Manager, Finance - Publishing Global Consolidation

Disney’s Consumer Products (DCP) division is the business of The Walt Disney Company that brings stories and characters to life through innovative and engaging physical products and digital experiences across more than 100 categories, from toys and t-shirts, to apps, books, and console games; as well as multiple franchise brands including Disney, Pixar, Star Wars, Marvel, and National Geographic. The business is home to world-class teams of app and game developers, licensing and retail experts, leading retail and e-commerce businesses – Disney store and shopDisney.com – as well as renowned artists, storytellers and technologists who inspire imaginations around the world. DCP comprises four main lines of business (LOB): Global Brand Commercialization (Merchandise Licensing), Branded Retail, Games and Publishing.

Disney Publishing Worldwide develops original, award-winning Learning and Storytelling content for Disney, Marvel, Lucas and own-created brands, which fuels both DCP and TWDC. It is considered the largest children’s publishing brand in the world. The global consolidation team oversees financial information across all Publishing business models; Vertical, Licensing and Marvel Comics.

Key areas of focus for this team are leading the financial planning processes globally (forecasts, annual plan and long-range plan); monitoring of global and regional performance by business model; global Product Development, Marketing and Sales planning support and various ad hoc special projects. The group is also charged with developing presentations to inform Senior Management regarding financial performance, business trends and special projects.

By providing project management and high-quality, thoughtful insights, the Manager plays an integral role in supporting the short-term and long-term financial success of the Publishing business. The individual must be an excellent communicator, comfortable presenting to senior executives and stakeholders, and capable of driving processes and projects from ideation to completion.

This position is ideal for a candidate who possesses strong analytical, technical, and interpersonal skills. Across all responsibilities, the Manager will lead and develop a Senior Finance Analyst, improve processes, progress strategic initiatives, and work effectively with partners in Finance and Operations across the regions and support partners.
 

What You Will Do:

• Lead the annual operating plan, monthly forecasts, and long-term planning process (i.e. financial consolidation, deck preparation)
• Foster a high performing team culture and provide leadership and development to the Senior Finance Analyst
• Actively participate in quarter-close processes. Prepare analysis and executive presentations highlighting quarterly key performance drivers
• Monitor market and industry trends and interpret the strategic implications for the business
• Develop and share best practices globally
• Support the development and reporting of KPIs (i.e. region, franchise, product category, revenue / HC)
• Assist and support the global publishing teams in other ad hoc projects such as cost base review and licensee rationalization
• Partner with IT and finance transformation teams to improve planning process leveraging data from disparate sources
• Drive efficiency through transformational process improvements, including constant update, revision and creation of financial models and templates

Required Qualifications & Skills:

• 5+ years of Corporate Finance experience; specifically budgeting, forecasting, business development/planning and overall financial analysis
• Superior analytical, financial modeling, research skills, and attention to detail
• Fluency in communicating complex ideas and data sets visually in an effective way for senior-level executives
• Self-starter who excels in a team environment and who challenges the status quo by continually searching for opportunities to improve processes
• Ability to work both independently and as a member of a collaborative team with a strong sense of urgency
• Proactive and adaptive communication style, able to effectively communicate with people from various disciplines, organizations, geographic locations and management levels
• Systems agnostic, able to quickly learn and adapt to new systems and tools; advanced Excel and PowerPoint ability; SAP and Cognos experience preferred
• Keen interest in process improvements, efficiency opportunities and finance transformation

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree required (preferably in Finance or related field)