Head of Editorial SEA

Spotify

  • Singapore
  • Permanent
  • Full-time
  • 2 months ago
Spotify is seeking for an experience, culturally attuned leader with expertise in music strategy to lead our music editorial team across Southeast Asia (SEA), Taiwan, and Hong Kong. In this role, you will be responsible for a team of editors, and use your knowledge of music, culture, and audience behavior to craft and implement a regionally resonant editorial vision that drives discovery, deepens engagement, and reinforces Spotify's role as a tastemaker and cultural force in the music industry.As a compelling storyteller with a passion for music, you will express a strong editorial personality through creative formats and bring playlists to life in fresh and innovative ways. You will provide deep cultural and musical insights to build highly engaging and cohesive music experiences for listeners, extending beyond playlists, while ensuring an unbiased editorial voice for a wide array of moods, moments, and genres. Additionally, you will drive artist discovery through an extensive editorial ecosystem of playlists and tools, critically assessing music trends and user behaviour to find opportunities and emerging trends.Reporting to the regional Head of Music SEA, you will chip in your expertise to various music-related projects within the company, including playlist curation, creative editorial work, and cross-functional collaboration on strategic business initiatives. Analyze business needs, interpret audience behavior, and market trends to drive growth.You thrive in collaborative environments, demonstrate a great teammate spirit, a passion for performance-oriented analytics, and a proven understanding of Spotify's role in the music industry both locally and globally.You have strong leadership skills, confident in a matrixed environment and working with senior stakeholders. At Spotify, we foster a culture of innovation, collaboration, visibility, and playfulness - underpinned by a strong commitment to continuous learning and self-improvement. We believe in experimenting boldly, sharing feedback openly, and always aspiring to set the standard.What You'll Do
  • Lead editorial strategy for SEA, Taiwan, and Hong Kong, defining how Spotify curates, and elevates music across the region
  • Manage and encourage a high-performing team of editors across multiple countries, languages, and genres
  • Develop authentic and influential editorial voices to contextualize music - surfacing them through playlists, and innovative storytelling formats across the platform
  • Translate complex data and insights into compelling strategic narratives to influence senior team members and inform cross-functional priorities
  • Proactively identify music trends, emerging talent, and opportunities in the local and global music landscape, acting as a cultural guide
  • Leverage music, cultural, and audience insights to oversee development and curation of cohesive, engaging playlists for the region that resonate with audiences
  • Support artist discovery and help build fan-bases through editorial initiatives and internal workflow
  • Collaborate with global and regional editorial teams on programming initiatives and strategies to enhance Spotify's market position
  • Analyze user behavior and performance data to optimize playlist engagement and make informed editorial decisions to grow engagement and consumption
  • Work cross-functionally with teams like Artist & Label partnerships, Marketing, Communications, Product, Ad-sales and more to achieve strategic goals and integrate cultural insights into workflows
  • Occasionally participate in creative and innovative formats to bring playlists to life and create a deeper connection with listeners
  • Foster a team culture centered on trust, empathy, curiosity, and continuous learning - rooted in Spotify's values
  • Represent Spotify in external engagements with industry partners, press, and the broader music community
Who You Are
  • You have at least 10+ years of experience in the music industry, journalism, programming/curating music for digital, radio, TV, or other media outlets, with a record of team management
  • You are dedicated to music every day and have deep knowledge of the SEA, Taiwan, and Hong Kong music landscape
  • You are a culturally-savvy, forward-thinking tastemaker with a strong editorial voice and ability to critically evaluate music trends, emerging movements, and audience behavior beyond just data
  • You are skilled in interpreting data and analytics to advise editorial decisions and optimize performance. You combine sharp analytical thinking with eye for business - interpreting audience behavior, dashboard insights, and market trends - to shape strategic editorial inputs that drive growth and align with broader business objectives
  • Demonstrated success in developing strategies that drive audience development, artist discovery, and elevates the brand
  • You are a compelling storyteller who is able to write, present, and speak about music with authority and passion
  • Strong communicator and collaborative great teammate with the ability to influence across complex partner networks and comfortable with senior management interactions
  • Highly organized, able to thrive in a constantly evolving environment that requires adaptability, resilience, and strategic prioritization
  • Experienced in leading teams with varied strengths, fostering strong team culture and cultivating talent
  • Experience in leading multi-language editorial portfolios is a strong plus
  • Ability to travel when needed
  • Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience in a relevant field such as Media, Music, Journalism, Communications
Where You'll Be
  • This role will be based in Singapore
  • We offer you the flexibility to work where you work best! There will be some in-person meetings, but still allows for flexibility to work from home

Spotify