Senior Financial Accounting Analyst

The Walt Disney Company•Glendale, CA

About The Position

Disney Music Group (DMG) is the music hub for The Walt Disney Company, encompassing all aspects of music monetization: Recorded Music (Walt Disney and Hollywood Records), Disney Music Publishing, and Disney Concerts. DMG distributes music from films, series, Parks, artists, and more both physically and digitally (streaming and downloads); and also licenses music throughout the world in various forms of media including television, print, gaming, and consumer products. We are searching for innovative team members who are flexible and agile to meet the needs of our changing business. Ideal candidates will be curious and teachable. They will be passionate about getting it right in all aspects of their role and will collaborate with and support business partners, clients, and leaders. Candidates will be observant and will proactively seek opportunities for efficiency, innovation, and continual process improvements. They will be willing to share those creative ideas with others. Reporting to the Manager, Financial Accounting, the Senior Financial Accounting Analyst (SFAA) is primarily responsible for overseeing P&L management/financial reporting and Recorded Music artist royalty expenses, recoupment, & prepaid expenses, among other areas. You’ll provide day-to-day accounting advice and support quarter-end closes. You’ll collaborate with business partners in Royalties, Finance, Segment Financial Reporting, and Technology, including working with partners overseas. You’ll work heavily with the Music front-of-house systems and Excel. This is a key role where you’ll frequently engage in analysis (actual revenues vs. forecast, for example) and prepare reports for executive leaders.

Requirements

3+ years of relevant experience
Ability to prioritize workload and raise conflicting priorities
Understanding of accounting fundamentals (e.g., debit/credits, financial statements)
Complete moderately complex tasks and projects requiring independent initiative
Possess strong quantitative and analytical skills
Be adaptable and flexible to changing needs and audiences
Ability to understand, interpret, and articulate the impact of internal and external factors as they apply to the business/industry/direct processes
Intermediate Excel knowledge with the ability to analyze large sets of data using pivot and lookup tables

Nice To Haves

CPA or CPA candidate

Responsibilities

Serve as the main point of contact for the Recorded Music artist royalty expenses/liability processes, which includes collaborating with the Royalties team to understand fluctuations, reconciling activity between systems, and responding to ad hoc requests
Analyze royalty expenses and liabilities, investigate significant changes, and prepare reports for senior leaders
Analyze the consolidated DMG P&L, research variance explanations (actuals vs forecast), and prepare supporting schedules
Present reporting deliverables (P&Ls) to executives
Support new Music system enhancements and implementations, including identifying improvements, performing user acceptance testing, and communicating results/requests to the Technology teams
Perform quarter-end close activities, including preparing journal entries and balance sheet reconciliations
Effectively connect with business partners and internal team to better anticipate challenges and seek out process efficiencies
Understand and execute standard operating procedures (SOPs)
Understand and execute internal controls around job functions
Understand and be able to explain the main elements of financial statements and reports
Collaborate and work as a team with peers and business partners
Provide support, lead, and assist with ad hoc requests/special projects for team objectives