Director of People Experience, The Orchard
International, The Orchard
Music distribution and licensing
Be an early applicant
Music distribution and licensing
501-1000 employees
Be an early applicant
501-1000 employees
Company mission
To be a technology-driven leader in music distribution and artist & label services.
Role
Who you are
- We’re looking for someone who can contribute at both strategic and operational levels to foster a progressive, inclusive culture throughout the employee lifecycle. The ideal candidate will bring thought leadership, creative problem-solving, and strong relationship-building skills, along with the agility to lead and drive change
- Experienced human resource professional with a broad knowledge of human resource management best practices, human and team dynamic practices (including talent management, employee engagement, compensation practices, organizational and team design, employee relations, and performance management) typically gained through 10+ years of experience in a senior business partner, head of human resources or director human resources role
- Expert communicator, with the ability to clearly and effectively communicate both verbally and in writing
- Prior experience supporting client groups abroad. Bonus points for experience supporting businesses operating in European markets
- Agile thinker with the ability to be highly creative, innovative and future oriented as it relates to People solutions
- Comfortable with ambiguity, change and complexity. Leads with a growth mindset
- Strong prioritization skills with a mindset that welcomes the challenge of having multiple projects in flight at any given time
- Highly impactful at connecting, engaging, influencing and partnering with senior leadership, employees, internal and external partners at all levels
- Drives change processes by applying change management methods and experience design thinking approach
- Demonstrates empathy and experience to drive diversity, equity & inclusion strategies into accountable action
- Experience using data to identify insights that drive action
- Excellent consulting, coaching and strong people management skills
- Experience in a large, complex/matrixed organization preferred; ideally in a creative industry (music, television, entertainment, etc.)
- Multilingual candidates preferred
What the job involves
- Sony Music Entertainment (SME) is seeking a strategic, innovative, and human-centered Director of People Experience to join our diverse and forward-thinking PX team. In this role, you will serve as the lead Business Partner for The Orchard’s international teams across the UK, Europe, Africa, and beyond
- As the architect of the People Experience strategy in these markets, you’ll operate as both a strategic leader and hands-on coach—partnering with business leaders and guiding a small team to deliver impactful, people-first solutions
- This role reports to the Vice President, People Experience and collaborates closely with The Orchard’s leadership team
- Collaborate with business units to define and implement people strategies that align with and support the broader global business objectives
- Serve as a senior People Experience (PX) leader across The Orchard’s international markets, supporting employees and driving business outcomes
- Act as a trusted consultant and coach to leadership, offering insights and supporting the development of solutions to address people-related challenges and opportunities
- Advise business leaders on people strategy, including organizational design, diverse hiring, performance management, career development, compensation, recognition, and engagement
- Build strong, collaborative relationships with PX counterparts across regions to ensure localized support as well as compliance and alignment with local laws and practices
- Partner with leadership to identify top talent and develop impactful development and succession plans to drive engagement and retention
- Collaborate with the Talent Acquisition team to deliver exceptional recruiting experiences for candidates at all career stages
- Support and advance the DEI strategy by coaching leaders and contributing to key initiatives
- Champion PX programs and policies, promoting understanding and adoption while advocating for diversity, equity, inclusion, and a more human-centered workplace
- Foster a progressive, inclusive culture and work environment that promotes employee engagement and well-being
- Leverage people data to generate insights that inform decision-making, enhance team performance, and strengthen organizational health
- Maintain a strong understanding of the business and industry trends to provide timely, relevant guidance and solutions
- Contribute to enterprise-wide HR initiatives and special projects that enhance the overall People Experience across Sony Music Entertainment
Salary benchmarks
Our take
The Orchard has spent 25 years offering independent artists a comprehensive set of music services, including marketing, sales, YouTube monetisation, and distribution and licensing across over 40 worldwide markets. The company has spent nearly a decade of that time operating as a subsidiary of Sony Music.
The addition of YouTube monetisation services a decade ago was a smart move for The Orchard - even if it’s landed the company in some hot copyfraud water for what some criticise as an overzealous approach to copyright infringement claims. It’s meant that artists with The Orchard have more tools in their arsenal to combat the rise of streaming services, which have put independent artists in a difficult position regarding monetisation.
If the company wants to continue providing the best service for independent artists, however, it may need to be more proactive in accommodating new and highly influential trends in music marketing. TikTok, for example, has become a major tool for generating exposure, and many artists are experimenting independently with NFTs. The industry is moving at light speed, and The Orchard may need to pick up its pace to continue attracting independent talent.
Kirsty
Company Specialist at Welcome to the Jungle
Insights
7% employee growth in 12 months
Company
Company benefits
- You join an inclusive, collaborative and global community where you have the opportunity to fuel the creative journey
- A modern office environment designed to foster productivity, creativity, and teamwork
- An excellent range of benefits, like private medical cover, a generous pension scheme, life assurance and income protection, plus loads of music biz perks
- We invest in your professional growth & development
Company HQ
NoHo, New York, NY
Leadership
Richard Gottehrer
(Chief Creative Officer & Founder)An original founder of the company back in 1997.
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