Director, Metadata Operations

Director, Metadata OperationsEnsure you read the information regarding this opportunity thoroughly before making an application.Universal Music Group UK is the UK’s leading music-based entertainment company. We exist to shape culture through the power of artistry. Universal Music Group UK helps UK artists produce, distribute and promote the most critically acclaimed and commercially successful music to inspire and entertain fans at home and around the world.We’re looking for a thoughtful and detail-oriented Director, Metadata Operations to help shape the future of music metadata at Universal. This is a key role within our Metadata Operations team, leading projects that improve the clarity, structure, and accuracy of the data behind our artists, recordings, and repertoire.From global chart‑toppers to classical composers, our metadata underpins the way the world discovers and experiences music. Your work will directly support that mission by leading large-scale metadata cleanup projects, mentoring colleagues, and contributing to the improvement of systems and processes across the business.You’ll regularly lead team initiatives, guide others, and act as a senior voice in the room – especially on complex or high‑volume metadata projects. While the role has focused heavily on party metadata to date, it is designed to flex across the full spectrum of repertoire metadata.Everyone is welcome to apply for our roles, and we are determined to ensure that no applicant or employee receives less favourable treatment because of gender, race, disability, sexual orientation, religion, belief, age, marital status, background, pregnancy, or caring responsibilities. We also recognise the importance of diversity of thought within our teams and are fully committed to embracing the talents of people with autism, dyslexia, ADHD, and other forms of neurocognitive variation. We will always seek to make appropriate adjustments to recruitment, workplaces, and work processes to be fully inclusive to people with different needs and working styles. If you need us to make any reasonable adjustments for you from application onwards, please email What You’ll DoData Transformation & CleansingLead structured metadata improvement projects that restore, enrich, or streamline our metadata.Identify legacy issues or inconsistencies and design smart, scalable approaches to correct them.Create workflows that support both high-volume cleansing and nuanced data refinement.Metadata Quality & Musical ContextApply a strong understanding of how metadata supports music discovery, attribution, and rights across all genres.Understand how recorded music is created and prepared for release – including tracking, mixing, mastering, remastering, and remixing – and how these affect versioning, credits, and metadata structures.Demonstrate a clear understanding of how sound recording rights are owned and exploited by record labels, and how metadata supports commercial delivery, DSP standards, neighbouring rights registration, UGC monetisation, and physical product workflows.Have a working understanding of how musical works are owned and monetised by songwriters and publishers, and be able to distinguish between recording rights and publishing rights, and how metadata for each flows through the industry.Cross‑Team CollaborationSupport and work closely with the Director of Metadata Operations on key departmental objectives.Partner with colleagues across operations, technology, and business teams to deliver results.Represent metadata cleansing in meetings and workshops related to data strategy or platform development.Collaborate with Senior Metadata Support Managers to align long‑term projects with day‑to‑day operational priorities.Platform & Process SupportProvide input into how internal metadata tools can evolve to meet user and business needs.Participate in feature testing and feedback cycles, bringing practical metadata insight into platform development.Support effective communication and rollout of new tools and functionality.Mentoring & SupervisionGuide and support colleagues, including temporary staff and newer team members, during large‑scale metadata projects.Share best practices and help others develop clarity and confidence in their metadata work.Contribute to building a collaborative, music‑aware team culture.Documentation & CommunicationProduce clear, accessible documentation for processes, transformation workflows, and project updates.Ensure reference materials are easy to find, easy to follow, and kept up to date.Draft internal communications about data milestones, platform updates, and project progress.About YouSkills and Experience RequiredBrings a genuine enthusiasm for music and an appreciation for how metadata connects audiences with artists, releases, and recordings.Understands the distinct data needs of both pop and classical music, and the roles of contributors across different genres and formats.Has experience delivering large-scale data or metadata projects, with a keen eye for structure, accuracy, and consistency.Communicates clearly and builds strong, trusted relationships with colleagues across teams and disciplines.Takes initiative, supports others, and contributes positively to a collaborative team culture.Is confident taking ownership and finding solutions – even when working through ambiguity or change.Bonus If You HaveExperience working in metadata roles within the music, media, or entertainment industry.Familiarity with industry bodies and standards (e.g. ISRC, ISWC, ISNI, IPN) and party‑work‑resource‑release relationships.Exposure to internal tools such as R2, Identify, Jira, or Confluence and a willingness to learn them.Knowledge of naming conventions, contributor roles, or catalogue structures – particularly in classical music.BenefitsGroup Personal Pension Scheme (3%–9%)Private Medical Insurance25 paid days of annual leaveInterest Free Season Ticket LoanHoliday Purchase schemeDental and Travel Insurance optionsCycle to Work SchemeSalary Sacrifice CarsSubsidised Gym MembershipEmployee Discounts (Reward Gateway)Universal Music Group is an Equal Opportunity Employer. xpwpeyx All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to gender, race, religion, disability, or any other protected characteristic.Seniority levelDirectorEmployment typeFull‑timeJob functionManagement and Manufacturing#J-18808-Ljbffr