Vice President, Merchandising Finance & Strategy

Warner Music Group•New York, NY

5d•Onsite

About The Position

At Warner Music Group, we’re a global collective of music makers and music lovers, tech innovators and inspired entrepreneurs, game-changing creatives and passionate team members. Here, we turn dreams into stardom and audiences into fans. We are guided by three core values that underpin everything we do across all our diverse businesses: Curiosity: We do our best work when we’re immersing ourselves in culture and breaking through barriers. Curiosity is the driving force behind creativity and ingenuity. It fuels innovation, and innovation is the key to our future. Collaboration: Making music and bringing it to the world is all about the power of originality amplified by teamwork. A great idea, like a great song, travels globally. We ignite passions and build connections across our diverse community of artists, songwriters, partners, and fans. Commitment: We pursue excellence for our team and our talent. Everything in music starts with a leap into the unknown, and we’re committed to keeping the faith, acting with integrity, and delivering on our promises. WMG is home to a wide range of artists, musicians, and songwriters that fuel our success. That is why we are committed to creating a work environment that actively values, appreciates, and respects everyone. We encourage applications from people with a wide variety of backgrounds and experiences. Consider a career at WMG and get the best of both worlds – an innovative global music company that retains the creative spirit of a nimble independent. A little bit about our team: The WMX Finance team supports the global merchandising, artist services, and supply chain within WMX. We partner closely with commercial, creative, and operational leaders to drive financial performance, improve visibility across complex revenue streams, and enable scalable growth across touring, e-commerce, retail, and licensing channels. Your role: WMX is seeking a Vice President, Merchandising Finance & Strategy to serve as the senior finance partner to the President of Merchandising & E-Commerce. This role is designed for a leader with deep experience in music merchandising—spanning touring, e-commerce/DTC, retail, licensing and VIP ticketing and experiences— who can bring both strategic insight and operational fluency to a fast-growing global business. Reporting to the CFO of WMX, this individual will act as a strategic finance partner to the merchandising organization, driving financial performance, shaping commercial strategy, and enhancing visibility across artist, tour, and channel economics. This role plays a critical part in supporting the continued growth and evolution of WMX’s global merchandising business. By embedding a dedicated finance leader within the merchandising organization, WMX aims to strengthen decision-making, enhance financial visibility, and drive improved performance across a complex, multi-channel ecosystem.

Requirements

Experience: 10–15+ years of experience in finance, strategy, or operations
Direct experience in music merchandising strongly preferred, including: Touring merchandise (highly preferred) DTC/e-commerce merchandising Retail or licensing within music or live events
Demonstrated experience supporting senior merchandising or commercial leaders
Capabilities Deep understanding of touring and merch economics, including per-head metrics, settlements, and inventory flows
Strong financial modeling and commercial decision support capabilities
Ability to operate effectively in a high-volume, relationship-centric, inventory-driven business
Fluency in multi-channel merchandising environments (tour, online, retail)
Leadership profile Acts as a true business partner, not just a finance operator Commercially oriented, proactive, and solutions-driven Comfortable operating in fast-paced, artist-driven environments Strong executive presence with the ability to influence across creative and business teams

Nice To Haves

Experience working across global merchandising operations
Familiarity with artist services, touring environments, or live event economics

Responsibilities

Serve as a strategic finance partner to merchandising leadership
Serve as the primary finance partner to the President of Merchandising & E-Commerce, supporting decision-making across artist campaigns, touring strategies, and global merch initiatives
Translate merchandising strategies into clear financial frameworks, including revenue, margin, and investment implications
Provide scenario modeling and forward-looking insights across: Tour merchandise performance Direct-to-consumer (DTC) growth strategies Retail and licensing partnerships VIP Ticketing & Experience
Actively influence pricing, product mix, and channel strategy to optimize profitability
Drive touring and merchandising economics
Bring deep expertise in tour merchandise models, including: Sell-through and per-head metrics Inventory forecasting and cost models Settlement structures Venue commissions and vending cost structures
Analyze performance across tours, artists, and regions to drive improved financial outcomes
Partner with merchandising and operations teams to optimize on-site execution and inventory deployment
Oversee DTC, retail, and multi-channel performance
Oversee financial performance across e-commerce (Shopify), marketplaces, and physical retail
Develop actionable insights on: Conversion, AOV, and digital marketing ROI Product-level and channel-level margins Global demand trends
Support strategies to scale direct-to-consumer and omnichannel merchandising
Lead planning, forecasting, and performance management
Lead annual budget, quarterly forecasts, and long-range planning for the merchandising business
Build and maintain artist, tour, and detailed P&L visibility
Build individual department and employee targets and actuals for continued financial growth tracking
Deliver clear, data-driven reporting and variance analysis to senior leadership
Define and track KPIs such as: Revenue per head (touring) Inventory turns and obsolescence Gross margin by channel Sell-through rates
Support deal evaluation and artist economics
Partner on artist merchandise deals, renewals, and new business opportunities
Evaluate deal structures including: Royalty rates Advances and recoupment Profit-sharing arrangements
Build financial models to assess profitability and risk across artist portfolios
Lead cross-functional collaboration and team development
Collaborate closely with merchandising, e-commerce, supply chain, and marketing teams to align financial and operational priorities
Partner with central FP&A and accounting to ensure accurate reporting and scalable processes
Build and lead a dedicated merchandising finance function leading a team of four