EVP, Finance & Operations at Macmillan Learning in Austin, TX

Job description

• Macmillan Learning is seeking an Executive Vice President, Finance & Corporate Operations to join our Executive Leadership Team and help shape the company’s next chapter.
• Reporting directly to the CEO, this leader will oversee Finance and several enterprise operations while serving as a strategic advisor across the business. The scope includes financial planning and performance, pricing and commercial strategy, manufacturing and international operations, strategic partnerships, vendor and contract management, enterprise project governance, and risk coordination.
• A central priority will be creating greater transparency into business performance. This leader will bring together financial, operational, and commercial information, turn it into clear insights, and help the company make informed decisions about priorities, investments, resources, and risk.
• Macmillan Learning is a business in transformation. We are looking for someone who can build on the processes, systems, and data already in place while identifying where new structures and capabilities are needed. This includes advancing the thoughtful use of AI and automation to improve insight, simplify work, and create capacity for higher-value activities.
• This position is based in Austin, Texas.

Responsibilities

• Financial Strategy and Performance
• Lead enterprise financial planning and analysis, including budgeting, forecasting, variance analysis, long-range planning, and key performance indicator reporting.
• Oversee the monthly close process, financial reporting, management reporting, and shareholder reporting.
• Establish clear and rigorous approaches to evaluating company performance, resource allocation, business priorities, and investment returns.
• Provide financial oversight for significant investments across product, technology, editorial, marketing, and other strategic areas.
• Partner with business unit and functional leaders to improve financial performance, strengthen accountability, and support informed decision-making.
• Oversee royalty and rights administration and coordinate effectively with shared-service functions, including Accounting, Accounts Payable, Treasury, and Tax.
• Identify opportunities to apply artificial intelligence and other technologies to enhance financial insight, efficiency, accuracy, and organizational capacity.
• Executive and Strategic Advisory
• Serve as a trusted strategic advisor to the CEO and Executive Leadership Team on company performance, long-term planning, investments, commercial opportunities, and other significant business matters.
• Translate complex financial, commercial, and operational information into clear alternatives, recommendations, and decisions.
• Provide effective support to the Board, shareholders, Holtzbrinck representatives, and other senior stakeholders.
• Lead or support financial analysis, due diligence, valuation, and decision-making related to mergers, acquisitions, strategic investments, and other growth opportunities.
• Bring an enterprise-wide perspective and an independent, well-informed point of view to executive discussions.
• Corporate Operations
• Provide strategic leadership and executive oversight for manufacturing, operations, international operations, and distribution.
• Ensure that operational priorities, investments, capabilities, and service levels are aligned with the company’s strategy and evolving business requirements.
• Strengthen operational performance through appropriate governance, performance measures, risk management, and continuous improvement.
• Promote effective coordination across Finance, Operations, business units, and corporate functions.
• Pricing and Commercial Strategy
• Lead the company’s central pricing function and establish a disciplined, enterprise-wide approach to pricing strategy and governance.
• Apply financial and commercial insight to decisions involving customer value, revenue growth, profitability, market position, and long-term opportunity.
• Evaluate the financial and commercial implications of significant product, technology, editorial, and marketing investments.
• Support business leaders in developing sound business cases and making evidence-based investment decisions.
• Business Development and Strategic Partnerships
• Lead selected business development initiatives that support the company’s strategic and financial objectives.
• Develop and maintain productive relationships with strategic channel partners and other external business partners.
• Evaluate partnership opportunities based on strategic alignment, financial value, operational requirements, and risk.
• Represent the company effectively in significant external negotiations and business discussions.
• Vendor and Contract Management
• Lead significant enterprise negotiations and oversee strategic vendor relationships across technology, facilities, professional services, and other material areas of expenditure.
• Establish an enterprise approach to vendor selection, contracting, performance management, and risk mitigation.
• Balance cost, service, quality, flexibility, business continuity, and long-term value in vendor and contracting decisions.
• Provide executive oversight for institutional bids, major customer contracts, and related governance processes.
• Ensure that contractual commitments are appropriately reviewed, understood, approved, and monitored.
• Enterprise Execution and Risk Management
• Lead the Enterprise Project Management Office and establish effective standards for project and portfolio governance.
• Create transparency regarding enterprise priorities, resource requirements, interdependencies, risks, milestones, and results.
• Strengthen accountability for the execution of complex, cross-functional initiatives.
• Coordinate enterprise risk management and compliance activities in partnership with relevant business and functional leaders.
• Ensure that significant business, financial, operational, contractual, and compliance risks are identified, evaluated, and appropriately managed.
• Transformation and Artificial Intelligence
• Champion the thoughtful and responsible use of artificial intelligence across Finance and Corporate Operations.
• Identify opportunities to simplify work, improve decision support, strengthen processes, and create capacity for higher-value activities.
• Lead technology-enabled transformation and the adoption of new operating practices.
• Ensure that technology and AI initiatives incorporate appropriate governance, accountability, risk management, and human judgment.
• Organizational Leadership
• Build, lead, and develop high-performing, multidisciplinary teams.
• Attract and retain strong talent while strengthening leadership depth and succession pipelines.
• Establish clear priorities, roles, expectations, and standards of accountability.
• Foster a culture of collaboration, continuous learning, sound judgment, and enterprise-wide responsibility.
• Model Macmillan Learning’s values and contribute actively to the overall leadership and direction of the company.

