Publishing Operations Lead: Contracts & Payments

Cypress HCM; New York (NY); On-site; USD 60,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

Cypress HCM is seeking a detail-oriented Operations Specialist to manage day-to-day administrative operations for author and talent engagements, including contracts, onboarding, invoices, and related documentation. You will coordinate contracts from initiation to execution with Legal, Editorial, Finance, and external representatives to ensure timely completion and follow-up.

This role requires strong organizational skills, confidentiality, and the ability to collaborate across teams to keep

Qualifications

• 4+ years in publishing, entertainment, media, or related ops.
• Excellent organizational and project-management skills.
• Experience managing multiple workflows, deadlines, and stakeholders.
• Experience with invoices, payments, contracts, or related admin processes.
• Strong proficiency with spreadsheets and databases; MS Office/Google Sheets.

Responsibilities

• Manage the day-to-day administrative operations for author and talent engagements, including contracts, onboarding, invoices, payments, and documentation.
• Coordinate contracts and agreements from initiation through execution with Legal, Editorial, Finance, and external reps to ensure timely completion.
• Develop and maintain efficient processes for author and talent setup, payment, invoicing, and recurring financial workflows.
• Serve as the central point of contact for operational questions related to author and talent engagements, coordinating information across teams and partners.
• Maintain accurate records of contracts, contact information, payment details, invoices, and key data.
• Manage intake, processing, tracking, and reconciliation of invoices and payments with Finance to resolve discrepancies.
• Own operational trackers and reporting systems, providing regular reporting on contracts, payments, expenses, milestones, deadlines, and activities.
• Monitor milestones, flag upcoming deadlines, outstanding obligations, and issues requiring attention.
• Partner cross-functionally with Editorial, Finance, Legal, Production, Marketing to keep workflows on track.
• Identify opportunities to streamline processes and increase operational efficiency as the imprint grows.

Skills

Operational management

Project management

Contracts & invoicing

Stakeholder coordination

Spreadsheet/database proficiency

Communication skills

Confidentiality

Independent work with cross-functional

Tools

Microsoft Office

Google Sheets

Job description

Cypress HCM is seeking a detail-oriented Operations Specialist to manage day-to-day administrative operations for author and talent engagements, including contracts, onboarding, invoices, and related documentation. You will coordinate contracts from initiation to execution with Legal, Editorial, Finance, and external representatives to ensure timely completion and follow-up.

This role requires strong organizational skills, confidentiality, and the ability to collaborate across teams to keep