WME Fashion is the world’s preeminent cultivator of talent, curator of experiences, and creator of brand partnerships across the fashion, luxury & beauty ecosystem. Our robust global portfolio includes Art + Commerce, IMG Models, and The Wall Group.
The Role and What You'll Do:
The Scouting and Development Manager is responsible for identifying, nurturing, and developing the next generation of IMG models in alignment with the agency's creative and commercial goals. This role combines a strategic approach to scouting with a deeply relationship-driven focus on talent development.
The successful candidate will proactively identify new faces through street scouting, digital scouting, and networks of independent scouts, mother agents and industry contacts. They will foster meaningful relationships with potential talent and their families, guiding them from the first point of contact through to signing, and supporting their growth through the early stages of their careers.
Working closely with the broader Scouting team, the Scouting and Development Manager will be responsible for development plans for new talent, maintaining strong relationships with photographers, stylists, casting directors and industry contacts to ensure the successful introduction of new talent to the market.
This role is for someone who is passionate about people, possesses strong emotional intelligence, is highly organized, and is equally driven by creative instinct and commercial outcomes.
Model Scouting and Talent Identification:
Execute a proactive and creative scouting strategy to identify new and diverse talent across Australia and New Zealand, in line with IMG’s brand vision and market needs.
Build and maintain relationships with independent scouts, mother agents, photographers, and creatives to ensure a strong and continuous talent pipeline.
Conduct both in person and digital scouting initiatives, including street scouting and digital scouting.
Collaborate with the VP of Global Scouting and the global network to share market insights and identify cross-market opportunities for new faces.
Model Development and Career Preparation:
Serve as the key point of contact for newly signed models, ensuring a smooth and supportive onboarding process.
Develop and oversee career development plans, including test shoots, market preparation and personal brand development.
Work closely with the wider management team to identify early opportunities and guide models through their first bookings and professional experiences.
Maintain consistent communication with models and their families, ensuring transparency, trust and support at every stage of development.
Evaluate each models progress and readiness for transition to an assigned Manager once their development phase is complete.
Networking and Industry Relations:
Cultivate strong relationships with photographers, stylists, casting directors and other key industry figures to support model development opportunities.
Stay informed on market trends, client needs, and global standards in talent management to keep IMG at the forefront of discovery and development.
Collaboration and Culture:
Work closely with the local and global IMG teams to align scouting and development goals with broader business strategy.
Foster an inclusive, collaborative and inspiring environment for both talent and colleagues.
You Have These:
Bachelor’s degree in Fashion, Business, Marketing, or related field preferred.
5-7 years of experience in model scouting, talent management, or related industry roles.
A portfolio of faces you have scouted, demonstrating your ability to identify and develop talent.
Proven experience within the modelling, fashion or talent management industries with a strong understanding of the Australian and New Zealand markets.
A genuine passion for discovering, nurturing and developing emerging talent.
Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to build trust and maintain long term relationships with models, families and industry professionals.
Demonstrated emotional intelligence and sensitivity when working with young talent and their families, particularly during early career development.
Strong organizational and project management skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines.
A collaborative and proactive approach, working effectively within a team and across global offices.
Willingness and flexibility to travel for scouting trips, development meetings, and industry events.
Commitment to maintaining ethical standards, inclusivity and professionalism in all interactions.
How We Work:
WME Group is at the center of sports, media, entertainment, and fashion and is a largely relationship-based business. To foster an environment of collaboration, develop our future talent, and build on relationships across leadership, peers, and teams, we work from the office 4 days per week. We see immeasurable value internally and throughout the core of the businesses we support.
Don’t meet every single requirement? We are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive, authentic workplace, so if you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.