Content Strategy & Planning Lead, Greenlights & Slate Management

Summary

Imagine what you could do here. At Apple, new ideas have a way of becoming great products, services, and customer experiences very quickly. Do you love thinking analytically and have a passion for entertainment? This is a unique opportunity where you can marry the two in which your strategic thinking will have an impact on Apple TV’s content. Are you passionate about using your financial knowledge to navigate complex challenges?

As part of this group, you'll play an integral role in ensuring our day-to-day financial health. You and your team will support Apple's growth, both top and bottom line, by applying the same level of innovation toward financial matters as we do toward our products and services. Join us, and you'll have an important role in continuing Apple's legacy of efficiency and success.

This is an exciting opportunity, rich in analysis and playing a critical role in supporting strategic decision making.

The Content Strategy & Planning team at Apple TV is responsible for managing the greenlight process, content valuation, slate management, deal analysis, and film ultimates. As this is a start-up initiative within Apple, the right person for this role will be able to work in a fast-paced, rapidly changing environment while juggling multiple priorities.

Reporting to the Head of Content Strategy & Planning, as the Content Strategy & Planning Lead, Greenlights & Slate Management you will be a thought leader responsible for our most complex and ambiguous challenges in shaping financial and strategic value for Apple TV. You will serve as a key advisor to leadership, using your deep financial expertise to influence content decisions that will define the service years to come.

About the role

Greenlights (40%)

• At a high level, the greenlight work includes reading and summarizing deal terms, reviewing proposed budgets for executive approval by cross referencing comps and increases to actual estimated final costs (EFCs) if an existing show are reasonable, and partnering cross-functionally with leads of each show to understand broader essential status insights that will be presented to leadership
• In addition to the general aforementioned process, there are administrative tasks that this individual also manages including collating invitee lists for each greenlight meeting, emailing memorialization approved documents, submitting route for system approvals, updating excel trackers, and saving down support documents for SOX compliance
• Drive deliverables for greenlight process for original content, working cross-functionally with Creative Development, Production, Business Affairs, and Production Finance
• Fully own the greenlight process leaning into a proactive nature including to flag budget issues, problem solving for delayed submissions or situational blockers to properly manage successful delivery of adequate materials for each greenlight meeting
• A successful person thrives in being organized, project management, and relationship building/collaboration
• For the right person that is passionate about ATV content, this is an exciting role as you get to partner with the leads directly creating our shows and you have early insider insight into who is being cast, where we are producing, what shows are being renewed or new shows are being picked up, which studios we partner with, etc.
• Greenlight meetings are held with the Heads of ATV on a biweekly basis so greenlights are a constant stream of work for this individual, estimated at 40% of total bandwidth
• Partner with the Contribution Value Model (CVM) Lead to estimate target budgets to inform renewal and greenlight decisions. Ensuring this is incorporated into every bluelight and greenlight
• Innovate and enhance the greenlight process as it stands today, particularly how CVM is incorporated

Slate Management (15%)

• Partner with Content FP&A and scheduling team to ensure alignment in slate management and financial reporting
• Maintain slate management reporting to provide department heads context to their upcoming fiscal year programming budgets

Film Ultimates (15%)

• Build and maintain film ultimates to provide FP&A team assumptions for monthly forecasts/ financial reporting and planning in accordance with GAAP

Ad hoc, innovation, improvements (30%)

• Develop and deliver insightful, high-impact presentations for the executive team to inform critical business decisions
• Identify and drive process improvements to increase the team's efficiency and impact
• Drive strategic process and systems improvements in partnership with IS&T and other teams to scale our financial operations
• Lead ad hoc strategic projects and analyses requested by senior leadership

Minimum Qualifications

• 8+ years finance, consulting, or strategy experience required
• Bachelors Degree in Business, Economics, Finance (or equivalent)

Preferred Qualifications

• A highly organized individual with strong project management and attention to detail skills that can keep tabs of many moving projects and have the most up to date and accurate status/details
• Expert-level analytical and financial modeling skills with a proven ability to build complex, dynamic models from scratch
• A proactive and curious mindset with an ability to grasp new concepts quickly
• Ability to lead and thrive in a fast-paced, "start-up" environment
• A strategic thinker who is detail-oriented, while able to shape the big picture and influence long-term strategy
• Operates with a high degree of autonomy to deconstruct ambiguous problems, conduct rigorous analysis, and produce polished, strategic recommendations
• Exercises sound judgment to navigate ambiguity, assess risks, and make critical decisions with incomplete information, ensuring project momentum and success
• Proven ability to take initiative, lead complex projects, and solve ambiguous problems
• Excellent project management and prioritization skills to complete tasks within deadlines autonomously
• Demonstrated ability to work cross-functionally and build strong partnerships
• Exceptional oral/presentation and written communication skills with a demonstrated ability to influence all levels of management, including executives
• Extensive experience with Tableau, Excel, and Keynote

MBA preferred

Entertainment experience highly preferred