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Manager, Commercial Partnerships

Location

New York

Salary

Up to US$75000 per annum

Sector

Music Industry

Type

Hybrid

Contract Type

Permanent

Job Ref

BBBH113505

Posted

May 19, 2026

Expiry

Jun 16, 2026

apply now

Manager, Commercial Partnerships

New York, US

ASAP Start

Hybrid working

Handle are thrilled to be partnering with Merlin to source a Manager, Commercial Partnerships.

The Opportunity

The Manager, Commercial Partnerships role is suited to an enthusiastic digital music professional with demonstrable experience in partnerships, business development and/or marketing roles within digital music companies, record labels, distributors/aggregators, or artist and label services businesses. Merlin's Commercial Partnerships team leads the day-to-day management of relationships with global digital music partners across streaming, UGC, social music, and emerging technologies. Working closely with Business Affairs/Legal and member-facing teams, and maintaining a strategic view of the marketplace, the successful candidate will play a key role in managing relationships with existing partners, engaging early with new partners, and maximising opportunities to drive commercial value from Merlin's best-in-class deals.

Position Status, Location, and Reporting

Merlin operates a distributed work model, with our global team primarily working remotely. This is a full time role based in New York, reporting to the Director, Commercial Partnerships.

Key Responsibilities

Lead day-to-day communications with and support for a subset of Merlin's existing and prospective digital music service partners to maximise opportunities to drive commercial value for Merlin member and partner companies.
Support senior Commercial Partnerships executives in the management of key partner relationships, including gaining insights into partner developments and advocating for the needs and priorities of Merlin and its member companies.
Collaborate closely and communicate effectively with relevant internal stakeholders across Business Affairs/Legal, Partnership Operations, Global Membership Development, Member Relations and Business Analytics and Insights to support performance, development, and revenue growth across different platforms, products, tiers and business models.
Maintain a strong working knowledge of, and effectively communicate, the complexities of commercial deal terms, content operations and integrations, pitching and marketing opportunities, reporting and data insights, tools and broader market trends and developments.
Balance strategic thinking with the practical needs of multiple stakeholders in a fast-paced environment.
Actively contribute toward improving processes and developing scalable solutions.
Pursue professional development opportunities, represent the company at industry conferences and events, and be adaptable as the role and organisation evolve.

Required Experience, Skills and Abilities

3+ years of experience within digital music companies, record labels, distributors/aggregators or artist/label services companies.
Strong understanding of the digital music industry, including music distribution, the digital music supply chain and the tools and opportunities available via digital platforms.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with strong commercial awareness, discretion, and the ability to concisely advise senior management.
Exceptional interpersonal skills, with a proven ability to foster strong commercial relationships and adapt communication styles to diverse stakeholders.
Ability to work effectively across functional areas and build collaborative internal relationships.
Demonstrate strong commercial sensibility and awareness.
Strategic mindset, with the ability to shift between different modes of thinking and manage multiple priorities effectively.
Detail and process oriented, with high integrity and strong organisational skills.
Strong analytical skills, using data and market insights to inform decision-making.
Comfortable prioritising multiple issues and working under pressure.
Passion for music, technology, and supporting independent rights holders.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office, Google Workspace, Airtable and familiarity with data and task management tools.
Established network of contacts across independent music companies and digital service partners.

Compensation

A salary of $75K plus incentives, and an attractive benefits package will be offered, commensurate with the role and the relevant experience of the hire.

Equal Opportunity and Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Merlin is an equal opportunity employer and makes employment decisions without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability status, age, or any other status protected by law. Further, the company strives to create a diverse, welcoming, equitable and inclusive environment for all applicants, employees, member companies and partners.

The Company

Merlin provides independents the means to control their digital business in direct partnerships with leading digital music services. Merlin is a member led, music focused organization providing digital music licensing for independents across the globe. Members benefit from Merlin's premium deals, but work directly with key digital partners. Our membership consists of independent labels, distributors, and other rights-holders, representing tens of thousands of labels and hundreds of thousands of artists from every country in the world. Merlin's approach has enabled our membership to grow to represent 15% of the global market share. Merlin's membership includes independents such as Absolute Label Services, Amuse, Armada Music, AudioSalad, Better Noise Music, Casete, Curb, Domino Recording Co, Epitaph Records, Exceleration, Hopeless Records, IDOL, Kontor New Media, Mad Decent, Measurable Accurate Digital Solutions, Mills Records, MNRK, Mushroom Music, Nettwerk Music Group, Ninja Tune, Redeye, Republic of Music, Revelator, Secret City, Secretly, Stones Throw, Starbase, Sub Pop, Warp, Zebralution and hundreds more. Merlin has deals with nearly 40 digital services, including partners like Apple, Audiomack, AWA, Boomplay, Canva, Deezer, JioSaavn, KKBox, Meta, NetEase, Pandora, Peloton, Snap, SoundCloud, Spotify, Tencent, Twitch, Vevo, YouTube, and many other global, regional and strategic partners, as well as being in conversations with dozens more.

Merlin has team resources in London, New York, Berlin, North Carolina and Tokyo.

Handle actively welcomes applicants from under-represented backgrounds - we pride ourselves on attracting the best talent for every opportunity through a commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion.

apply now

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