Commercial & Retail Lead

Music is Universal
 
It’s the passionate and dedicated team at Universal Music who help make us the world’s leading music company. From A&R to finance, legal to digital, sales to marketing, Universal Music is the place to grow and develop your career within a truly commercial and innovative business that leads in everything it does.

Everyone is welcome to apply for our roles, and we are determined to ensure that no applicant or employee receives less favourable treatment because of gender, race, disability, sexual orientation, religion, belief, age, marital status, background, pregnancy, or caring responsibilities. We also recognise the importance of diversity of thought within our teams and are fully committed to embracing the talents of people with autism, dyslexia, ADHD, and other forms of neurocognitive variation.

We will always seek to make appropriate adjustments to recruitment, workplaces, and work processes to be fully inclusive to people with different needs and working styles. If you need us to make any reasonable adjustments for you from application onwards, including alternatives to the online form or to disclose a neurocognitive condition, please email [email protected].

In October 2024, Universal Music UK brought together two iconic music labels, Island and EMI Records, to create Island EMI Label Group. The new powerhouse label group is designed to help deliver our strategy to support artists from the wider Universal family, linking closely with US label partners REPUBLIC, and Interscope Capitol Label Groups. 

 
Blending these labels brings Island's unique ethos of launching pioneering and influential global artists such as Bob Marley, U2, Amy Winehouse, Mumford & Sons, Hozier, Lola Young and The Last Dinner Party, with EMI's illustrious history and roster of diverse acts from the UK, including Sir Elton John, Take That and Sir Paul McCartney. 

The label group is also home to a star-studded US and international roster which includes artists such as Taylor Swift, The Weeknd, Ariana Grande, Drake, Noah Kahan and Chappell Roan.

The Role 

To lead UK physical retail strategy for Island EMI Label Group’s frontline artists, working closely with Marketing, UMG UK Commercial, international labels and retail partners. Oversee physical format planning, stock orders and replenishment, pricing, dealer terms and P&L decisions, ensuring release plans are aligned across retail and direct-to-consumer channels. Develop and coordinate in-store and out-of-store tours, signings and promotional events; share release information and strategy with account teams; liaise with the Official Charts on relevant releases; and work with UMR to coordinate campaigns for catalogue artists who overlap with frontline activity.

Key Responsibilities 

• Lead all frontline artist campaign strategy with UK Physical retail on behalf of Island EMI Label Group, alongside our UMG UK Commercial team – HMV, Indie retail, UMusic shops and more.

• Approve and align with Marketing on the overall Physical format suite for all UK frontline artists from development artists through to Elton John, U2. 

• Responsible for all initial stock orders and replenishment of key lines – along with planning team, across UK, US and International releases.

• Pricing of all Physical formats, ensuring all are aligned across D2C channels, UK retail and International retail – the latter with Commercial affairs.

• P&L’s and dealer price/pricing decisions.

• Book, route and advise strategy on retail instore and outstore performance tours, alongside signings and other retail promotional events. Attend such events not just in London but select regional events as and when agreed.

• Liaise with Retail partners on Marketing opportunities for our artist campaigns. 

• Liaise with our US labels direct on key artists strategy for their artists, including but not limited to Ariana Grande, Weeknd, Paul McCartney and more.

• Liaise with the Official Charts on certain release matters.

• Liaise with Central UMG UK Commercial team and retail account managers to ensure they have all key release information and adhere to overall artist release strategy.

• Liaise with UMR catalogue team to ensure dots are joined on key catalogue artists when they cross both frontline and catalogue team remits. 

Skills and Experience Required 

Must have

• Demonstrable experience at a managerial or team leadership level role within a major label, large independent label, distributor or music retailer such as HMV or Rough Trade.

• Good knowledge of the broad mainstream popular music space including pop, rock, indie, dance, hip-hop, R&B 

• Sound understanding of streaming music services and landscape.

• Experience or strong understanding of the Official Charts Company.

• Ability to interpret analytical data.

• Ability to demonstrate that they have successfully sought out and maximised opportunities.

• Strong presentation and public speaking skills, with the ability to explain complex ideas clearly and concisely.

• Excellent IT skills: must be proficient in MS Suite or KeyNote, Google workspace, Sharepoint and more.

• Experience of working independently as well as part of a team, and with colleagues at all levels.

• Committed to be in the office 4 days per week

• Can start in January 2027

Nice to have

• Hold direct relationships with key personnel at retail such as HMV, Rough Trade, Banquet Records, Assai, Resident and more.

• Knowledge of the Streaming and Artist D2C landscape. 

Key Behaviours

• Demonstrates excellent attention to detail

• Well organised with the ability to plan and deliver to tight deadlines.

• Ability to remain calm in an often-pressured environment.

• Proactive approach to work, constantly seeking improvement in all areas.

• Excellent ability to develop relationships, communicate and influence others

Just So You Know…

The company presents this job description as a guide to the major areas and duties for which the jobholder is accountable. However, the business operates in an environment that demands change and the jobholder's specific responsibilities and activities will vary and develop. Therefore, the job description should be seen as indicative and not as a permanent, definitive, and exhaustive statement.

Job Category:

Commercial Services