Manager, Commercial Planning (New York)

Serves as the primary architect and steward of complex, high-value commercial initiatives and partnerships, sitting at the intersection of business development, strategy, deal-making and operational rigour. It is a high-visibility position reporting into a Vice President of Advertising Finance, with responsibility for quantitative commercial strategy across pre-deal evaluation and post-close performance tracking. The role requires a commercially minded, analytically rigorous professional who can guide projects and deals to success and partner with leadership, Legal, Accounting and FP&A.

• Translate dense financial data and analysis into high-impact visual narratives for discussions with The Athletic's leadership team, articulating the rationale behind every major investment.
• Build clean, flexible financial models to value complex and integrated deals and commercial initiatives across licensing and advertising, as well as other revenue streams.
• Analyse and aid in negotiation of deal mechanics, focusing on minimum guarantees (MGs), revenue shares and recoupment schedules.
• Partner closely with Legal and Accounting to ensure term sheets translate into sound financial realities.
• Own the full lifecycle of deals after close, tracking actuals against benchmarks, managing P&L impact and providing FP&A oversight to course-correct or double-down.
• Integrate live deal performance into broader rolling forecasts, explaining variances to leadership and identifying trends in audience monetisation and rights costs.

• 5+ years of experience in corporate development, strategic finance, consulting or investment banking.
• Analytically rigorous individual with experience performing high-stakes evaluation of potential deals.
• Deep understanding of the leverage points in a negotiation and ability to anticipate how a legal clause might impact a financial outcome.
• Demonstrated ownership of numbers from start to finish, with an understanding of the value of accuracy in pre-deal valuation and post-deal performance reporting.
• Genuine motivation by The Athletic's mission and an understanding of the value of premium sports journalism and the gravity of the shifting media landscape.
• Expert-level financial modelling.
• Strong executive presentation development skills.
• Deep understanding of commercial deal terms, negotiations and deal processes.
• Experience with key FP&A processes, including budgeting, forecasting and variance analysis.
• BS in Finance or Economics.

• MBA is a plus.
• Experience with content licensing.

• Hybrid role based in New York City.
• Requires 3 days per week in office for candidates in the greater New York City Metropolitan area.

• Total compensation offered may vary based on factors such as education, experience, skills and location, and may include non-cash rewards and benefits.
• For U.S. roles, dependent on role, candidates may be eligible for variable pay, such as an annual bonus and restricted stock.
• The base salary range is subject to change and may be modified in the future.

• Medical, dental and vision benefits.
• Flexible Spending Accounts (F.S.A.s).
• Company-matching 401(k) plan.
• Paid vacation.
• Paid sick days.
• Paid parental leave.
• Tuition reimbursement.
• Professional development programmes.
• For roles outside the U.S., information on benefits will be provided during the interview process.