VP of Product and Engineering

Stem, a subsidiary of Concord, empowers artists and their teams to thrive while retaining full control over their music careers. Through a comprehensive distribution offering, including artist-development services and data-driven insights, Stem arms artists with the tools & resources needed to flourish creatively & commercially. Widely-known for its intuitive interface, Stem provides a seamless experience, allowing artists to effortlessly track, split, and disperse revenue to multiple recipients in real-time. By working collaboratively with its users on their overall career strategy and financial literacy, Stem’s commitment goes beyond distribution. The experienced professionals at Stem work closely with artists, serving as an extension of their team. Leveraging a vast network of artist marketing resources, Stem offers personalized guidance and support with artists and their teams in the driver's seat. Utilizing Stem’s bespoke servicing and data-driven approach are artists and labels of every genre and size such as Julia Michaels, Ashe, bbno$, Duckwrth, Richy Mitch & The Coalminers, Hamdi, IDK, Mac Ayers,  Sonderhouse, Boom Records, Bethel Music, Thriller Records, Versewire Recognizing the innovation and lucidity of this ecosystem, Billboard deemed Stem one of their Top 20 Distributors, Fast Company hailed Stem among its “Most Innovative Companies” in 2021, while BuiltIn named it one of the “Best Places To Work” for the last 5 years.

We're looking for a VP of Product & Engineering to help shape the future of our platform at Stem. This role is all about leading the product vision, building and scaling a strong team, and collaborating across the company to create smart, user-focused solutions. You'll get to work in a nimble, fast-moving startup environment, but also have the unique opportunity to help grow the team as we evolve alongside our parent company, Concord. It's a great mix of hands-on impact and long-term strategy at the intersection of music, tech, and finance.

This role is full-time and based in one of our office hubs of  LA/ New York/ or Nashville. This is a hybrid position with frequent in person meetings with our teams in the Concord offices.

Our team:

Stem’s team includes music industry veterans that have worked in many of the world;s leading music companies including: Primary Wave, Interscope Records, Tik Tok, AWAL, Island Records, Spotify, UTA, OneRPM, Vydia, Warner Chappell, iHeart, and more. Among the world class artists that Stem’s executives have supported are superstars including: Frank Ocean, Maroon 5, Morgan Wallen, Billie Eillish, Chappell Roan, Dolly Parton, GloRilla, Childish Gambino, Migos, Bad Bunny, Brent Faiyaz, Kygo, Whitney Houston, Foster the People, MGMT, Keith Urban and others.

What you'll do:

• Connect deeply with the business to understand where we're headed, set a clear and inspiring product vision, and ensure we're consistently shipping, improving, and raising the bar on product experience.
• Translate business goals and user insights into a clear and actionable roadmap, balancing short-term priorities with long-term strategic initiatives
• Oversee the full product and engineering lifecycle from discovery and design to development, deployment, and iteration delivering high-impact, high-quality solutions at scale.
• Drive High-Level Architecture and Design: Ensure the scalability, reliability, and security of our systems through sound architectural principles and design practices
• Drives thought leadership around engineering methodologies, provides context on how these align with product and business objectives 
• Works effectively with Product, Design, and leadership to successfully execute product initiatives and align engineering efforts appropriately 
• Build, lead, and mentor a cross-functional team of product managers, engineers, and designers, cultivating a culture of innovation, accountability, and continuous improvement..
• Stays current with engineering trends and opportunities, leverages to accomplish business goals but with the experience and rigor to stay away from “shiny objects”
• Evaluate and integrate emerging technologies that can enhance product performance, reliability, and differentiation in the market
• Partner with executive leadership and cross-functional teams (e.g., Marketing, Artist Relations,Business Development)  to define and execute on key company initiatives.
• Ensures the successful development of stable solutions to users, market-facing and internal, as well as adherence to Agile and continuous delivery methods 
• Implement and improve agile development practices that increase delivery velocity, product quality, and responsiveness to changing user needs.
• Institute system metrics that provide regular updates on engineering team velocity, including outcomes, roadblocks, success needs, and other key metrics to stakeholders 
• Ensure technical excellence and system reliability through best practices in architecture, security, testing, and deployment.
• Act as a visible and vocal champion for our users, translating their needs into solutions that drive engagement, retention, and growth.

Our ideal candidate has:

• 15+ years of proven experience within product management and engineering in both fast-paced corporate and startup environments
• Deep expertise in modern engineering practices, including cloud infrastructure, microservices, and scalable system design
• Strong technical background with expertise in software development methodologies, agile practices, and cloud technologies
• Demonstrated success in delivering complex, scalable software products from concept to launch, with a deep understanding of user-centric design principles
• Excellent leadership and communication skills, with the ability to influence and collaborate across organizational levels
• Experience in leading Engineering teams in a fast-paced nimble environment
• Experience working in large amounts of music data or content delivery systems, as well as analytics 

It’s a bonus if you have: 

• Experience in scaling and optimizing SaaS platforms or consumer-facing digital products
• Knowledge of data analytics and machine learning applications in product development
• Advanced degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field
• Experience with DDEX and or content ID
• Experience deploying AI applications 

Technologies/Systems/Software we use:

• Programming languages: Python (Django), JavaScript (React) 
• AWS
• DevOps tools: Docker
• Agile project management tools: Shortcut
• Data analytics and BI tools: Periscope

Salary Range:

The salary range for this job is $250,000-300,000. This is a good faith effort at the time of posting. This range is base salary only and does not include  benefits, and any other compensatory components of the role.

Don't match every skill listed? Almost nobody does! Think you're a good fit anyway? Please let us know.

Benefits:

• Competitive compensation package for all full-time employees. We maintain salary brackets for all career tracks to ensure equitable salaries across the company.
• 100% premiums covered for employee medical, dental, and vision (60% for dependents)
• Company 401(k) match up to 4%
• Unlimited paid time off
• FSA
• Life insurance 
• Student loan paydown program
• Excellent parental leave policies

**Stem is an equal opportunity employer, and more than that, actively strives to build and nurture a diverse, inclusive, and equitable team.  We celebrate differences and screen for shared values rather than culture fit.  We are committed to providing employees with a work environment free of discrimination and harassment.**