VP, Finance

Discovery Education UK; Charlotte (NC); Hybrid; USD 191,250 - 225,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Insurance package

Tuition reimbursement

Mentorship program

Cross-functional training

Uncapped career growth

Holiday leave

Paid parental leave

Job summary

Discovery Education is seeking a strategic VP of Finance to lead global FP&A, budgeting, forecasting, and long‑range planning. You will partner with the CFO and executives to drive revenue growth, margin discipline, and cash strategy while guiding cross‑functional teams in enterprise financial planning.

Ideal candidates will have 12+ years in senior finance leadership within scaled SaaS or enterprise environments, strong governance, and executive storytelling skills.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, or related field required.
• MBA or CPA preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage the global FP&A team, overseeing budgeting, forecasting, financial modeling, and analytics.
• Develop enterprise financial strategies to support revenue growth and margin optimization.
• Serve as trusted advisor to CFO and executives by translating analysis into strategic recommendations.
• Partner with Product, GTM, Operations, and Technology to align FP&A with enterprise priorities.
• Lead annual budgeting and long‑range planning cycles; support liquidity planning and cash forecasting.
• Assist M&A activities and integration as needed; refine financial policies and controls.

Skills

Strategic mindset

Financial acumen

Business insight

Risk management

Drives results

Team leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree in Finance/Accounting/Business

MBA or CPA preferred

Job description

As VP, Finance, you will lead enterprise financial planning and analysis, shape financial strategy, and provide executive-level insight that guides investment decisions, operational priorities, and sustainable growth. You will oversee global FP&A, budgeting, forecasting, long‑range planning, business analytics, and financial reporting while partnering closely with the CFO, executive leadership, and cross‑functional business leaders to improve performance, margin discipline, revenue predictability, and fiscal health.

In This Role You Will

• Lead and manage the global FP&A team, overseeing budgeting, forecasting, financial modeling, and business analytics to drive strategic planning and performance management
• Develop and implement enterprise financial strategies that support revenue growth, margin optimization, capital allocation, and scalable operating discipline.
• Serve as a trusted financial advisor to the CFO and executive team by translating financial analysis, scenario modeling, and business performance trends into strategic recommendations and decision‑ready insights.
• Partner with Product, GTM, Operations, and Technology leaders to align financial planning with enterprise priorities, evaluate trade‑offs, and drive operational improvements that strengthen accountability, scalability, and business performance.
• Partner with GTM teams on pipeline health, bookings quality and revenue predictability
• Ensure timely and accurate financial reporting to internal and external stakeholders
• Identify and implement process improvements to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of financial operations
• Lead the annual budgeting and long‑range planning cycles, providing clear guidance and support to business leaders
• Support enterprise liquidity planning, cash forecasting, and short‑ and long‑term cash needs by partnering with finance leadership to assess funding requirements, risk exposure, and business implications.
• Support M&A activities and integration processes as needed
• Assist the Corporate Controller in developing and refining financial policies and procedures

Core Competencies For Success

• Strategic mindset: Sees ahead to future possibilities and translates market, financial, and business trends into enterprise financial strategies that support growth, profitability, and sustainable performance.
• Financial acumen: Interprets complex financial information, identifies key business drivers, and uses data, forecasting, and scenario analysis to guide sound executive decision‑making.
• Business insight: Applies a deep understanding of the business model, customer dynamics, revenue drivers, and operating levers to shape financial plans and influence enterprise priorities.
• Manages risk: Anticipates financial, operational, and business risks; evaluates trade‑offs with sound judgment; and establishes disciplined controls, forecasting practices, and governance to support informed decision‑making and sustainable performance.
• Drives results: Sets clear financial goals, establishes accountability, and mobilizes teams and stakeholders to deliver outcomes with discipline, urgency, and measurable impact.
• Builds effective teams: Attracts, develops, and empowers finance talent while creating a collaborative, inclusive, and high‑accountability team environment.

Credentials And Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Business Administration, or related field required; MBA, CPA, or equivalent advanced credential strongly preferred.
• 12+ years of progressive finance experience, including senior leadership experience across FP&A, corporate finance, strategic finance, business analytics, or operational finance in a scaled, complex organization.
• Proven ability to develop and execute enterprise financial strategies that drive revenue growth, margin expansion, investment prioritization, operating discipline, and long‑range performance.
• Demonstrated ability to build, lead, and scale high‑performing finance teams through clear direction, capability building, leader coaching, accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• Exceptional analytical judgment and executive decision‑making capability, with the ability to evaluate complex scenarios, identify risks and opportunities, and recommend practical paths forward.
• Executive‑level communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to translate complex financial information into clear narratives for the CFO, executive team, board, investors, and cross‑functional leaders.
• Extensive experience in a scaled SaaS business of approximately $200M+ in revenue, or a larger enterprise or business unit of approximately $500M+ in revenue, with exposure to recurring revenue, bookings, pipeline health, retention, margin performance, and revenue predictability.
• Experience operating in dynamic, growth‑oriented environments and leading finance support for project‑based work, business transformation, integration efforts, or evolving operating models.
• Experience preparing executive‑ready financial narratives, board‑level materials, investor‑ready insights, and scenario‑based recommendations that support alignment, governance, decision‑making, and accountability.
• Experience strengthening financial governance, internal controls, forecasting discipline, risk visibility, and decision‑making processes with accounting, legal, operations, and executive leadership.
• Legal right to work in the United States.

This role is designed to be based in Charlotte, NC, with a hybrid in‑person work model.

The hiring range for this position is between $191,250 - $225,000 annually, however, base pay offered may vary depending on job‑related knowledge, skills, experience, and location. Additionally, this position is eligible for an Annual Bonus.

At Discovery Education, we are fulfilling our mission of preparing learners for tomorrow by creating innovative classrooms connected to today's world.

Serving more than 4.5 million educators and 45 million students, available in approximately half of U.S. classrooms and primary schools in the UK, and more than 140 countries around the globe; we are on a journey to transform teaching and learning through innovative partnerships with school districts, states, ministries of education, and other like‑minded organizations.

We have built an award‑winning and highly reputable organization because of talented and driven people who work together to accelerate student achievement by tapping into students’ natural curiosity and desire to learn by capturing their minds and imagination through the fascination of Discovery.

Why Join Discovery Education?

Discovery Education believes empowering each team member is vital to cultivating high performing, highly engaged teams. Being a part of our team means we partner together to achieve mutual goals. To this end, Discovery Education offers a robust and comprehensive insurance package. You can find a complete listing on our Career Page.

Along with traditional insurance offerings, our inclusive offerings center around:

• Career Development Ownership - Be the driver of your success!
• Continuing Education AND Tuition Reimbursement Programs
• Mentorship program and collaboration with veteran leaders
• Constant opportunities for cross‑functional training and skill building
• Uncapped career growth

Team Member Wellness – When you feel great, you do great work!

• Leave for life’s moments including 7 recognized holidays
• Take PTO without the vacation guilt
• Up to 12 weeks of Paid Parental Leave
• Annual Winter Holiday Break (typically the last week of December)

This opportunity is perfect for people interested in joining a high‑performing, collaborative team, who enjoy a dynamic industry, and are excited about high‑impact, project‑based work.

Discovery Education is an equal opportunity employer. Discovery Education is committed to being an employer of choice, not just a good place to work, but a great and inclusive place to work. To that end, we strive to recruit and maintain a workforce that meaningfully represents the communities we serve. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to their race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender, protected veteran status or disabled status, or genetic information.