Director, Consumer Insight & eCommerce Strategy

UMG's Global Insight team is seeking a Director, Consumer Insight – eCommerce Strategy to lead a new strategic capability focused on driving growth across UMG’s eCommerce and D2C businesses. This senior, US-based role will act as an in-house consultancy, shaping how UMG engages and monetizes fans through innovative commerce experiences. The role demands autonomy in scoping, running large-scale quantitative studies, stress-testing findings, and delivering clear, time-bound recommendations for revenue growth, product development, and fan engagement.

Must Have

• Lead the development of UMG’s global eCommerce insight strategy.
• Design and oversee qualitative and quantitative studies exploring consumer attitudes, motivations, and shopping behavior.
• Identify new commercial opportunities through trend and category analysis.
• Translate data and research findings into clear, strategic recommendations for revenue growth, product development, and fan engagement.
• Partner with analytics teams to interpret sales and performance data.
• Benchmark UMG’s eCommerce performance through competitor and market analysis.
• 7+ years’ experience in market research, consumer insight, or strategy within eCommerce, retail, or consumer brand sectors.
• Deep understanding of eCommerce ecosystems, including D2C, social commerce, and omnichannel retail.
• Strong qualitative and quantitative research skills.
• Experience leading or advising cross-functional teams in an in-house capacity.
• Exceptional communication and storytelling skills.
• Comfortable interpreting sales and big data insights with analytical partners.
• Strategic thinker with a commercial mindset and passion for music, fandom, and digital innovation.

Good to Have

• Agency or consultancy experience is highly valued.
• Proactive mindset to identify signals early, shape questions, and convert them into high-impact programs.
• Ready to build and lead a key strategic pillar within the Global Insight team.
• A visionary insight leader who combines creativity with commercial focus.
• Confident presenting to and influencing senior stakeholders.
• Entrepreneurial mindset, comfortable creating new frameworks and ways of working.
• Collaborative, empathetic, and able to inspire others across multiple disciplines and regions.

Perks & Benefits

• Be part of an entrepreneurial, global organization that values authenticity, drive, creativity, relationships, and a competitive spirit
• Comprehensive medical, dental, vision, and FSA options
• 100% coverage for out-patient mental health services
• Wellbeing reimbursements for fitness classes, spa treatments, meal services, travel (up to $720/year)
• A lifetime fertility support allowance of $30,000 to plan participants
• Student Loan Repayment Assistance and Tuition Reimbursement
• 100% immediately vested 401(k) match on the first 5% of your contribution on eligible compensation
• Flexible Paid Time Off (PTO) for exempt employees
• 3-weeks PTO for non-exempt employees
• 2-weeks paid Winter Break
• 10 Company Holidays (including Juneteenth and Wellbeing Day)
• Summer Fridays (between Memorial Day and Labor Day)
• Generous paid parental leave for every type of parent

We are UMG, the Universal Music Group. We are the world’s leading music company. In everything we do, we are committed to artistry, innovation and entrepreneurship. We own and operate a broad array of businesses engaged in recorded music, music publishing, merchandising, and audiovisual content in more than 60 countries. We identify and develop recording artists and songwriters, and we produce, distribute and promote the most critically acclaimed and commercially successful music to delight and entertain fans around the world.

UMG’s Global Insight team manages some of the most powerful and effective data and research capabilities in the music industry. Alongside advanced analytics, we deliver world-class market and consumer research that explores the evolving attitudes, behaviors, and motivations of today’s music audiences worldwide.

The Consumer Insight team (part of the Global Insight department) leads strategic insights and research for Universal Music Group’s labels and business units — supporting digital, commercial, and A&R teams with a deep understanding of audiences, artists, and markets.

We are now seeking a Director, Consumer Insight – eCommerce Strategy to lead a new strategic capability within Global Insight, focused on driving growth across UMG’s eCommerce and D2C businesses.

Reporting to the SVP of Global Insight, this senior, US-based role will act as an in-house consultancy, bringing agency-honed research and strategic expertise into UMG to help shape how we engage and monetize fans through innovative commerce experiences.

How we LEAD:

We’re looking for a seasoned insight leader with a strong background in consumer and commerce research, and experience delivering actionable strategy across eCommerce, retail, or D2C brands.

Agency / consultancy experience is sought after as this is a unique role – where the process of undertaking, analyzing and reporting projects is mostly done in house rather than going via external insight agencies.

The candidate must have a proactive mindset—someone who identifies signals early, shapes the right questions, and converts them into high-impact, multi-market programs.

