Creative Publishing Specialist

Gateway Church•Southlake, TX

About The Position

The Creative Publishing Specialist leads Gateway's songwriting and publishing function. The role builds a strong writer pipeline and helps Gateway Music brands write and record songs that represent the ministry well. The specialist is responsible for the health of Gateway's songwriting culture, cultivating relationships with staff and outside songwriters, organizing co-writes and songwriting camps, and guiding songs from initial idea through demo, revision, and final selection. The specialist manages song selection and pitching for Gateway Music projects, working with leadership to select songs and partnering with the Gateway Music Operations Specialist to keep publishing administration current and metadata aligned with Marketing at release. The role ensures that songs reflect Gateway's creative and theological vision and that song and writer relationships are maintained throughout the process. The position is also expected to support, recruit, and develop Serve Team members and serve alongside the broader team as ministry and organizational needs arise. It requires presence and service at weekend services and churchwide events as the ministry calendar requires.

Requirements

A clear passion for Jesus and a strong biblical foundation.
Specialized working knowledge of worship songs, songwriters, and publishing systems and administration.
Familiarity with performing rights organizations, CCLI, and rights administration platforms.
Exceptional attention to detail, particularly with splits, metadata, and ownership records.
Strong analytical skills and the ability to review songs and provide feedback.
Ability to handle agreements and writer information with discretion and confidentiality.
Ability to work independently and cultivate a healthy songwriting culture.
Strong time-management skills and ability to manage several priorities at once.
Proficiency in Microsoft Office and ability to learn and use new software and systems.
Bachelor's degree in music business, business administration, or a related field, or equivalent experience.
Must be a member of Gateway Church or become a member upon employment.

Nice To Haves

Two or more years of music publishing, rights administration, or licensing experience.
Prior experience with performing rights organizations, CCLI reporting, or royalty administration.

Responsibilities

Build relationships with internal and external songwriters.
Schedule and organize co-writing sessions, pairing songwriters, artists, and producers based on style and chemistry.
Set songwriting goals and deadlines tied to departmental planning.
Develop and maintain a healthy songwriting culture at Gateway.
Track each song's progress from initial idea through demo, revision, and final approval.
Review song submissions and demos and provide feedback on lyrics, theology, melody, and commercial or congregational fit.
Pitch songs to outside artists, labels, and A&R for specific projects or release slots.
Maintain a song catalog or tracker with writer credits, splits, status, and pitch history.
Plan and manage songwriting camps, including themes, goals, venues, dates, participants, logistics, budgets, and follow-up to ensure songs are finished, registered, and pitched.
Manage relationships with outside and independent songwriters, serving as their main point of contact and keeping them informed about upcoming projects and needs.
Build and maintain relationships with outside publishers and their rosters.
Coordinate with the Gateway Music Operations Specialist to pass along metadata for new songs, including split sheets, PRO registrations, and copyright documentation.
Communicate the label's creative and ministry vision to writers so submissions align with Gateway's theology and brand.
Follow up with songwriters on unfinished or shelved songs to keep the pipeline moving.
Manage song selection for all Gateway Music projects.
Stay current on worship and Christian music trends to guide writers toward relevant themes and sounds.
Partner with Marketing on release metadata and credits so published information matches registration records.
Be present and serve at weekend services and churchwide events as the ministry calendar requires.
Support, recruit, and develop Serve Team members and serve the broader team as ministry and organizational needs arise.
Perform other duties as assigned.