Manager, Financial Accounting- Disney Music Group

This is a Full Time Job


It's the magic of immersing yourself in a motion picture masterpiece, or a new track from your favorite band, or the spectacle of a live Broadway show. It's hard to define and even harder to create, but that's what we do at The Walt Disney Studios. Ours is a culture of innovation, collaboration and creativity. We raise the bar, then step over it, blazing trails through the production and distribution of world class entertainment around the globe. If you want to help tell compelling, enduring stories through movies, music or stage plays, then we want to hear from you.

This position supports the Studio Segment within Enterprise Financial Services (EFS). This role focuses on accounting functions for the Disney Music Group (DMG). DMG is home to Hollywood Records, Walt Disney Records, Disney Music Publishing, Buena Vista Records, Marvel Music, Fox Music, and Disney Concerts. DMG is the music hub for The Walt Disney Company (TWDC), encompassing all aspects of music monetization. DMG distributes music both physically and digitally; and also licenses music throughout the world in various forms of media including television, print, gaming and consumer products.

The DMG Accounting team is part of Enterprise Financial Services and is dedicated to providing high quality information and services to our business partners. The DMG Accounting team records, reports, and analyzes DMG's wide variety of revenues, expenses, and KPIs. We support the decision-making process while earning confidence and respect by efficiently reporting and maintaining accurate and timely financial data. We promote innovation and growth by developing our employees and maximizing technology while maintaining a fun environment. Our vision is to be the global leader in providing financial and technical expertise.

Responsibilities:

The Manager, Financial Accounting (Music) reports to the Director, Financial Accounting and will work closely with the Disney Music Group key stakeholders. The positions primary responsibility is providing direction and oversight for a team of Music Publishing / Revenue Processing Accountants. The manager will support the processing of revenue and accurate GAAP reporting for the Music Publishing business. This role will be responsible for reviewing statement processing, journal entries, account reconciliations, performing analysis, invoice creation, and managing the team. Additional responsibilities include overseeing the prep, analysis, and presentation of the Music Publishing financial statements, ad hoc reporting and analysis, ongoing system implementations, and providing explanations to the Music P&L Consolidations Manager.

Position requires strong interpersonal skills and relationship building both with the accounting team as well as internal the Music Group and third party licensees. This position must use project management and effective written and verbal communication skills to gather requirements and coordinate validation of system enhancements. This role will monitor current processes and should drive ongoing process and efficiency improvements.

The position offers multiple opportunities to showcase analytical skills to various executives and identify and implement process improvements. This position requires a professional that wants to lead, is highly motivated, and a self-starter. This individual must be able to develop professional relationships with various business partners, analyze and decipher finance/accounting data to accurately review the department's reporting obligations. There will be multiple opportunities to be able to identify problems and develop innovative solutions to further efforts toward continuous process improvements and various ad hoc projects. In addition, an ideal candidate must be well-organized, detail-oriented, and be able to perform a variety of tasks under time pressure and strict deadlines. This is an exciting opportunity for a top finance/accounting professional to utilize their expertise in a challenging, rewarding and creative environment while gaining valuable experience in the entertainment industry.
• Manage of team of 5 individuals (1 SFAAs and 4 FA) in the execution of their job roles
• Ensure timely and accurate financial and management reporting and analysis of the Music's group P&L and Balance Sheet, including variance explanations
• Processing of Publishing inbound royalty statements
• Handle remittances, including check coding, recognizing receipt in Counterpoint (Publishing royalty system) and reconciling lockbox
• Support projects such as system implementations and harmonization
• Coordination with the DMG Copyright team
• Communication with licensees and sub-publishers as needed
• Ensure completion of Balance Sheet analysis and reconciliations
• Oversee the preparation of quarter close entries including revenue and expense accruals
• Ensure creation of timely and accurate invoices for licenses and concerts
• Establish an environment of continuous improvement to identify, develop and implement process changes to increase accuracy of our financial records and efficiency of our processes
• Collaborates and solves problems - Works with others to resolve significant issues and clarifies and interprets complex information

Basic Qualifications:

• 5-7 years accounting experience, preferably in both public and private accounting
• Music Publishing and leadership experience a plus
• Strong relationship builder with ability to autonomously and diplomatically work through problems
• Excellent communication (written and verbal) and leadership skillset with a constructive curiosity to drive change
• Strong quantitative and analytical skills
• Ability to succeed in a team environment
• Ability to manage multiple high priority projects under tight deadlines
• Strong problem solving skills
• Ability to adapt quickly and learn new tasks independently
• Excellent organization skills
• Ability to analyze and resolve issues from multiple stakeholders

Required Education

• Bachelor's degree with an emphasis in Accounting

Preferred Education

• CPA preferred

About Disney Music Group:

The music is the soundtrack of our lives – from your favorite hits by popular artists to beloved tunes from films like Mary Poppins and Frozen. Find the music that rocks your world right here at the Disney Music Group (DMG), headquartered in Burbank and home to Hollywood Records, Walt Disney Records, Disney Music Publishing and Disney Concerts. DMG releases film and television soundtracks from the world's biggest entertainment brands, including Disney, Pixar, Marvel, the legendary Star Wars, ABC and Disney Channel, alongside pop, dance, family music and the catalog of classic rock band Queen. DMG is also an innovator in music distribution and live concerts. If music is your passion, come be a part of the team that brings it to ears all over the world.

About The Walt Disney Company:

The Walt Disney Company, together with its subsidiaries and affiliates, is a leading diversified international family entertainment and media enterprise with the following business segments: media networks, parks and resorts, studio entertainment, consumer products and interactive media. From humble beginnings as a cartoon studio in the 1920s to its preeminent name in the entertainment industry today, Disney proudly continues its legacy of creating world-class sto

[more...]