CATALOG OPERATIONS DIRECTOR

Primary Wave Music Publishing, LLC; New York (NY); On-site; USD 75,000 - 95,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work schedule

Healthcare plan

401(k)

Long-term disability

Short-term disability

Holidays

Life insurance

Vacation time off

Job summary

Primary Wave Music Publishing, LLC in New York or Los Angeles, seeks a Catalog Operations Director to own the end-to-end transition of newly acquired music catalogs, from pre-closing through onboarding and revenue stabilization.

You will lead onboarding plans, registrations, and royalty obligations, develop a standardized playbook for technical onboarding, and coordinate with sellers and internal teams to ensure timely, accurate data and handoffs.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required in music publishing, rights, royalty administration, or catalog acquisitions.
• Deep knowledge of global PROs and neighboring rights structures.
• Strong metadata literacy and data analysis skills.

Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end operational transition of newly acquired catalogs from pre-closing through onboarding and revenue stabilization.
• Develop a playbook for technical onboarding covering rights types and royalty streams.
• Coordinate with sellers and internal teams to ensure timely documentation and registrations.
• Clean, validate, and structure schedules, ISRC/ISWC data, and territory splits.
• Flag missing metadata and resolve issues with all parties for a seamless handoff to income tracking.
• Handle ad-hoc projects and regular management communication.

Skills

Global PROs knowledge

Neighboring rights structures

DSP revenue reporting

Chain of title analysis

Metadata literacy (ISRC/ISWC/IPI/CAE)

Analytical skills

Communication skills

Multi-tasking

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Excel

Job description

CATALOG OPERATIONS DIRECTOR

(Can be based in either LA or NYC)

Primary Wave Music is the leading independent publisher of iconic and legendary music in the world. The company is home to some of the most iconic songwriters, artists, and record labels across the history of recorded music including Whitney Houston, James Brown, Prince, Bob Marley, Stevie Nicks, Talking Heads, Smokey Robinson, Village People, Crowded House, Burt Bacharach, Ray Charles, The Doors, Stone Temple Pilots, Sun Records, and many more. As a company, we strive for excellence in the pursuit of iconic artists and catalogs that not only reflect great artistry, but impact and influence culture.

We are looking for an enthusiastic colleague with a dedicated work ethic and a sharp mind who will own the end-to-end operational transition of newly acquired music catalog assets, from pre-closing through onboarding and revenue stabilization, which includes, but is not limited to, a thorough understanding of rights and royalty sources and the management and redirection thereof. The right candidate will bring deep knowledge of and experience with global music rights infrastructure, strong project management discipline, and the ability to manage multiple complex transitions simultaneously while working effectively with sellers at varying levels of operational sophistication. The role reports to the VP of Revenue Growth and Income Tracking.

Specific responsibilities include:

• Work with Sellers in the "pre-closing" phase to encourage uptake upon closing:
  • Translate diligence schedules into operational implementation plans
  • Educate Sellers and internal stakeholders regarding required documentation and communicate realistic timelines and follow-through
  • Lead structured onboarding calls
  • Provide hands-on guidance through registration transfers and documentation gaps
  • Oversee setup of third-party royalty obligations including payee changes
• Develop a standardized practice or "playbook" for technical onboarding of music catalog assets upon closing:
  • Ensure coverage for each rights type and royalty streams (publishing, masters, neighboring rights)
  • PROs (ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, GMR, global PROs)
  • Rights of Administration/ Rights of Distribution
  • Neighboring rights (SoundExchange, PPL, global CMOs)
• Exert efforts to streamline the transition from legacy administrators
• Clean, validate, and structure incoming works schedules, ISRC/ISWC data, territory splits.
• Flag missing metadata or conflicting chain of title.
• Follow up as needed among all parties until resolution is reached.
• Ensure seamless handoff to income tracking post-stabilization.
• Perform ad-hoc special projects to support management and investor needs
• Communicate regularly and effectively with management and all stakeholders to ensure accuracy of real-time decisions

Experience and Skills:

• Bachelor's degree, with 8+ years of experience in music publishing, recorded rights, royalty administration, or catalog acquisitions required
• Deep knowledge of Global PRO's, Neighboring rights structures, DSP revenue reporting, and chain of title analysis
• Experience working with large works schedules
• Strong metadata literacy (ISRC, ISWC, IPI, CAE, etc.)
• Strong proficiency in Excel required
• Ability to synthesize data and create reports from scratch
• Exceptional attention to detail and accuracy
• Ability to multi-task and manage time to prioritize tasks
• Must be self-motivated with an intellectual curiosity
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills
• Strong verbal and written communication skills

Benefits and Compensation:

We offer exceptional benefits to our employees. In addition to a competitive salary, we offer an excellent career path. We provide one of the best available benefit programs for small businesses, including a healthcare plan, 401(k), long-term and short-term disability, holidays, life insurance, hybrid work schedule, personal and vacation time off.

The estimated base salary range for this position is $75,000 to $95,000 per year. The actual salary rate offered to candidates will depend on a variety of factors, including without limitation, years of relevant experience, business needs, and the candidate's overall qualifications for the position as assessed by Primary Wave. The salary range is subject to change at any time and depends on internal and external factors.

We work to maintain the best possible environment for our employees, where people can learn and grow with the company. We strive to provide a collaborative, creative environment where each person feels encouraged to contribute to our processes, decisions, planning and culture.

Individuals can perform essential job functions with or without reasonable accommodation.