Senior Manager, Merchandise Production

Senior Manager, Merchandise Production – Ceremony of Roses 3 days ago – Be among the first 25 applicants. Ceremony of Roses (COR) is a premium merchandising company founded in Los Angeles in 2017, now operating under Sony Music Entertainment with offices in Sydney and Melbourne. We specialise in creating elevated, artist‑centric merchandise experiences that go beyond traditional branding. As we continue to grow across Australia and New Zealand, we’re looking for a dynamic Senior Manager, Production to lead our production strategy and execution to deliver unforgettable products for fans. As the Senior Manager, Merchandise Production for COR ANZ, you will oversee the end‑to‑end merchandise production lifecycle—from concept development and artist approvals to sourcing, manufacturing, and delivery & logistics. You’ll be the driving force behind product launches, tour/event merchandise, and inventory management, ensuring every item meets our very high standards of quality, timeliness, and creativity. What you’ll do Production & Program Management: Lead the full production process from design concept to delivery across multiple projects and timelines applying outstanding time management, organisation diligence and a keen eye for detail. Collaborate with internal teams and other stakeholders to develop merchandise ranges that reflect brand identity and fan appeal. Create and manage production schedules, ensuring timely execution and delivery. Coordinate with suppliers, printers, and factories locally and globally to maintain quality and cost efficiency. Monitor production quantities and quality and address any issues as they arise. Oversee sampling, product feedback, and quality control throughout the production cycle. Support global consistency in product standards and execution. Develop excellent products that are of suitable high standards for major international artists. Act as the primary liaison for internal colleagues and business partners regarding merchandise production. Build and maintain strong relationships with clients and suppliers to ensure smooth communication and successful outcomes. Address client feedback and production issues with professionalism and urgency. Identify, build and maintain excellent relationships with new and existing clients and suppliers to grow business, improve outputs and reduce costs/time. Ensure clear and timely information and communication between suppliers’ other partners, back into the internal team communicating details carefully. Coordinate end‑to‑end logistics for merchandise distribution across tours, events, and eCommerce channels in Australia and New Zealand. Liaise with freight forwarders, couriers, and warehouse teams to ensure timely and cost‑effective delivery of merchandise. Manage inventory movement between suppliers, storage facilities, and event venues, ensuring accuracy and efficiency. Ensure compliance with customs regulations and international shipping requirements for cross‑border merchandise. Troubleshoot logistical challenges and implement contingency plans to minimise disruption to production timelines or tour schedules. Work with colleagues to forecast demand plan production plans to meet timelines and budget targets. Manage production costs and meet financial targets, ensuring purchase orders, client invoicing, supplier payment and inventory management is managed effectively and in a timely manner. Negotiate favourable terms for sourcing, pricing, delivery schedules, and quality control. Track KPIs such as production timelines, cost efficiency, quality metrics, and client satisfaction. Prepare post‑launch reports to evaluate merchandise performance and identify areas for improvement. Operational Excellence: Maintain accurate and up‑to‑date documentation for all production activities, including timelines, approvals, up to date production schedules and supplier communications. Implement and refine production workflows to improve efficiency and reduce turnaround times. Ensure compliance with ethical sourcing standards and sustainability practices across all merchandise production. Risk & Compliance Management: Proactively identify and manage potential risks in production schedules, supplier reliability, or inventory levels. Develop contingency plans to mitigate delays or disruptions in the supply chain. Resolve production issues swiftly while maintaining transparency with clients and internal stakeholders. Ensure compliance with industry standards, safety regulations, and company policies. Process Improvement: Drive continuous improvement of production workflows for efficiency and cost‑effectiveness. Analyse, identify and resolve process bottlenecks; implement best practices and automation where possible. Monitor performance and leverage data driven insights to refine operations and enhance productivity. Foster a culture of innovation and operational excellence. Market & Trend Analysis: Stay ahead of lifestyle, music, and merchandise trends to inform product development. Conduct competitor analysis, understand consumer behaviour and emerging opportunities, explore partnerships and identify gaps in market to meet customer needs and grow business. Contribute to strategic planning and innovation across the merchandise portfolio. Who you are 7+ years of experience in merchandise (apparel & accessories) production, ideally within music, sports or entertainment. Strong network of suppliers, factories, and printers both locally and internationally. Deep understanding of production pipelines, compliance and advanced project management methodologies. Excellent communicator and confident negotiator with strong interpersonal skills. Confident negotiator, able to balance needs of all parties and lead to positive business outcomes. Creative thinker with a meticulous eye for detail and timelines, including following and fine tuning processes. Proactive, autonomous, and collaborative team player with a positive attitude. Skilled in Microsoft Office, Excel and Project Management tools (eg Asana, Monday.com). Able to manage multiple projects simultaneously with exceptional time management, organisation skills and diligence. Build trust and credibility through expertise, clear communication, and collaborative problem‑solving. Foster alignment across departments by facilitating decision‑making and resolving conflicts constructively. Act as a role model for accountability and professionalism, inspiring others to deliver high‑quality outcomes. Passionate about music, fan culture, and creating standout merchandise. What we give you You join a global community with the opportunity to channel your passion every day. Hybrid‑working – in our Darlinghurst offices and from home. Investment in your professional growth and development enabling you to thrive in our vibrant community. The space to accelerate progress, positively disrupt and create what happens next. We give you the platform to champion positive change, with the opportunity to contribute to our social impact, diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. We provide an excellent range of benefits like private health benefits, life insurances, inclusive paid parental leave, emergency back‑up childcare, LinkedIn Learning, Novated car leasing options plus loads of industry discounts & perks As an active part of a culturally and socially diverse society, Sony Music’s aim is that our workforce is diverse and inclusive. Sony Music is an equal opportunity employer and supports workforce diversity. We employ, retain, promote and otherwise treat all employees and job applicants according to their merit, qualifications, competence and talent. We apply this policy without regard to any individual’s sex, race, religion, origin, age, sexual orientation, marital status, medical condition or disability. #J-18808-Ljbffr