Manager, Talent Ventures

Job Description

Talent Ventures is a vertical within WME that sits at the intersection of our talent ecosystem working in close collaboration with our agency counterparts to source, evaluate, negotiate, structure and opportunistically invest behind non-traditional partnership/endorsement opportunities - including (i) equity partnerships and (ii) new business incubation - on behalf of entrepreneurial clients.

WME is a leading entertainment agency representing the world's greatest athletes, artists and content creators across books, digital media, film, food, music, television and theater. Named one of Fast Company's Most Innovative Companies, WME is a subsidiary of Endeavor, a global entertainment, sports and content company.

We are seeking a candidate with an understanding of the CPG/consumer world (food & beverage, spirits, beauty, health & wellness, apparel, consumer tech, etc.) and with a background in financial services, investing and/or operational experience to join our team. You will be responsible for screening and evaluating opportunities, helping scale our outreach efforts (with brands/buy-side firms/operators), and participating in client discussions/signing meetings. You should be an enthusiastic, strategic and analytical thinker with a passion for talent, entertainment and consumer venture deals.

Responsibilities

• Develop and cultivate relationships with earlier-stage brands (primarily Seed through Series B), top-tier operators, and relevant VC/PE firms as part of our sourcing efforts
• Source and screen non-traditional partnership opportunities on behalf of/alongside agents and key clients
• Communicate with existing clients to understand their priorities and interests, and share relevant deal flow (and deal updates) accordingly
• Evaluate offers, including but not limited to (i) category dynamics/trends (ii) brand and product proposition and (iii) economic potential to talent - and presenting findings to agents, management and clients
• Lead negotiation of offers and manage all stakeholders within a deal process, including counterparty/brand executives, agents, talent, lawyers and managers
• Support legal counsel in the review of partnership agreements (inclusive of equity documents) and structuring/negotiating of key terms
• Participate in client signing meetings and present non-traditional partnership targets to prospective clients

• 4-6+ years of experience in one or more of the following:
  • Financial services (e.g., investment banking, venture capital, growth equity, private equity) - ideally with a focus in CPG and/or consumer tech
  • Corporate or start-up CPG (e.g., corporate development, strategy, operations)
  • Talent brand-building roles similar to this one
• Comfortable engaging with clients, agents, C-level executives and senior leadership