Vice President, Finance

GCI Health•New York, NY

14h•$75,000 - $180,000•Hybrid

About The Position

GCI Health, part of WPP, is a global health impact agency focused on realizing the future of health. They transform client innovation into health impact through engagements that go beyond traditional communications, covering the entire healthcare spectrum worldwide. GCI Health has received numerous industry accolades, including PRWeek Best Place to Work and MM+M PR Agency of the Year. WPP is a trusted growth partner for leading global brands, integrating media intelligence, data solutions, creativity, production, enterprise solutions, and strategic counsel to drive transformational growth for clients. The VP of Finance will be instrumental in managing the agency's financial health, operational FP&A, and commercial client finance operations. This role reports to the Finance Director and serves as a key commercial partner to agency leadership and account teams, focusing on budgeting, forecasting, and working capital management. The ideal candidate will have strong analytical skills, extensive experience in agency or professional services, and the leadership capabilities to manage a client portfolio while supporting strategic initiatives.

Requirements

6+ years of progressive finance or accounting experience.
At least 4 years of client-facing commercial finance experience within an advertising, PR, or professional services agency.
Holding company experience is highly preferred.
Bachelor’s degree in Accounting or Finance.
Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel and Word.
Experience working with enterprise financial tools and agency time-tracking systems.
Strong client-service orientation and a collaborative working style.
Solid analytical skills with a proactive approach to problem-solving.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills; ability to confidently explain complex financial data to non-finance stakeholders.
Ability to work effectively under pressure in a fast-paced environment with evolving priorities.

Nice To Haves

CPA or MBA is a plus.

Responsibilities

Assist the Finance Director in building, maintaining, and consolidating annual budgets and quarterly reforecasts.
Track actual performance against budgets and forecasts.
Support the Finance Director in driving process improvements, including automating month-end close processes and implementing standardized budgeting tools.
Oversee financial management, revenue recognition, and revenue reporting for an assigned book of client business.
Develop, manage, and analyze monthly client profitability reports, tracking staff time allocations and investment reserves.
Lead commercial alignment meetings with account teams and assist in client SOW (Statement of Work) development.
Develop deep expertise in assigned client contracts, ensuring commercial compliance and educating non-finance agency personnel on contract terms.
Collaborate with the billing, shared services, and account teams to meet working capital targets, specifically managing unbilled WIP and Accounts Receivable (AR).
Play an active role in the monthly, quarterly, and annual accounting close processes to ensure accurate financial reporting.
Coordinate the legal review of vendor contracts and manage related third-party financial schedules.
Assist the Finance Director in enforcing accounting policies, Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) guidelines, and internal holding company audit procedures.
Support, mentor, and assist in training junior finance team members, championing a highly collaborative, high-performing culture.
Serve as a trusted financial resource for account leads, client teams, and external business stakeholders.
Execute ad-hoc financial analysis and reporting projects as directed by the Finance Director.