Vice President, Client Finance

ABOUT ORCHESTRA

Orchestra is a new communications company that helps brands and organizations reach audiences in a more effective and precise way. Its growing team of 700+ storytellers and strategists is shaping what's next in communications, with experience that spans consumer, technology, climate and sustainability, education, healthcare, philanthropy, real estate, travel, hospitality and arts and culture, to name a few. Since 2022, it’s acquired nine firms, including: BerlinRosen, Civitas Public Affairs Group, Derris, Glen Echo Group, Inkhouse, M18, Message Lab, Onward and Small Girls PR. It also launched Brightmode, a talent acquisition firm for communications professionals. Learn more at: www.orchestraco.com.

People of color, people with disabilities and women are strongly encouraged to apply. Orchestra is committed to building and maintaining a diverse staff and recognizes that its continued success depends on hiring and retaining high-quality creative professionals with a variety of backgrounds and experiences. Opportunities for advancement exist and we are committed to helping all staff develop and grow.

 

ABOUT THE ORCHESTRA FINANCE TEAM

The Orchestra Finance Team oversees financial results and works with our teams on client finance, growth strategies and the overall financial health of the company. We are responsible for the successful integration with our new partner companies as well as any future acquisition activity.

We work with management and other key agency stakeholders to drive profitability and monitor key performance indicators. We are growing a team of experienced finance professionals, change agents, Excel masters and complex problem-solvers to collaborate cross-functionally to assess financial strategies, systems and processes in an effort to drive the full-cycle financial health of all our clients.

 

ABOUT THIS ROLE

Orchestra is seeking a Vice President, Client Finance. This is an excellent opportunity for a solution-oriented and analytically minded individual who will approach work with a sense of possibility, sees challenges as opportunities and has a relentless passion and curiosity for process improvement.

You’ll be responsible for providing financial leadership, mitigating business risks, partnering with leaders of the business and taking on projects that are central to our short- and long-term growth & profitability initiatives. This position is part of a dynamic team that works in a fast-paced environment where attention to detail and the ability to work nimbly with cross-functional teams is crucial to success.

Role location: This role is based in our New York, N.Y. office on a hybrid basis. The Finance team is in-office at least 3 days per week.

 

ACCOUNTABILITIES AND QUALIFICATIONS

As a Vice President, Client Finance, you will...

• Own the management of monthly/quarterly financial reports (i.e., dashboards, P&Ls overservicing, etc.), forward projections, including commentary around noticeable trends; communicate and set expectations on the risks and opportunities in the forecast
• Deeply understand the drivers of revenue, EBITDA variances and proactively flag any large variance swing
• Proactively identify opportunities and provide strategic counsel to practice managers on business decisions (i.e., capacity management and client profitability to new business proposals)
• Maintain client-level financial forecasts for the business units, indicate when a new headcount may be needed and provide all financial modeling
• Mentor and train client finance team on revenue recognition, projections and drive monthly revenue review process
• Create and drive reports that help identify areas of improvement across practices and/or clients; suggest improvements that would drive improvement beyond one account (i.e. over/under service, missing time, revenue risk and staffing plans)
• Be responsible for annual budgets with YoY analysis and modeling
• Collaborate with Client Finance team and key business stakeholders to understand the story behind the numbers
• Review expenses, AR, pre-billing and WIP for managed practices
• Actively manage vendor selection and relationships including any and all system implementations together with the wider finance team
• Proactively drive ad hoc strategic and operational analyses or projects

Essential skills:

• 12+ years of experience in finance or accounting
• Advanced knowledge of financial systems (NetSuite preferred) and Microsoft Excel
• Deep understanding of financial accounting, P&L, balance sheet management and revenue recognition methodologies
• Strong financial analysis and planning skills and demonstrated strong business acumen
• Ability to effectively manage workloads, prioritize and streamline tasks and multiple deadlines to ensure accuracy
• Self-starter who is equal parts doer and teacher
• Ability to get to the root cause of an issue, problem solve for the long term while working with or creating off-the-cuff solutions
• Demonstrated staff management experience and leadership skills, ideally within a high-growth and dynamic organization
• Consulting and client service-oriented mindset with the ability to foster positive working relationships both externally and internally
• Comfortable working with multiple stakeholders and managing their expectations
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills

Preferred skills:

• Agency experience (advertising, PR, communications or media)

Note: Interested in this role but it’s not quite the right match? Applicants who meet some but not all or exceed the above criteria are still encouraged to apply! We are eager to speak with candidates with diverse backgrounds and can assess role leveling on an individual basis.

 

WORKING AT ORCHESTRA

Compensation philosophy: Orchestra offers competitive industry rate salary bands with the goal of retaining and growing talented individuals. We regularly review and adjust our compensation structure as needed to ensure equity across teams and levels.

Salary range (commensurate with experience and skills): $160,000-$180,000

Vice Presidents are eligible for end of year bonuses based on firm, team and individual performance.

Benefits:

• Medical, dental and vision insurance for employees and dependents
• Pre-tax Health Savings Account Savings Plan (HSA-SP) or Flexible Spending Account (FSA)
• 401K with a 4% employer match and no vesting period
• Generous paid time off (FTO)
• Pre-tax commuter benefits
• Mobile phone reimbursement for data and minutes
• Employer-funded life insurance
• Discounted annual bikeshare membership
• Corporate discounts through Tickets at Work

#LI-BM1
#LI-Hybrid

 

 

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We're part of Orchestra, the first communications company built for today’s media landscape. Since 2022, it’s acquired nine firms, including: BerlinRosen, Civitas Public Affairs Group, Derris, Glen Echo Group, Inkhouse, M18, Message Lab, Onward and Small Girls PR. It also launched Brightmode, a talent acquisition firm for your communication professionals. Learn more at: www.orchestraco.com.

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