Vice President, Data Governance and Strategy

Universal Music Group • Rockford, IL

81d • $226,100 - $375,155

About The Position

The Vice President of Data Governance and Strategy leads the development and execution of a comprehensive data governance and data strategy function across UMG. This executive role is responsible for ensuring the integrity, compliance, and strategic use of data related to music rights, royalties, digital consumption, fan engagement, e-commerce, merchandise (both online and on tour), physical music and artist development. The ideal candidate will champion a data-driven culture, aligning data priorities with business goals in a rapidly evolving digital music ecosystem.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Information Systems, Music Business, Data Science, or a related field; Master’s degree or MBA preferred.
• 10+ years of experience in data governance, information strategy, or digital rights management, preferably in music, media, or entertainment.
• Deep understanding of music rights, publishing, royalties, and distribution models.
• Familiarity with industry standards such as DDEX, ISRC, ISWC, and global licensing bodies (e.g., ASCAP, BMI, PRS, SoundExchange).
• Experience with data governance and catalog management tools (e.g., Collibra, Informatica, Synchtank, Vistex, Revelator).
• Strong executive presence with exceptional communication and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Demonstrated success driving organizational change related to data transformation.

Nice To Haves

• Visionary leadership with a passion for the intersection of data, music, and innovation.
• Expertise in digital music consumption trends and data monetization.
• Strong analytical and compliance-oriented mindset.
• Ability to drive cross-functional alignment and cultural change.

Responsibilities

• Define and drive the enterprise data strategy to support business growth, monetization of music assets, and fan engagement.
• Align data initiatives with music industry trends, business priorities, and evolving digital platforms (e.g., streaming, social, NFT/AI licensing).
• Partner with C-level executives, legal, finance, marketing, HR and other UMG functions to integrate data insights into strategic decision-making.
• Develop and implement a robust data governance framework covering fan and eCommerce data, DSP consumption data, artist and product metadata, financial and royalty data.
• Standardize data definitions and metadata across systems (e.g., ISRC, ISWC, IPI) for consistency and transparency.
• Ensure compliance with global music rights regulations and data privacy laws (e.g., GDPR, CCPA).
• Work cross-functionally with legal, operations, analytics teams, and product teams to implement governance standards.
• Promote data literacy and accountability across departments and business units.
• Evaluate and deploy tools for Data Governance Operations – discovery/inventory, classification, tagging and cataloging etc.
• Drive automation and innovation in data capture from digital platforms (e.g., Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, TikTok).
• Stay informed about emerging tech (blockchain, AI, NFTs) and their implications for music data governance.

Benefits

• Comprehensive medical, dental, vision, and FSA options.
• 100% coverage for out-patient mental health services.
• Wellbeing reimbursements for fitness classes, spa treatments, meal services, travel, and so much more (up to $720/year).
• A lifetime fertility support allowance of $30,000 to plan participants.
• Student Loan Repayment Assistance and Tuition Reimbursement.
• 100% immediately vested 401(k) match on the first 5% of your contribution on eligible compensation.
• Flexible Paid Time Off (PTO) for exempt employees.
• 3-weeks PTO for non-exempt employees.
• 2-weeks paid Winter Break.
• 10 Company Holidays (including Juneteenth and Wellbeing Day).
• Summer Fridays (between Memorial Day and Labor Day).
• Generous paid parental leave for every type of parent.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Executive
• Education Level: Bachelor's degree
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees