VP, Production Finance Operations

Job Description

Join our dynamic SPT Production Finance team, where your strategic acumen, financial expertise, and leadership will play a crucial role in the financial infrastructure of our original content production. We value innovation, growth, and a commitment to quality. As the VP of Production Finance, you'll be at the forefront of industry trends, drive key business decisions, and help pave the way for next-generation production finance operations.

Essential Responsibilities:

• Strategic Leadership: Spearhead world-class production finance operations, ensuring systematic planning, people leadership, detailed organization, and cutting-edge innovation.
• Operational Management: Oversee three core hubs - Reporting & Analysis, Finance Operations, and Audit/Guild Admin & Research - ensuring successful, timely project completion.
• Industry Expertise: Keep a finger on the pulse of industry insights from leading sources, representing SPT's interests at an organizational level.
• Partnership & Collaboration: Engage with internal teams, executive leadership, and business units for holistic decision-making, financial planning, and operational excellence.
• Continuous Learning: Champion ad hoc projects and training initiatives to foster growth and knowledge.

Reporting & Analysis Hub

• Deliver actionable financial insights through BI tools and predictive modeling.
• Lead technology implementations for next-gen finance tools.
• Drive pragmatic approaches to solving key complex business problems through data analysis, predictive modeling and machine learning techniques.
• Ensure accurate LAS -> SAP reconciliations, SOPC consolidation, IDOC error resolution and GPMS/MDMA title management.

Finance Operations Hub (sub teams: Treasury Ops, Op Tax & Tax Incentives)

• Collaborate with Production and Production Accounting to include appropriate OH and Indirect Costs within actively produced productions.
• Act as a key finance stakeholder with BSI team on end-to-end finance support for various labor and scenic 3rd party services.
• Supervise document management process, ensuring accurate completeness of document retention oversight.
• Work closely with Production Accounting Team on a day-to-day basis to ensure uniformity on prodco entity management.
• Ensure annualized insurance allocations, business licenses and entity registrations are complete, accurate and in good standing.
• Maintain the lease agreement database.
• Direct off-shore Capgemini team related to positive pay and treasury tasks.
• Manage reporting for foreign operations, transfer pricing, and production spend accruals.
• Oversee the financial reporting close calendar ensuring timely completions.

Treasury Ops Team

• Guide banking implementations and supervise production-funded accounts, including additions and removal of account signers.
• Supervise procurement card services for our various productions. Liaise with strategic sourcing and studio card management program.
• Partner closely with internal teams (GFO and Amex) to provide a first-class p-card onboarding and experience.
• Ensure proper cash management, cashflow needs and forecasts.
• Review daily positive pay transmissions, exceptions, inquiries and bank balances.
• Deliver accurate and timely bank reconciliations in partnership with GFO.

Operational Tax Team

• Supervise and manage the timely completion of all tax reporting tasks, including 1099 Reporting, 1042 NRA Reporting, Sales and Use Tax, Property Tax, Business Licenses, and other operational tax requirements.
• Lead from a production accounting perspective and support the implementation and management of the "Pillar 2" tax initiative, working closely with cross-functional teams to ensure compliance with international tax regulations and requirements.
• Confirm accurate and timely remittance of harmonize value added taxes (GST, HST, VAT, etc).

Tax Incentives Team

• Execute on maximizing and monetizing all domestic and international production incentives.
• Supervise new data management techniques to improve tax credit and production cost forecasting and pacing.
• Liaise with corporate tax, production audit, controllership, production, and government relations teams to ensure proper incentive compliance, government reporting and capitalize on internal tax credit utilization.
• Participate in internal incentive planning, supervise audit process, and prepare economic studies in support of future tax credit program initiatives.
• Partner with the MPAA, local film commissions and other major studios on enhancing incentive programs and monitor legislative changes.
• Coordinate with production accountants, estimators, finance and legal teams on all tax and incentive matters facing our productions.
• Ensure timely and accurate submission of incentive applications and effective use of Incentify application.

Audit/Guild Admin & Research Hub

• Supervise direct management of union and guild audits (Tri-guild and MPIPHP) and collaborate with Labor Relations to minimize audit exposure.
• Review and analyze financial deal terms to improve decision making and risk for guild audits.
• Oversee the management of settlement payments (both audit and grievances), accruals and final remittances to the guilds and motion picture plans.
• Evaluate and approve guild audit memorandums and audit findings in a manner supported by evidence, by which summarizes conclusions, findings and audit settlements.
• Perform research on various labor trends in partnership with Labor Relations and Reporting & Analysis team.
• Create a feedback loop to minimize claim repetition.

Skills & Qualifications:

• Education: BA/BS degree; MBA, CPA, JD, or equivalent advanced degree preferred.
• Experience: 10+ years in film/TV industry finance.
• Technical Proficiency: Advanced knowledge of Excel, Vista, Smart Accounting, PSL and SAP.

Eligibility Requirements:

• Willing to travel, work extended hours, and undergo a background check.
• Authorized to work in the U.S., aged 18 or older, and based in or willing to relocate to Culver City, CA.

Desired Traits:

• Exceptional communication and analytical abilities.
• Enthusiastic problem solver with robust Excel skills.
• Passion for original programming and innovative business models.
• Familiarity with payroll, labor agreements, and tax requisites.
• Demonstrated leadership with teams of 8+ members.
• High integrity, professional standards, and a drive to produce results in a dynamic environment.

The anticipated base salary for this position is $197,200 - $268,700. This role may also qualify for annual incentive and/or comprehensive benefits. The actual base salary offered will depend on a variety of factors, including without limitation, the qualifications of the individual applicant for the position, years of relevant experience, level of education attained, certifications or other professional licenses held, and if applicable, the location of the position.
*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.