VP, Strategy & Business Development, USG

NBCUniversal is one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies. 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.

Our impact is rooted in improving the communities where our employees, customers, and audiences live and work. We have a rich tradition of giving back and ensuring our employees have the opportunity to serve their communities. We champion an inclusive culture and strive to attract and develop a talented workforce to create and deliver a wide range of content reflecting our world.

Comcast NBCUniversal has announced its intent to create a new publicly traded company ('Versant') 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.

Role Summary:
The Universal Studio Group (USG) Strategy and Business Development department is a highly visible function that works closely with USG senior management. The group works on a wide range of strategic initiatives including identifying and assessing key growth opportunities, operating efficiencies and investments on behalf of the television studio group.

Reporting to the EVP of Strategy & Business Development, the VP role is a unique, critical, and highly visible one at USG. This position plays a key, active role on a high caliber team driving Universal Studio Group’s strategy and transactional activity. The successful candidate supports the team’s effort in formulating corporate and business strategy while analyzing business opportunities to drive both organic and inorganic growth. Specific projects will include research, analysis, financial modeling, and forming recommendations related to emerging industry trends, expansion opportunities, M&A or strategic investments (including talent deals), competitive threats and internal business performance improvement.

We are seeking highly qualified candidates for the VP position. The ideal candidate is an independent, analytical, and intellectually curious individual who can structure analyses and strategies and articulate findings to a wide range of business leaders, including senior leadership at USG as well as throughout the broader NBCUniversal organization.  This position will have a Senior Manager and Senior Financial Analyst reporting to it. 

Essential Responsibilities:

• Contribute expertise and perspective toward the development of USG’s growth strategy
• Provide inspiring leadership on multiple levels— thought leadership, operational excellence, performance orientation and collaborative leadership throughout the organization
• Facilitate long-range planning and budgeting activities, including presenting to senior leadership
• Analyze and develop points of view on trends and market forecasts, potential partners, and competitors, critically thinking about the implications for USG
• Work closely with senior management to identify growth initiatives and opportunities that can drive incremental profitability across USG business units
• Drive process of determining USG needs and assessing market opportunities
• Evaluate target companies for capital investments as well as commercial partnerships
• Create compelling presentation materials that effectively communicate key findings and recommendations to senior management
• Manage projects and communication flow across the team and wider Studio Group operators

Basic Requirements:

• Bachelor's Degree in economics, business, or related field from top university
• Minimum 10 years relevant industry experience within strategic planning, management consulting, business development or investment banking, ideally in the entertainment industry
• Ability to integrate market, competition, trends, organizational state and other issues into a coherent vision for change, development, and growth
• Ability to accurately assess longer term implications of changing business models with simultaneous focus on optimizing the short term; you are someone who understands the growth drivers of the business and prioritizes initiatives that will accelerate momentum

Desired Characteristics:

• The role requires excellent strategic reasoning, exceptional quantitative skills and financial acumen, and strong relationship-building skills
• The individual must possess the ability to interface effectively with multiple levels of management, ranging from senior corporate executives to business unit managers and third parties
• Outstanding written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to author succinct, high quality presentations with clear strategic recommendations, packaged concisely for presentation to a range of stakeholders
• Exceptional influencing skills and preferred experience working across many areas and levels of an organization
• Excellent quantitative and analytical skills, including significant financial modeling experience
• Advanced proficiency with analytical tools such as Microsoft Excel and in synthesizing data for an executive audience in Microsoft PowerPoint
• Adaptability and flexibility to work well in a fast-paced, results-oriented, and dynamic environment
• Ability to manage and deliver multiple assignments, meet tight deadlines, and be effective under pressure
• Strong interest and passion in Television, with the ability to learn complex industry topics quickly
• MBA preferred
• Proactive, enthusiastic, and able to work in a fast-moving, hard-working team
• Ability to handle multiple tasks under tight deadlines
• Ability to oversee junior staff on project team

Additional Requirements:

• Willingness to work overtime and weekends with short notice
• Hybrid: This position has been designated as hybrid, generally contributing from the office a minimum of three days per week.

This position is eligible for company sponsored benefits, including medical, dental and vision insurance, 401(k), paid leave, tuition reimbursement, and a variety of other discounts and perks. Learn more about the benefits offered by NBCUniversal by visiting the Benefits page of the Careers website. 

Salary Range: $200,000-$250,000 (bonus and long-term incentive eligible) 

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].