Vice President, Planning and Forecasting (CEO Lead)

Universal Music•Santa Monica, CA

2d•Onsite

About The Position

We are UMG, the Universal Music Group. We are the world’s leading music company. In everything we do, we are committed to artistry, innovation and entrepreneurship. We own and operate a broad array of businesses engaged in recorded music, music publishing, merchandising, and audiovisual content in more than 60 countries. We identify and develop recording artists and songwriters, and we produce, distribute and promote the most critically acclaimed and commercially successful music to delight and entertain fans around the world. How we LEAD: We are currently seeking an accomplished Vice President, Planning and Forecasting to drive transformation of UMG’s enterprise forecasting capabilities. The Vice President, Planning and Forecasting will lead the design, build, and operation of a new Center of Excellence (COE) for Forecasting and Planning. This role will be instrumental in transforming enterprise forecasting capabilities across Universal Music Group’s global organization, introducing modern, driver-based planning frameworks and enabling scalable, data-driven decision-making. This leader will partner closely with Finance, Strategy, and Business Unit leaders to standardize planning processes, enhance forecast accuracy, and embed advanced tools and methodologies across the organization, including AI/ML-enabled forecasting tools. The ideal candidate brings deep expertise in financial planning, forecasting methodologies, and driver-based modeling, along with hands-on experience implementing and governing enterprise planning tools such as Anaplan, Onestream, Pigment or custom builds. Strong quantitative and analytical skills, including comfort with AI/ML forecasting approaches, are essential, as is the ability to translate complex modeling concepts into practical tools and to drive their adoption across the business.

Requirements

12–15+ years of experience in FP&A, corporate finance, or strategic planning
Deep expertise in financial planning, forecasting methodologies, and driver-based modeling
Experience implementing and governing enterprise planning tools (e.g., Anaplan, OneStream, custom builds)
Strong quantitative and analytical skills, including comfort with AI/ML forecasting approaches
Translate complex modeling concepts into practical tools
Experience driving tool adoption

Responsibilities

Develop and maintain driver-based forecast models for revenue lines and cost categories, linking operational drivers to outcomes
Shape centralized forecasting use cases to support profit centers and senior leadership, reducing manual bottom-up effort and improving forecast accuracy
Own and evolve scenario modeling tools; continuously improve forecasting methodologies and approaches (e.g., leveraging ML models, next-gen tooling) to enhance accuracy
Govern PBF tools, planning data and logic across profit and cost centers; drive consistency in how forecasting data is captured and tagged
Develop training materials, train divisional FP&A teams on tool usage, and drive consistent adoption
Fields enhancement requests from users, maintain and prioritize tool backlog, and partner with CDAO to develop new capabilities
Collaborate with Corp Controllership on shared data foundation between actuals and forecasts to avoid duplication and ensure reconcilability.
Partner with CIO and CDAO on PBF tool modernization and platform implementation to power an AI-enabled forecasting and reporting infrastructure.
Collaborate Senior Vice President - Strategic Finance & Planning
Work to transform the Planning and Forecasting cadence and processes.
Work with BI & Analytics COE to align planning logic and driver definitions
Build, Lead and mentor a high-performing Global Forecasting COE

Benefits

Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage
100% coverage for out-patient in-network mental health services
Fertility coverage for eligible medical plan participants
Wellbeing reimbursements for fitness classes, spa treatments, meal services, travel, and so much more (up to $720/year)
Student Loan Repayment Assistance and Tuition Reimbursement
401(k) with 100% immediate vesting on the first 5% of your contributions, plus an additional UMG contribution
Flexible Paid Time Off (PTO) for exempt employees
3-weeks PTO for non-exempt employees
2-weeks paid Winter Break
10 Company Holidays (including Juneteenth and Wellbeing Day)
Summer Fridays (between Memorial Day and Labor Day)
Generous paid parental leave for every type of parent