VP Sales - Large Scale Deals

Believe is a global artist development company. We empower local artists, labels and publishers to grow their audiences at each stage of their careers with expertise, respect, fairness and transparency.

Operating in 50+ countries, with more than 2,000 employees, Believe offers a full range of services including audience development, publishing, marketing and distribution, with a tailor-made approach to fit any artist, label or publisher. 

Believe champions independence and innovation through a unique model that combines local expertise with a global tech platform, delivering exclusive solutions for artists to promote and monetize their music thanks to strategic partnerships with leading global digital service providers.

With a leading portfolio of brands that includes Nuclear Blast, naïve, TuneCore, Groove Attack, Sentric, AllPoints and Byond, Believe artists generated more than 800 billion streams worldwide in 2024 across all genres, and were recognized with more than 70 leading industry awards.

Believe is a simplified joint-stock company under French law.

Ready to set the tone with Believe ?

The Role: VP Large Scale Deals

Believe seeks a VP Large Scale Deals to lead the origination, structuration, negotiation, and execution of strategic distribution and licensing agreements with labels, rights holders, catalogue owners, and music IP stakeholders.

The role operates across global and local markets and is accountable for ensuring signed partnerships being supported by an effective operating model, to enables global digital monetization, consistent service delivery, and sustainable profitability.

This position will help manage a diversified portfolio of commercial models tailored to Believe operating model and our partner requirements. It requires very high-level music network

Key responsibilities

1) Strategy & pipeline 

• Own and execute an acquisition strategy to build a pipeline across catalogue owners and other rights holders. Identify opportunities by region, country, segment and genre.

• Develop a global partnerships strategy aligned with Believe’s distribution capabilities and service offering, prioritizing partnerships strengthening market positioning and long-term growth.

• Lead strategic development efforts with a particular focus on key US-based stakeholders and priority growth markets.

• Manage confidential deal processes, build trusted relationships with senior decision-makers, and represent Believe as a long-term strategic partner

• Balance competitive deal positioning with disciplined capital deployment

• Continuously monitor competitive landscape (independent distributors, majors, fund-backed platforms, DIY aggregators) and adapt acquisition strategy accordingly

• Identify structural shifts in catalogue ownership trends, valuation benchmarks and investment flows

• Position Believe competitively in complex multi-bid deal environments

2) Deal structuring & negotiation

• Lead and coordinate end-to-end negotiation, deal modelling, internal alignment, contract execution and closure across a range of deal structures

• Own term sheets, business cases, internal approvals, and contract closure in close partnership with central business lines, local Believe leaders, Legal and Finance

• Ensure each partnership is supported by a clear and executable service model, including onboarding, content delivery, metadata, rights management and reporting 

• Structure and negotiate advances, minimum guarantees, and investment mechanisms aligned with internal return thresholds and under varying market conditions (DSP rate changes, market changes, platform policy changes)

• Evaluate valuation assumptions against historical performance and forward-looking market indicators

3) Global monetization & growth delivery

• Define partner growth and monetization strategies to maximize performance, aligned with partner objectives and Believe’s commercial priorities.

• Identify & implement initiatives to increase revenue, improve efficiency, (catalogue activation programs, brand expansion, operational optimization…)

• Establish performance scorecards and regular business reviews (MBRs/QBRs) with partners and internal stakeholders, using the right KPIs, success measurement and corrective action plans

• Identify opportunities for cross-territory exploitation and global catalogue activation

Use a set of KPIs

• Deal value & quality: margin, scalability, strategic fit, renewal/retention rate, ROI

• Partner performance: global revenue growth, territory & monetisation channel expansion

• Partner satisfaction, value externalisation and retention/renewal performance

4) Cross-functional leadership

• Work with Operations to ensure deal’s implementation and deliver measurable outcomes

• Translate partner requirements into tooling/process improvements (analytics, reporting, automation, rights workflows) and contribute to align our marketing suite to their needs 

• Closely work with region/country heads to identify rights target and coordinate sales effort 

• Assist in defining governance model for major partnerships (review cadence, reporting standards, escalation framework).

Required experience

• 15+ years in senior leadership roles in music distribution, licensing, label partnerships, rights management, digital music or trade buddies

• Proven track record closing complex, multi-territory distribution/licensing agreements with varied economic structures and operational requirements 

• Extensive senior network in the music ecosystem, specifically in the USA

• Excellent commercial judgment and executive negotiation skills.

• International experience in managing partner relationships across multiple regions and business

• Executive presence, high integrity, and strong cross-functional leadership capability

Skills

• Data- and KPI-oriented mindset, ability to make decisions based on analytics

• Strong leadership skills, including engaging with diverse teams & fostering collaboration

• Expertise in identifying and capturing opportunities in new markets

• Comfortable working in fast-paced, dynamic environments, focus on results

Travel Expectations

• The role requires very regular international travel to meet and support partner development, negotiations, and governance, with a particular emphasis on the USA and priority growth markets.

SET THE TONE

Working at Believe means having individual and collective impact in a fast-growing company!  

At all stages of their careers, Believers are an important part of what we are doing: shaping the future of the music industry. 

We need teams that truly reflect the diversity of our clients: our international presence is an inspiring and enriching work environment for each one of us, with daily opportunities to connect with our colleagues all over the world. 

We have two hearts at Believe - our People and our Artists. 

We believe in THE POWER OF OUR PEOPLE, who grow every day to develop their potential… We aim to provide our Believers with the best environment to thrive. 

ROCK THE JOB 

•Tailor-made training and coaching program 

•Remote working policy

•A wellness program "Pauses" with many activities and animations in-house

•Access to Eutelmed, a digital mental health and well-being platform that allows you to speak with an experienced psychologist

•A healthy and eco-responsible company restaurant

•Individual or family health insurance

•CSE benefits 

•A rooftop

•A gym with free classes

SING IN HARMONY 

•Ambassador program: an employee volunteering initiative dedicated to all Believers interested in having a positive impact on Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI), wellbeing and the planet.

•Implementation of the sustainable mobility package “Forfait mobilité durable” => Reimbursement of up to 600€ for public transport/low carbon footprint

•5 calendar days 2nd parent leave with 100% pay (in addition to the legal paternity or adoption leave)

We are committed to having a workforce that is representative of the community it serves at all levels of the organisation. We, therefore, welcome applications from all backgrounds and all sections of the community regardless of age, disability, gender, race, religion and sexual orientation.