The role demands genuine autonomy: ownership of the full arc from hypothesis to decision, including scoping, running large-scale quant, stress-testing findings, and delivering clear, time-bound recommendations.

This is a newly created role — ideal for someone ready to build and lead a key strategic pillar within the Global Insight team, partnering with UMG’s eCommerce divisions to accelerate innovation and growth.

Be Insightful:

• Lead the development of UMG’s global eCommerce insight strategy, defining the frameworks that guide decision-making across D2C, retail, and experiential commerce.
• Design and oversee qualitative and quantitative studies exploring consumer attitudes, motivations, and shopping behavior across artist and fan ecosystems.
• Identify new commercial opportunities through trend and category analysis — from premium vinyl “drop” models and verified fan experiences, to lifestyle and retail partnerships.
• Translate data and research findings into clear, strategic recommendations for revenue growth, product development, and fan engagement.
• Partner with analytics teams to interpret sales and performance data, transforming quantitative signals into actionable consumer stories.
• Benchmark UMG’s eCommerce performance through competitor and market analysis — identifying best-in-class activations, social commerce trends, and subscription opportunities.

Be Collaborative:

• Partner with UMG’s eCommerce and Famehouse leadership teams to translate business questions into insight-led growth strategies.
• Collaborate across Global Insight in London, New York, and Los Angeles to integrate commerce insights into wider business and audience strategies.
• Work closely with label and brand teams to embed eCommerce thinking across artist campaigns and fan initiatives.
• Act as a thought leader, driving the internal narrative on the future of fan monetization, commerce innovation, and digital audience engagement.
• Represent Global Insight within senior cross-functional forums, championing the role of research and consumer understanding in shaping UMG’s commercial agenda.

How you'll CREATE:

• Partner with UMG’s eCommerce and Famehouse leadership teams to translate business questions into insight-led growth strategies.
• Collaborate across Global Insight in London, New York, and Los Angeles to integrate commerce insights into wider business and audience strategies.
• Work closely with label and brand teams to embed eCommerce thinking across artist campaigns and fan initiatives.
• Act as a thought leader, driving the internal narrative on the future of fan monetization, commerce innovation, and digital audience engagement.
• Represent Global Insight within senior cross-functional forums, championing the role of research and consumer understanding in shaping UMG’s commercial agenda.

Bring your VIBE:

• 7+ years’ experience in market research, consumer insight, or strategy — ideally within eCommerce, retail, or consumer brand sectors.
• Deep understanding of eCommerce ecosystems, including D2C, social commerce, and omnichannel retail.
• Strong qualitative and quantitative research skills — from concept testing and segmentation to trend and competitor analysis.
• Experience leading or advising cross-functional teams in an in-house capacity; background in agency or consultancy work is highly valued.
• Exceptional communication and storytelling skills; able to turn data and research into compelling, actionable strategy.
• Comfortable interpreting sales and big data insights with analytical partners (without requiring SQL, R, or Python).
• Strategic thinker with a commercial mindset and passion for music, fandom, and digital innovation.

Personal Specification:

• A visionary insight leader who combines creativity with commercial focus.
• Confident presenting to and influencing senior stakeholders.
• Entrepreneurial mindset — comfortable creating new frameworks and ways of working.
• Collaborative, empathetic, and able to inspire others across multiple disciplines and regions.

Perks Playlist:

• Be part of an entrepreneurial, global organization that values authenticity, drive, creativity, relationships, and a competitive spirit
• Comprehensive medical, dental, vision, and FSA options, as well as:
• 100% coverage for out-patient mental health services
• Wellbeing reimbursements for fitness classes, spa treatments, meal services, travel, and so much more (up to $720/year)
• A lifetime fertility support allowance of $30,000 to plan participants
• Student Loan Repayment Assistance and Tuition Reimbursement
• 100% immediately vested 401(k) match on the first 5% of your contribution on eligible compensation
• Variety of ways to prioritize much-needed time away from work including:
• Flexible Paid Time Off (PTO) for exempt employees
• 3-weeks PTO for non-exempt employees
• 2-weeks paid Winter Break
• 10 Company Holidays (including Juneteenth and Wellbeing Day)
• Summer Fridays (between Memorial Day and Labor Day)
• Generous paid parental leave for every type of parent

Check out our full overview of benefits on the Perks Playlist page of the career site.

Disclaimer: This job description only provides an overview of job responsibilities that are subject to change.

Universal Music Group is an Equal Opportunity Employer

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Job Category:

Data, Analytics & Business Intelligence