Director of Touring

About the role

The Director of Touring will be responsible for leading the execution and strategic direction of the company’s global tour merchandising efforts. They will ensure the tour team’s success in delivering compelling tour lines that achieve financial targets while upholding operational excellence and high-touch client service. This position will oversee all logistics, budgeting, forecasting efforts, and product development for tours ranging from $1M to $10M in sales, with a department of 5 team members. 

What you'll do

The Director of Touring’s success will be measured by three key areas:

Leadership:

• Create and nurture an inspiring team environment with an open communication culture by:

• Coaching the tour team members by setting clear goals and developing the necessary skills to achieve results.
• Provide thought-leadership to tour coordinators in logistical planning to ensure timely and cost-effective arrival of on-site show merchandise. 
• Lead department meetings to review sales performance, reinforce core values, and to help team members trouble-shoot challenges as they arise internally and/or on the road.
• Effectively communicate the tour department’s goals, objectives, and results, to cross-functional teams, and senior executive level management. 

Operations:

• Spearhead the day-to-day execution of tour merchandising planning, including sales forecasting, product development, order projections, logistics, warehousing, and final accounting.
• Collaborate closely with Brand Management to develop unique tour products that maximize sales and profits, while maintaining brand equity, creative integrity, and high-quality standards.
• Hire road managers, regional vending staff, and 3PLs for trucking, trailers, and ‘on the road’ equipment. 
• Serve as an intermediary between tour coordinators and production managers to ensure deliverables are clearly communicated and actioned in a timely manner. 
• Help to identify and manage relationships with all international touring partners.
• Provide close oversight to tour coordinators, ensuring on-site sales are closely monitored and inventory is replenished accurately throughout the tour cycle.
• Implement new processes to improve communication, streamline workflow, and minimize inventory overstock.
• Oversee tour coordinators and optimizing productivity and positive net outcomes of all tours.
• Provide strategic oversight of the tour warehouse operation, ensuring inventory accuracy, operational efficiency, staffing alignment, and cross-functional coordination to support flawless tour execution and on-time deliveries.
• Sporadically travel to concerts, festivals, pop-up shops and award shows to oversee visual merchandising and adherence to quality standards.

Financial Reporting:

• Work with the Chief Operating Officer and Controller to forecast monthly, quarterly, and yearly departmental budgets.
• Provide clients with a “road map” to success by developing and presenting tour sales plans.
• Review all tour settlements to ensure proper, accurate, timely and complete financial reporting and tour royalty payments.
• Collaborate with Artist Relations to determine the financial viability of new client prospects.
• Track all venue receivables and help accounting and tour coordinators expedite delays in collections.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of experience working in tour and event merchandising for independent and major label recording artists.
• A minimum of 3 years of experience managing small teams both internally and on the road.
• Strong project management skills with the ability to prioritize tasks and meet ambitious deadlines.
• Proficient in inventory and project management, tools such as Atvenu, ShipHero, Monday, Excel, QuickBase, and Tallie. 
• Broad knowledge of all music merchandising verticals, including E-commerce, Retail/Licensing, and VIP Ticketing.
• Existing relationships with vendors, suppliers and 3rd party logistics companies preferred but not required.
• Must have a strong pulse on music-fashion trends and a deep understanding of fan demographics across rock, country, hip-hop and Pop music genres.
• Bachelor’s degree in business management, accounting or marketing is preferred but not required.