Company Description
We create world-class content, which we distribute across our portfolio of film, television, and streaming, and bring to life through our theme parks and consumer experiences. We own and operate leading entertainment and news brands, including NBC, NBC News, MSNBC, CNBC, NBC Sports, Telemundo, NBC Local Stations, Bravo, USA Network, and Peacock, our premium ad-supported streaming service. We produce and distribute premier filmed entertainment and programming through Universal Filmed Entertainment Group and Universal Studio Group, and have world-renowned theme parks and attractions through Universal Destinations & Experiences. NBCUniversal is a subsidiary of Comcast Corporation.
Comcast NBCUniversal has announced its intent to create a new publicly traded company ('SpinCo') comprised of most of NBCUniversal's cable television networks, including USA Network, CNBC, MSNBC, Oxygen, E!, SYFY and Golf Channel along with complementary digital assets Fandango, Rotten Tomatoes, GolfNow, GolfPass, and SportsEngine. The well-capitalized company will have significant scale as a pure-play set of assets anchored by leading news, sports and entertainment content. The spin-off is expected to be completed during 2025.
As a company uniquely positioned to educate, entertain and empower through our platforms, Comcast NBCUniversal stands for including everyone. Our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiatives, coupled with our Corporate Social Responsibility work, is informed by our employees, audiences, park guests and the communities in which we live. We strive to foster a diverse, equitable and inclusive culture where our employees feel supported, embraced and heard. Together, we'll continue to create and deliver content that reflects the current and ever-changing face of the world.
Universal Pictures International (UPI) is the International Distribution and Marketing division for Universal Pictures. In the United Kingdom, Austria, Spain, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands, France, Korea, Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico and China, UPI directly markets and distributes movies through its local offices, creating campaigns and release strategies that respond to the culture and market behaviour of those territories. In other parts of the world, UPI partners with Paramount and Sony in the distribution of all three companies' films. Universal Pictures is part of NBCUniversal, one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news, and information to a global audience. NBCUniversal is a subsidiary of Comcast Corporation.
Job Description
Job Title: Finance Director - UPI UK & Eire Ltd (maternity cover)
Reporting to: Managing Director UPI UK & Eire
Position Purpose
Universal Pictures International UK & Eire Ltd. (UPI UK & Eire) is the UK theatrical marketing & distribution operating company of Universal Studios. The Finance Director is head of the UK theatrical finance team. The key purpose of this role is to provide financial and operational leadership across the UK and Irish business and work closely with EMEA and International Finance and distribution to achieve Group objectives. Leading a teams of 3.
Duties, functions and responsibilities
- Partner the Managing Director and UK SMT to contribute to the successful running of the UK theatrical team and P&L performance
- Ensure financial considerations are built into all tactical and strategic decisions, appraising projects, film distribution CTM across all windows and challenging film release assumptions across divisions to create integrated release plans.
- Support and lead deal strategy and negotiations with major customers & vendors including financial and legal support. Oversee commercial scenario analysis underpinning the negotiations and ensure that every impact of the deal has been forecast and is understood by all stakeholders.
- Work alongside the UPI UK Marketing Director to ensure that we deliver aggressive and innovative campaigns at a spend level that will maximise profitability across all windows.
- Develop and maintain data strategy across UPI UK alongside the data working group to ensure we are optimising access to data, assessing data sources and the ROI of our data strategy. Work with IT and Finbance Technology Group to maxmise new technologies, maintain data integrity and create a robust data repository.
- Proactively manage and develop a team of a finance manager, analyst and intern.
- Responsible for timely and accurate budgeting, reporting, forecasting and analysis of the UK entities as required by local and group senior management
- Responsible for effective controls across all operational and financial processes
- Support in the design, structure, objectives and operational running of the team alongside MD UPI UK to ensure team development, staff retention and foster a culture of growth and innovation.
- Management of outsourced finance activities via NBCU Financial Operations and Accenture teams, including, AR, AP and R2R, to minimise business impact and mitigate risk
- Participate and act as business sponsor on all business change projects and systems implementation including new SAP implementation due for Go-Live in 2026.
- Responsible for all accounting records, for both internal and external reporting - sign off annual statutory accounts
- Strong collaboration across multiple stakeholders internally and externally
- Key point of contact for internal and external audit teams
Knowledge, skills and abilities
Essential:
- Proven leadership skills, experience of managing a team and ability to drive projects from inception through to completion
- Extremely strong organisational skills to manage multiple projects simultaneously, delegate to relevant parties and report effectively to senior stakeholders
- Proven ability to partner and influence a wide variety of senior stakeholders
- Strong communication and presentation skills
- Strong analytical skills
- Strong Excel and financial modelling skills
Desired:
- Film FP&A and Controllership experience
- Experience of working with an outsourced finance provider
- Credit collections/AR experience
Qualifications
- Bachelors degree and an accredited UK professional finance qualification (ACA, CIMA or ACCA)
- At least 8 years PQE or significant experience within a creative environment
Additional Information
As part of our selection process, external candidates may be required to attend an in-person interview with an NBCUniversal employee at one of our locations prior to a hiring decision. NBCUniversal's policy is to provide equal employment opportunities to all applicants and employees without regard to race, color, religion, creed, gender, gender identity or expression, age, national origin or ancestry, citizenship, disability, sexual orientation, marital status, pregnancy, veteran status, membership in the uniformed services, genetic information, or any other basis protected by applicable law.
If you are a qualified individual with a disability or a disabled veteran and require support throughout the application and/or recruitment process as a result of your disability, you have the right to request a reasonable accommodation. You can submit your request to [email protected].
