promotion, D2C, and more.

About Sony Music Entertainment
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 60 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. 
The Orchard and Sony Music Entertainment are members of the Sony family of global companies. We are an equal opportunity employer. We consider all qualified applicants without regard to any characteristic protected by law, and we provide reasonable accommodation throughout the hiring process on request

Sony Music is committed to providing equal employment opportunity for all persons regardless of age, disability, national origin, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, veteran or military status, marital and civil partnership/union status, alienage or citizenship status, creed, genetic information or any other status protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.