Vice President Production Accounting

Culver City, CA

The successful applicant will be responsible for financial controllership and providing high-level industry support of original content production, along with broader content creation through development of our financial accounting and reporting process for original owned productions. This role will have a high degree of interaction with the company’s finance leadership, production and executive teams. The candidate must be hands-on, entrepreneurial, passionate about content and physical production, quick-thinking, elastic, able to pivot when necessary, systematic, non-political, has impeccable ethics, and is able to juggle multiple and diverse projects with a strong emphasis on organization and an unwavering attention to detail. The candidate will execute on a vision to develop a world class production finance operations team, comprising of its people, systems and policies.

This individual should demonstrate a high aptitude for critical thinking and analysis, tax credit, financial systems and labor/union foundational knowledge. You will be a part of a dynamic and creative SPT Production Finance team working directly with our production business units. The successful candidate will be a strategic partner to management teams enterprise wide. He/she should be extremely comfortable counseling business partners and influencing them towards decisions that have a valued business impact.

The candidate will serve as a key member of the Production Finance leadership team that supports creating an innovative culture where cutting edge ideas, expansion, growth and change are expected, recognized and rewarded.

Essential Responsibilities:

Effectively manage the financial operations and cost reporting for SPT’s owned, licensed and contracted productions.
Building a strong and influential team that supports the finance and strategy of the business.
Develop and leverage financial and business reporting systems to provide the division leadership with relevant and timely information to make informed business decisions.
Supervise the hiring and management of production accountants and assistants, coordinate show budgeting and production accounting process with accountants.
Manage the set-up of show accounting system using appropriate payroll software.
Implement uniform reporting requirements, standard accounting procedures, oversee daily/weekly show cost reporting.
Coordinate and implement tax, labor and sourcing policies and objectives.
Work closely with the VP, Production Finance (Operations) to evaluate and advise on the impact of business trends and results in the production accounting space.
Manage production cash flow and support the weekly and quarterly corporate financial accounting and corporate cash management processes.
Implement and ensure uniform budget policies.
Key financial management liaison between production executives, show accountants, show producer/UPM, and corporate finance.
Ensure that the SPT financial controllership and production policies and procedures are uniformly implemented operationally, and that payroll/AP/Reporting are in accordance with standards established by SPT.
Liaise with Labor Relations, Production Finance, Internal Audit, Finance Ops, Treasury, and IT to ensure policies are current and effectively implemented.
Identify problem and/or issues as quickly as possible including breakdown in communication between departments, UPMs, producers and accountants. Furthermore, inform Labor Relations of payroll issues with potential exposure to penalties.
Approve and authorize various accounting procedures.
Assist in the training and mentoring of production finance executives and other staff members with the goal of developing stellar talent.
Candidate will consult on deal structure for contracts.
Travel to production locations to perform on-site compliance reviews, organizational abilities and effectiveness of accounting staff.
Maintain knowledge of current industry trends pertaining to union MOA updates, rate increases and compliance issues.

Technical Skills:

Intermediate/Advanced experience with Excel and other Microsoft / Apple products.
Intermediate/Advanced knowledge of Vista, Smart Accounting, PSL and related production accounting applications.
SAP experience preferred but not required.

Basic Qualifications:

Education: BA/BS degree; MBA, CPA, JD or equivalent graduate degree highly preferred.
Candidate must have 10+ years of film and/or television industry production finance experience.

Eligibility Requirements:

Willingness to travel (domestic and international) and work extended hours if needed.
Must be willing to submit to background check.
Must have work authorization to work in the United States.
Must be 18 years or older.
Must be willing to work in Culver City, CA.
Interested candidates must submit a resume/CV online to be considered.

Desired Characteristics:

Excellent communication skills, written / verbal, and ability to interact with employees at all levels, including upper management.
Passionate about original programming with a keen interest in building and refining new business models.
Robust understanding of payroll process, union labor agreements and tax requirements.
Proven ability to lead and manage teams of 10+ employees.
Candidates are required to be highly analytical, as well as strong effective communicators.
High aptitude and enthusiasm for complex problem solving and analysis utilizing financial applications, including great Excel skills.
He/she must thrive in a fast-paced environment, possess a high level of academic curiosity, focus on generating results and exhibit the highest personal and professional standards of integrity and ethics.

Sony Pictures Entertainment is an equal opportunity employer. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, veteran status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, or other protected characteristics.

As part of our commitment to health and safety, all U.S. non-union and O.P.E.I.U. Local 174 applicants and employees must submit proof of vaccination against COVID-19 or request and obtain approval of a reasonable accommodation based on disability or a sincerely held religious belief, practice or observance. To request an accommodation for purposes of participating in the hiring process, you may contact us at SPE_Accommodation_Assistance@spe.sony.com.