EY-Parthenon – Senior Director - Strategy and Execution, Media Value Creation, Multiple Locations

The opportunity

EY-Parthenon’s unique combination of transformative strategy, transactions and corporate finance delivers real-world value – solutions that work in practice, not just on paper. Benefiting from EY’s full spectrum of services, we’ve reimagined strategic consulting to work in a world of increasing complexity.

With deep functional and sector expertise, paired with innovative AI-powered technology and an investor mindset, we partner with CEOs, Boards, Private Equity and Governments every step of the way – enabling you to shape your future with confidence.

Within EY-Parthenon's Strategy and Execution sub service line, the Value Creation practice helps PE firms, their portfolio companies, and corporate companies realize better returns by unlocking value and accelerating time to money through targeted operational improvements. We rapidly define, quantify, and help realize significant incremental and sustainable value through revenue enhancement, cost and margin improvement and working capital reduction.

Our Media Value Creation team works with investors and executives across Studios, Content & IP, Sports, Live Entertainment, Streaming, Digital Media, Advertising, Rights & Licensing, Distribution, and Audience Monetization to identify, quantify, and realize value creation opportunities.

We help clients unlock value through commercial excellence, go-to-market transformation, revenue growth, pricing and monetization optimization, audience and customer expansion, operating model improvements, and transaction-related value creation initiatives. Our teams work across the transaction lifecycle and beyond, supporting management teams as they execute strategies designed to drive measurable EBITDA growth, accelerate revenue performance, and create long-term enterprise value.

Your key responsibilities

As a Senior Director with EY-Parthenon's Strategy and Execution Value Creation practice, you will be a vital member of the team leading and executing operational focused projects. You will lead projects that span the entire lifecycle of a transaction, including operational due diligence where we focus on EBITDA upside and operational risk; buy side carve out and integration planning to ensure a newly spun out business can operate by itself and potentially merge to quickly realize anticipated synergies; post-acquisition 100 day and value creation planning; ongoing performance improvement; and exit readiness planning to inform an optimal strategy for maximizing returns and ensuring the buyer is well positioned to continue to enhance value.

Key responsibilities include:

• Serving as project lead on engagements serving investors and executive leadership teams across Media sub-sectors, helping shape strategies to accelerate revenue growth, expand EBITDA, and increase enterprise value.
• Driving revenue growth and monetization strategies for Media clients across subscription, advertising, sponsorship, ticketing, content monetization, rights and licensing, distribution, and audience engagement revenue streams.
• Leading complex value creation engagements focused on commercial transformation, go-to-market effectiveness, pricing and monetization, audience growth, commercial operating model design, revenue operations, sales effectiveness, and marketing effectiveness.
• Helping investors and management teams define, prioritize, and execute value creation agendas aligned to strategic objectives and enterprise value goals.
• Providing strategic direction to engagement teams while overseeing integrated recommendations across commercial, operational, and transaction-related workstreams.
• Supporting clients through transaction-related events including commercial diligence, operational diligence, value creation planning, carve-outs, integrations, separation planning, post-acquisition transformation, performance improvement, and exit readiness.
• Working closely with executive stakeholders, investors, and boards to align growth priorities, execution plans, and value realization objectives.
• Contributing to account development and client relationship expansion efforts, helping identify opportunities to deepen EY-Parthenon's impact within existing client relationships.
• Helping shape Media Value Creation offerings, methodologies, thought leadership, and practice development initiatives.
• Developing Directors and junior team members while fostering high-performing, collaborative teams.

Skills and attributes for success

• Media Sector Expertise – deep understanding of business models, value drivers, growth opportunities, and competitive dynamics across Studios, Content & IP, Sports, Live Entertainment, Streaming, Digital Media, Advertising, Rights & Licensing, Distribution, and Audience Monetization.
• Strategic Value Creation Leadership – ability to identify, prioritize, and execute initiatives that drive revenue growth, profitability improvement, EBITDA expansion, and enterprise value creation.
• Building Relationships – establish trusted advisor relationships with client stakeholders through strategic insight, and problem solving.
• Business and Commercially Driven – leverage strong commercial acumen and strategic thinking to help clients solve their most critical growth, transformation, and value creation challenges.
• Engagement Leadership – lead complex, multi-workstream engagements while providing strategic direction, quality oversight, and executive-level guidance.
• Business Development – support account development activities, client discussions, pursuits, and practice development initiatives in partnership with leadership.
• People Development – coach, mentor, and develop Directors and broader engagement teams to support achievement of their career goals and accelerate team development.

