Manager / Senior Manager, Artist Budget & Expense Management
About The Position
EMPIRE is a premier and dynamic music company that prides itself on the development and support of independent artists. We are a rapidly growing firm that has been making waves in the music industry, with an extensive portfolio that spans multiple genres and reaches audiences worldwide. We have become the largest independent record label in the U.S., with a significant global presence covering Africa, Asia, Europe, Australia, and North and South America. We keep ourselves busy with a large range of music-related services from original content and marketing to distribution and recordings. Our commitment to artistic creativity, innovation, and progressive business solutions forms the foundation of our corporate culture. We believe in fostering talent, not just in our artists but also within our professional teams. As we continue to expand, we invite you to join us on this exciting journey. We are seeking a collaborative, highly vigilant, and hands-on Manager / Senior Manager, Artist Budget & Expense Management to lead our budget control, internal expense audit, and travel operations functions. Reporting directly to the VP of Finance, this inward-facing operational leader will act as a primary gatekeeper for financial governance—building robust internal controls, evaluating expense workflows for vulnerabilities, and preventing unauthorized spending or fraud. This position balances strategic control-building with daily operational execution. You will manage a small direct team while actively reviewing invoices, auditing BREX credit card activity, and ensuring all expenses fall strictly within approved artist and label budgets.
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Economics, or a related field
- 5–8+ years of progressive experience in finance operations, internal audit, budget control, or financial governance
- 2+ years of direct people management experience
- Strong background in internal controls, forensic accounting principles, expense auditing, and fraud risk assessment.
- Expert proficiency in Microsoft Excel
- Hands-on experience with BREX administration, corporate travel tools, and modern ERP/AP systems.
- High ethical standards, objectivity, and keen attention to detail.
- Solution-oriented team player who can enforce policy gently but directly.
- Openness to feedback, change management, and continuous process optimization.
Nice To Haves
- CFE (Certified Fraud Examiner) or CIA (Certified Internal Auditor) coursework/certification is a strong plus.
- Experience in music, entertainment, or media—specifically managing artist production budgets and recoupable expenses—is highly preferred.
Responsibilities
- Design, implement, and maintain internal control frameworks across accounts payable, BREX corporate cards, and travel operations to prevent fraud, waste, and unauthorized label spending.
- Continuously evaluate existing expense workflows, technology platforms, and approval chains to identify control deficiencies, operational risks, or governance loopholes.
- Conduct spot-audits and pre-payment reviews of high-risk expense categories (e.g., video shoots, live events, touring advances) to catch duplicate billings, inflated costs, or altered vendor documents.
- Establish automated "red-flag" metrics within BREX and AP systems to detect unusual spending patterns; partner with the VP of Finance and Legal to address compliance breaches.
- Maintain direct involvement in daily financial workflows by actively reviewing and approving invoices and expense submissions against pre-approved artist budgets.
- Rigorously verify that incoming invoices match approved artist scopes and ensure accurate tracking and coding of recoupable expenses.
- Direct the strategic oversight of staff and artist travel via the Manager of Travel Operations, ensuring strict adherence to travel policies and budget caps.
- Oversee the auditing and reconciliation of all BREX transactions, ensuring all charges are properly documented, audited, and charged back to the appropriate label accounts.
- Lead, mentor, and empower the Budget and Travel Operations team to maintain high standards of expense governance.
- Act as an approachable, open-minded partner within the broader Finance team (FP&A, Accounting, Accounts Payable), fostering a culture of collaboration while upholding strict compliance standards.
- Ensure scalability of processes and resources commensurate with business growth and complexity while building governance infrastructure to promote anti-fraud protections.
Benefits
- Competitive Compensation Package
- Competitive Benefits Package
- Company Paid Life Insurance, Short-Term Disability, and Long-Term Disability Insurance
- Company Paid Health Savings Account (HSA) Contribution
- Healthcare Spending Account (FSA)
- Paid Time Off (Holidays, Vacation, and Sick)
- Company 401(k) Plan
- Wellness Resources
- Commuter Allowance
- Cell Phone Allowance
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Senior
