Vice President, Strategy and Distribution

Hearst Television has an opening for a hands-on leadership role in New York City, reporting to the Vice President, Distribution.

About the role

As a key member of the Strategy and Distribution team, you will lead business development, financial analysis, and deal execution for Hearst Television’s most significant transactions—including retransmission consent agreements, network affiliation agreements, mergers and acquisitions, strategic partnerships, and other high-priority initiatives. You will partner closely with senior leadership, station and regional leaders, legal counsel, and cross-functional teams to structure, negotiate, and close transactions that advance Hearst Television’s distribution, revenue, and corporate strategy.

Responsibilities

• Lead retransmission consent negotiations with MVPDs and vMVPDs, including financial modeling, deal structuring, term negotiation, and renewal strategy.
• Support network affiliation negotiations and strategic partnerships, coordinating with network counterparts and internal and outside legal counsel.
• Provide strategic and financial support for M&A transactions, including valuation, due diligence, and integration planning.
• Own complex transactions and initiatives from initial analysis and structuring through negotiation, approval, and execution.
• Evaluate deal terms and present recommendations to senior leadership.
• Build financial models supporting distribution revenue, valuation, deal economics, and negotiation strategy.
• Evaluate new business opportunities, emerging platforms, and industry developments that may advance HTV’s distribution and revenue strategy.
• Lead special projects and new business initiatives, including opportunities outside established workstreams.
• Prepare executive presentations, recommendations, and board materials.
• Use approved AI tools to support research, scenario analysis, document comparison, and presentation development.
• Partner with station, regional, finance, legal, technology, and operations teams to align strategy with business and operational priorities.
• Represent the Strategy and Distribution team in cross-functional, cross-company, and industry initiatives.
• Lead multiple high-priority and ambiguous workstreams with sound judgment, discretion, and clear communication.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in business, economics, finance, or a related discipline, or equivalent professional experience.
• 15+ years of senior-level experience in business development, media distribution, corporate strategy, deal-making, or a related transactional function.
• Demonstrated success structuring, negotiating, and executing complex commercial agreements.
• Strong financial modeling, valuation, and analytical skills.
• Experience working directly with internal and outside legal counsel.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint.
• Direct experience with retransmission consent, network affiliation, or MVPD and vMVPD carriage negotiations strongly preferred.
• Experience in television, media, streaming, telecommunications, mergers and acquisitions, due diligence, or integration planning preferred.
• Comfort using approved AI-enabled research, analysis, and productivity tools preferred.
• Related military experience will be considered.

Skills

• Strong commercial judgment and executive presence.
• Clear, persuasive communication with senior leaders and business partners.
• Proactive, entrepreneurial approach to identifying and advancing opportunities.
• Collaborative leadership style and ability to build trust across teams.
• Comfort operating with autonomy in complex and ambiguous situations.
• High integrity and discretion when handling sensitive information.
• Ability to prioritize and manage multiple high-stakes initiatives.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision coverage for you, your spouse or partner, and dependents.
• 401(k) matching.
• Emotional wellness support.
• Paid time off.
• Paid parental leave.
• LGBTQ+ health services.
• Additional benefits to meet your and your family’s needs.

Pay

The estimated base salary range for this role is $300,000 to $315,000. Actual base pay depends on transferable skills, work experience, business needs, market demands, geographic location, and other factors permitted by law.

About Us

Hearst Television (HTV) owns and/or operates 35 television and two radio stations serving 27 media markets across 39 states, reaching nearly 25 million U.S. television households. HTV is recognized as one of the industry’s premier broadcasting companies and has been honored with numerous awards for distinguished journalism, industry innovation, and community service.