To qualify for the role, you must have

• A bachelor’s degree in Business, Accounting, Finance, Economics, Engineering, Marketing, Media Studies, Communications, Sports Management, Entertainment Management, or related field and 8 years of related work experience; or a graduate degree and approximately 7 years of related work experience.
• Experience working with one or more of the following Media sub-sectors: Studios, Content & IP, Sports, Live Entertainment, Streaming, Digital Media, Advertising, Rights & Licensing, Distribution, Audience Monetization, or related Media sectors.
• Deep understanding of Media business models and value drivers.
• Strategy and operations management consulting experience.
• Excellent analytical, problem solving/modeling skills, and the confidence to translate complex data into meaningful insights.
• Experience leading value creation, commercial transformation, go-to-market, revenue growth, pricing, monetization, or performance improvement engagements.
• Experience in operational due diligence, commercial due diligence, operational transformation, value creation, and performance improvement.
• Experience in business integrations, divestitures, and/or carve-outs with a demonstrated aptitude for quantitative and qualitative analysis.
• Deep understanding of financial statements and operational performance metrics, with the ability to identify, quantify, prioritize, and communicate value creation opportunities.
• Experience leading complex, cross-functional teams and multi-workstream engagements in challenging business environments.
• Experience advising senior client stakeholders and executive leadership teams.
• The ability to prioritize effectively on projects and the skills to adapt quickly to new challenges and concepts.
• Excellent negotiation and influencing skills, and the ability to develop long-lasting relationships both internally and externally.
• You must either reside in or be in a commutable distance to your office location for this position.
• The ability and willingness to travel and work in excess of standard hours when necessary. In certain circumstances, travel may be required beyond your work location based on client and project needs.
• The expectation for this role is in person teaming, at client site or in an EY office, a minimum of 60% of the time or on average 3 days a week over the course of an engagement, project or performance year.

Ideally, you will have

• Experience serving as a trusted advisor to executive leadership teams, boards, or investors within Media sub-sectors.
• Experience leading complex value creation, growth strategy, commercial transformation, or performance improvement initiatives across Studios, Content & IP, Sports, Live Entertainment, Streaming, Digital Media, Advertising, Rights & Licensing, Distribution, and Audience Monetization.
• Experience developing and executing strategies focused on audience acquisition, customer retention, monetization, pricing, advertising, sponsorship, subscription growth, content commercialization, rights and licensing, or ticketing optimization.
• Experience leading go-to-market transformations, revenue operations redesign, sales effectiveness programs, marketing effectiveness initiatives, or commercial operating model improvements.
• Experience evaluating and capturing value creation opportunities through commercial due diligence, value creation planning, performance improvement, or transaction-related initiatives.
• Strong understanding of how Media companies create and monetize intellectual property, audiences, rights, content, experiences, and distribution channels.
• Experience translating Media industry trends, market dynamics, and emerging business models into actionable strategic, commercial, and operational recommendations.
• Experience contributing to account strategy, client relationship development, practice development initiatives, or Media sector thought leadership.
• MBA is preferred.
• Dynamic individuals who thrive in ambiguous situations to help clients solve their most critical strategic, business, and economic challenges.
• Knowledge of how to leverage firm-approved AI tools in a business setting, including Microsoft Copilot.

What we look for

We’re interested in talented professionals with the ability to visualize our clients’ goals and think creatively to facilitate them.

The ideal candidate combines deep Media sector expertise with the strategic perspective, commercial judgment, and leadership capabilities required to help investors and management teams shape and execute ambitious value creation agendas. They are energized by helping clients accelerate commercial performance, improve profitability, and create measurable enterprise value across Studios, Content & IP, Sports, Live Entertainment, Streaming, Digital Media, Advertising, Rights & Licensing, Distribution, and Audience Monetization businesses.

If you have an entrepreneurial spirit and a genuine passion for helping Media businesses navigate complex strategic, commercial, and operational challenges while developing high-performing teams, this role is for you.