(USA) Senior Manager, Creative- Talent and License Procurement

Position Summary...

Do you have a passion for talent procurement and a track record of knowing who the next big thing will be? Are you the sort of person who curates the perfect playlist for any event? Do you know the right person to call for anyone you need in Hollywood? If so, you might be ideal for the Senior Manager, Talent and License Procurement role within the Walmart Creative Studio.

The ideal candidate will have extensive experience in celebrity talent, influencer, and model casting, music supervision and licensing, and intellectual property procurement, and will use that skill set to perfectly round out WCS productions with the right people and music for the brief.

In this role, you will work closely with creative, marketing, and legal teams to identify and secure the right talent and music to elevate Walmart’s brand status and awareness, while ensuring all contracts and negotiations are handled efficiently.

What you'll do...

• Identify and secure celebrity talent, influencer talent, and models for Walmart’s internal and external marketing and advertising productions.

• Conduct talent outreach and casting, including curating casting suggestions, talent research, and shaping a short list of talent options.

• Support music and intellectual property licensing workstreams, including ideation and negotiation.

• Handle fee/terms negotiations and final contracting with talent and licensors, ensuring terms are favorable and within budget.

• Collaborate closely with creative, marketing, and legal teams to align on campaign creative, KPIs, and specifications.

• Conduct final vetting of talent, ensuring that all selected talent aligns with Walmart’s brand values and objectives.

• Draft and negotiate talent contracts based on Walmart-approved specifications and ensure all contractual obligations are met.

• Coordinate production logistics, including travel arrangements, glam teams, call times, and pre-shoot details with talent teams.

• Manage talent approvals on raw selects, rough cuts, retouches, final edits, social decks, and copy throughout production and post-production as required by contracts.

• Ensure timely and accurate talent payments according to contracts and provide detailed reports on talent and IP procurement activities to senior management.

• Build and maintain strong relationships with talent representatives, music licensors, and other intellectual property holders to ensure smooth procurement processes.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of experience in talent and licensing, preferably within a large-scale advertising or content creation environment.

• Strong understanding of the processes involved in celebrity talent & influencer casting, talent-branded production and merchandise, music supervision, and licensing.

• Familiarity with working with SAG-AFTRA, AFM, and other union talent.

• Excellent negotiation, communication, and problem-solving skills. Proficient in contract management software and tools.

• Established network within the talent, model, music, and content licensing industries.

• Demonstrated ability to offer new insights and drive innovation in talent and licensing processes.

• Strong ability to collaborate with internal and external partners to achieve aligned objectives.

• Meticulous attention to detail in reviewing reports and contracts to ensure accuracy and compliance.

About us

Walmart Creative Studio (WCS) is the in-house creative agency for Walmart. Our team develops breakthrough