Assistant Director - Media & News - Data Acquisition Strategy (APAC)

At Moody's, we unite the brightest minds to turn today’s risks into tomorrow’s opportunities. We do this by striving to create an inclusive environment where everyone feels welcome to be who they are—with the freedom to exchange ideas, think innovatively, and listen to each other and customers in meaningful ways. Moody’s is transforming how the world sees risk. As a global leader in ratings and integrated risk assessment, we’re advancing AI to move from insight to action—enabling intelligence that not only understands complexity but responds to it. We decode risk to unlock opportunity, helping our clients navigate uncertainty with clarity, speed, and confidence.

If you are excited about this opportunity but do not meet every single requirement, please apply! You still may be a great fit for this role or other open roles. We are seeking candidates who model our values: invest in every relationship, lead with curiosity, champion diverse perspectives, turn inputs into actions, and uphold trust through integrity. 

Skills and Competencies

• 5–8+ years’ experience in, strategic sourcing, or commercial vendor management, ideally within news media, company, or information services
• Strong track record in complex contract negotiation, including pricing, licensing rights, and service agreements
• Experience managing media and news publishers, aggregators, or data providers strongly preferred. Experience in media licensing or data acquisition required
• Solid understanding of data governance, licensing models, and compliance frameworks
• Highly commercial mindset with strong analytical and cost optimisation capabilities
• Excellent stakeholder management and influencing skills across global teams
• Familiarity with GenAI rights, redistribution constraints, and regulatory data sourcing a plus
• Basic understanding of artificial intelligence concepts, with curiosity and enthusiasm for learning how AI tools can be used to improve processes and drive efficiency. Interest in exploring AI systems and a willingness to develop awareness of responsible AI practices, including risk management and ethical use

Education

• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree (MBA or Master’s) preferred

Responsibilities
We are seeking a commercially driven data licensing professional to manage and expand Moody’s portfolio of media and news data providers across Asia. This role will focus on strategic sourcing, negotiation, and management of news media and information provider contracts, ensuring optimal commercial terms, robust usage rights, and compliance with regulatory and internal governance frameworks. You will play a critical role in supporting our news, KYC and risk products by securing high-quality, cost-effective data from regional publishers and aggregators.

Strategy & Information Provider Management

• Assist in the development of and execute a regional data sourcing strategy for media and news providers across APAC, aligned to business priorities and budget considerations
• Manage and grow the portfolio of strategic information provider relationships (publishers, aggregators, news outlet, etc.), ensuring long-term sustainability and value delivery

Commercial Negotiation & Contracting

• Lead end-to-end commercial negotiations, including pricing, usage rights, licensing scope, SLAs, and renewal terms, in partnership with Legal and Data Acquisition Strategy team
• Optimise commercial outcomes through competitive sourcing, benchmarking, and consolidation opportunities across information providers
• Manage contract lifecycle, including renewals, amendments, and renegotiations to improve cost efficiency and rights coverage

Rights Management & Compliance

• Ensure all supplier agreements clearly define, and support permitted use cases (e.g. KYC, GenAI, redistribution) and comply with internal policies and external regulatory requirements
• Partner with Legal and Risk teams to manage data usage risks, licensing restrictions, and audit requirements
• Maintain clear documentation of licensing terms and ensure internal stakeholders understand usage rights and limitations

Data Sourcing & Coverage Optimisation

• Support expansion of APAC media coverage by identifying and prioritising high-value, cost-effective sources
• Evaluate build vs buy vs partner options for data acquisition across different markets
• Balance coverage objectives with commercial discipline, ensuring ROI-driven data acquisition decisions

Cross-functional Alignment

• Act as the primary commercial interface between external information providers and internal stakeholders
• Work with Data Operations and Engineering to ensure efficient onboarding, delivery, and ongoing information provider performance management
• Working closely with Legal, Product, Business Segments, Compliance, and global Data Partnerships leadership, you will lead information provider strategy and negotiations across APAC, balancing coverage expansion with disciplined cost and risk management

Information Provider Performance & Risk Monitoring

• Monitor information provider performance against contractual terms, including data quality, delivery reliability, and service levels
• Identify and manage risks such as price increases, licensing changes, or information provider disruption
• Drive continuous improvement through structured information provider reviews and performance metrics

About the team
This role sits at the centre of Moody’s APAC expansion, ensuring we acquire the right data from the right partners at the right price, while managing risk and enabling scalable growth of our News capabilities, KYC and data products.

Moody’s is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender expression, gender identity or any other characteristic protected by law.

Candidates for Moody's Corporation may be asked to disclose securities holdings pursuant to Moody’s Policy for Securities Trading and the requirements of the position. Employment is contingent upon compliance with the Policy, including remediation of positions in those holdings as necessary.