Fast Facts

Macmillan Children's Publishing Group is seeking a strategic Senior Director of Finance to lead financial operations, providing insights and recommendations to enhance profitability and performance within the organization.

Responsibilities: Lead financial operations, serve as a business partner to the Publisher and executive team, prepare budgets and financial reports, and ensure compliance with financial policies.

Skills: Strong analytical skills, financial modeling, budgeting, and advanced Excel proficiency; exceptional communication and interpersonal skills.

Qualifications: Bachelor's degree in Finance or related field; MBA preferred; 10+ years of financial experience, including 5 years in a leadership role, preferably in publishing or media.

Location: New York, New York, United States

Compensation: $190000 - $220000 / Annually

We are seeking a highly strategic and experienced Senior Director of Finance to lead the financial operations of our dynamic Macmillan Children's Publishing Group (MCPG). This is a critical leadership role that will partner closely with MCPG’s Publisher and their leadership team, providing comprehensive financial guidance and support across all aspects of the business.

This role will also work closely with the Finance Business Partners for the other publishing groups, sharing best practices and collaborating on cross-divisional finance projects. There is a shared Senior Analyst that reports to this role

The successful candidate will be a proactive, analytical, and collaborative leader with a deep understanding of the publishing industry and a proven track record of driving financial performance within a creative and fast-paced environment. This role offers an exciting opportunity to contribute significantly to the success and growth of one of the industry's most beloved and impactful publishing groups.

What you'll do:

• Strategic Financial Business Partnering: Act as the business partner to the MCPG Publisher and executive team, providing insightful financial analysis, strategic recommendations, and decision support on a range of activities including title acquisitions, production/inventory management, marketing spend and overhead costs.
• P&L Management & Analysis: Prepare periodic budgets; track and report performance against budget, analyze variances, and drive initiatives to optimize revenue and profitability.
• Financial Reporting & Presentation: Prepare and present comprehensive financial reports, analyses, and presentations to MCPG’s Publisher, and other senior executives; share actionable insights for improving profitability.
• Compliance & Controls: Ensure adherence to all financial policies, internal controls, and regulatory requirements.

What you'll bring:

• Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, or a related field. MBA strongly preferred.
• 10+ years of progressive financial experience, with at least 5 years in a leadership role, ideally within the publishing, entertainment, or media industry.
• Demonstrated experience as a strategic financial business partner, advising senior executives and influencing business decisions.
• Strong understanding of publishing industry economics, including revenue recognition, royalty accounting, inventory management, and production costs.
• Exceptional analytical skills with the ability to translate complex financial data into actionable insights and clear presentations.
• Proficiency in financial modeling, forecasting, and budgeting.
• Advanced Excel skills essential (xlookup, index/match, pivots, etc); Powerpoint skills required; SAP/AO and Power BI skills a plus.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build strong relationships across all levels of the organization.
• Proactive, self-motivated, and able to thrive in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.

This role will have an annual salary of $190,000-$220,000.

Macmillan Publishers is the U.S. trade company that is part of the Holtzbrinck Publishing Group, a large family-owned group of media companies headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany. Holtzbrinck Publishing Group's publishing companies include prominent imprints around the world that publish a broad range of award-winning books for children and adults in all categories and formats.

U.S. publishers include Celadon Books, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, Flatiron Books, Henry Holt & Company, Macmillan Audio, Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group, The St. Martin's Publishing Group, and Tor Publishing Group. In the UK, Australia, India, and South Africa, companies in the Holtzbrinck Publishing Group publish under the Pan Macmillan name. The German publishing company, Holtzbrinck Deutsche Buchverlage, includes among its imprints S. Fischer, Kiepenheuer & Witsch, Rowohlt, and Droemer Knaur.

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are actively seeking job applicants who reflect a broad representation of differences, including race, ethnicity, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, physical ability, neurodiversity, age, family status, economic background and status, geographical background and status, and perspective. We believe that the best companies reflect the incredible diversity in viewpoints, backgrounds, and identities of the world in their staffs, and are committed to inclusive hiring across departments and levels. The successful candidate for this position will be an employee of Macmillan Publishing Group, LLC.