Director or Senior Director, Distribution

Description

EMPIRE is a premier and dynamic music company that prides itself on the development and support of independent artists. We are a rapidly growing firm that has been making waves in the music industry, with an extensive portfolio that spans multiple genres and reaches audiences worldwide. We have become the largest independent record label in the U.S., with a significant global presence covering Africa, Asia, Europe, Australia, and North and South America. We keep ourselves busy with a large range of music-related services from original content and marketing to distribution and recordings. 

Our commitment to artistic creativity, innovation, and progressive business solutions forms the foundation of our corporate culture. We believe in fostering talent, not just in our artists but also within our professional teams. As we continue to expand, we invite you to join us on this exciting journey.

The Role Remix: EMPIRE is looking for a Director or Senior Director, Distribution to join our San Francisco office. This role will report into the SVP of Operations and will deliver our releases to DSPs, enforce quality assurance standards, and liaison with our vast network of distribution and label partners.

• Maintain and distribute audio/video products for labels, deliver to DSPs, update metadata and quality assurance 
• Help scale distribution services and design systems with engineering, legal, royalties.
• Troubleshoot and refine our custom software with the engineering team 
• Maintain relationships with DSP’s and content providers from a technical standpoint.
• Asset management and approvals between content providers and internal parties
• Communicate directly internationally with our clients in the region.
• Manage team members within the US and beyond

Key Notes for Success:

• 5+ years in large scale digital supply chain distribution management, 
• Bachelor's Degree or equivalent work experience
• Proven track record of delivering audio/video content successfully within the music industry
• Ability to coordinate with an international team globally
• Experience managing teams across different time zones
• XML and metadata formatting for music services
• Expert on Audio codecs and systems
• Expert on Video codecs and editing
• Expert knowledge of major DSPS and their behavior   
• Database and Excel experience
• Zendesk, customer support software experience
• Previous experience working with various genres of music
• Quick and accurate resolution of data issues is critical to the success of this role
• A detailed understanding of metadata requirements and related issues across all product types, media and genres
• Highly Skilled in cross-team functionality and communication - ability to work closely with other team members while, at the same time, taking responsibility for and initiative over personal workload
• Strong interpretative skills - able to translate customer's requests into tasks that will solve the underlying issue
• Familiarity with music royalties and rights management
• Familiarity with content ID and Youtube CMS
• Experience in quickly understanding new information systems and processes
• Ability to work effectively under pressure, multi-task and be highly flexible in order to juggle priorities and meet all deadlines
• Self-motivated, Problem-solver mentality
• Strong passion for and knowledge of music
• Exceptional communication skills - able to deal with varying personalities and levels
• Highly-organized, meticulous about follow-up, deadline oriented, resourceful and innovative

Bonus Beats: 

• Coding background
• Snowflake,Tableau, Jira experience
• Adobe Suite and Premier video experience 

Pay Range: $100,000 - $150,000/annual salary + benefits + discretionary bonus + profit sharing program

At EMPIRE, we value diversity and always treat all employees and job applicants based on merit, qualifications, competence, and talent. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.

If you are passionate about the music industry, and looking for a challenging role in a fast-paced, innovative environment, apply today. We look forward to hearing from you.

Perks Playlist:

• Competitive Compensation Package
• Competitive Benefits Package
• Paid Time Off (Holidays, Vacation, and Sick) 
• Wellness Resources
• Commuter Allowance
• Cell Phone Allowance

About EMPIRE: Founded in 2010 by Bay Area native Ghazi, EMPIRE is currently leading through its innovative and progressive approach to the digital music era across its label, distribution and publishing arms. 

With its focus on early stage artist development, the San Francisco based company has been instrumental in identifying future icons and launching the careers of both Multi-platinum and Grammy Award winning artists such as Kendrick Lamar, Fireboy DML, Yung Bleu, Migos, Asake, XXXtentacion, and Anderson .Paak to name a few. After this early success, EMPIRE was quickly regarded as a tastemaker in the industry and premier independent record label.  

More than a decade in, EMPIRE continues to grow – expanding the Publishing division with a partnership with superproducer Hit-Boy and his Surf Club collective and acquiring Dirtybird Records in 2022 to amplify the Dance arm. EMPIRE has expanded the team throughout the globe on the African continent, Europe, Asia, North America, and South America. With the company and roster excelling at a breakneck pace, EMPIRE has effectively disrupted a stale business model by bringing its energy, expertise, and acumen to its artists and labels. 

Through crafting bespoke deals that are always in favor of the artist, EMPIRE is able to form a true partnership with each artist and label on its roster. Coupled with their unique software for analytics, recoupment, and royalties, which is available to every partner, the company offers a level of transparency unprecedented in the music industry.