Requirements

• Deep expertise in financial planning, forecasting, reporting, accounting, controls, and business performance management.
• Strong knowledge of applicable accounting standards, governance requirements, compliance practices, and enterprise risk management.
• Experience leading broad operational functions within a complex organization.
• Demonstrated leadership experience involving manufacturing, supply chain, distribution, or international operations.
• Experience developing pricing strategy and evaluating significant business investments.
• A record of success in business development and the management of strategic channel partnerships.
• Experience leading major enterprise negotiations and managing complex vendor and contractual relationships.
• Strong financial modeling, analytical, strategic, and commercial capabilities.
• Experience advising CEOs, executive leadership teams, Boards, shareholders, and other senior stakeholders.
• Demonstrated success leading technology-enabled transformation, process improvement, and organizational change.
• The ability to build, lead, and develop high-performing, multidisciplinary teams.
• Exceptional executive communication skills and the ability to influence effectively within a complex, matrixed organization.
• Sound judgment, intellectual rigor, personal integrity, and an enterprise-wide orientation.
• Experience in one or more of the following areas would be advantageous:
• Publishing, education, media, digital products, or another knowledge-based industry.
• Pricing, revenue, or commercial strategy.
• Business transformation and process improvement.
• Mergers and acquisitions, strategic investments, or financial due diligence.
• Enterprise project and portfolio governance.
• Leadership within a large, complex, or matrixed organizational structure.

Skills

Required

• Sound judgment
• Intellectual rigor
• Personal integrity
• Enterprise-wide orientation
• Collaboration
• Continuous learning
• Financial modeling
• Analytical capabilities
• Strategic capabilities
• Commercial capabilities
• Artificial intelligence and automation
• Risk management

Benefits

• Regular full-time and qualifying part-time employees and their dependents are eligible for Macmillan benefits, effective on the employee's date of hire. Macmillan also offers health benefits coverage to qualifying same-sex and opposite-sex domestic partners (may require additional documentation) of active employees.
• Company bonus plan
• Medical insurance (HSA Qualified, EPO, and PPO plan options), HSA + Employer Contribution, vision insurance, and dental insurance
• Contributions to your 401(k) retirement account through Fidelity (US) / Registered Retirement Savings Plan (Canada)
• Paid time off, sick time, floating holidays, and paid holidays (Spring Reset Day, Juneteenth, Indigenous Peoples' Day, Election Day, and more)
• Employee Assistance Program, Education Assistance Program and Commuter Assistance (for those in qualified circumstances)
• 100% employer-paid life and AD&D insurance
• Mental health support through Headspace
• Hybrid
• This role is based in our Austin, TX office.