Director, Production Finance

Sinclair Broadcast Group•Santa Monica, CA

5d•Onsite

About The Position

Tennis Channel is seeking a hands-on Director, Production Finance to lead and manage production budgeting, forecasting, accounting, controls, reporting, and continuous improvement across Tennis Channel production activities. This role sits within Tennis Channel Corporate Finance & Accounting and reports to the Controller / VP Finance, serving primarily as the finance partner in support of the head of production & programming and the related teams across live events, studio productions, original content, digital initiatives, creative, and production operations. The head of production & programming owns the department budget, including creative budgets; the Director role supports that responsibility through production-related financial management, reporting, analysis, and decision support. The Director will work closely with Production, Programming, Rights & Acquisitions, Creative, Operations, Legal, HR and Finance & Accounting, as needed, to support the production-related financial responsibilities. This role is onsite and located in Santa Monica, CA.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, Business, or related field.
8+ years of progressive experience in Production Finance, Production Accounting, Media Finance, FP&A, or related disciplines.
Experience in live production, sports media, entertainment, streaming, digital media, or content businesses preferred.
Strong hands-on financial modeling, budgeting, forecasting, accounting, controls, reporting, and analytical skills.
Experience with project accounting, production costing, close support, operational budgets, and cost governance.
Ability to partner with operational leaders and translate financial data into business recommendations.
Experience with ERP/project costing systems, production accounting tools, Excel, and BI reporting; Oracle experience preferred.
Strong communication, leadership, judgment, business partnership, and stakeholder management skills.

Nice To Haves

CPA preferred.

Responsibilities

Prepare annual production budgets, quarterly forecasts and long-range plans.
Build financial models for productions/tournaments, seasonal coverage plans, and production cost centers to support staffing, resource allocation, and investment decisions.
Lead PickleballTV joint venture production-related forecasting, actualization, and variance analysis in coordination with production leadership and Finance & Accounting.
Prepare financial support for go/no-go decisions, cash flow, production economics, and financial risks.
Lead production accounting, including job costing, accruals, amortization, and close support.
Track production costs, commitments, vendor obligations, and talent costs to support accurate reporting.
Review production payables and purchasing card activity for proper coding, approvals, and controls.
Prepare forecast updates and cost variance explanations for FP&A, Accounting, and Production.
Prepare KPI dashboards, forecast packages, cost summaries, and recurring reports for the Head of Production & Programming to support production planning, cost visibility, and decision making.
Conduct post-event production cost reviews to explain variances, capture planning takeaways, and recommend improvements for upcoming productions.
Summarize production financial insights for executive reporting and upcoming production planning.
Improve budgeting, forecasting, accounting, reporting quality, forecast accuracy, and decision support.
Develop cost benchmarks, productivity metrics, savings trackers, and performance indicators across productions, vendors, staffing, travel, and operations.
Implement automation, AI-enabled tools, templates, and reporting improvements to increase efficiency and financial visibility.
Review production agreements, vendor arrangements, talent commitments, and related documents for financial terms, budget impact, cost tracking, and risks in support of the Head of Production & Programming.
Coordinate with Legal, HR, Treasury, Tax, and Accounting as needed on production-related financial risks, labor costs, international requirements, cash flow, and compliance.
Support international productions, including foreign costs, tax/VAT, payment timing, currency exposure, and compliance impacts.
Maintain practical governance, controls, and processes that support growth, compliance, cost discipline, and operational effectiveness.
Provide day-to-day leadership, coaching, and support to the Production Finance team.
Set priorities, goals, development plans, and operating rhythms.
Foster accountability, collaboration, financial discipline, improvement, and data-driven decision making.