VP Sphere Studio Finance

Who are we hiring?

This role will partner closely with leadership teams across Sphere Studios and Ventures to strategically analyze, monitor, and provide oversight for all financial aspects of operations for the studio.  This includes oversight of long-range planning, budgeting, and forecasting, evaluating capital investments, liaising with production finance, and implementing controls over reporting and spending. 

The VP is a prominent voice within the Company’s management structure and takes a leadership role in exemplifying and instilling the Company’s business philosophies across the organization while assisting the Sphere SVP and Executive Leadership Team in the development and facilitation of the Company’s growth strategies and operational execution. Through deep understanding of the financial implications of business decisions, the VP helps to identify operational improvements/efficiencies and growth opportunities across Sphere Studios and Ventures businesses. 

What will you do? 

• Own FP&A functions including the Annual Budget, Long Range Plan, Forecasts and Outlooks across all studio divisions.
• Create and present executive financial reporting package for Budget, LRP and estimate cycles.
• Work with production finance to provide consolidated analytics and reporting of content spend during development, pre-production, production, and post-production phases.
• Assist with consolidated cash planning, currency, tax, and banking requirements to support productions.  
• Provide insight into potential areas of risk and opportunity in relation to content slate management.
• Work with various business unit leaders, understanding existing and emerging technologies in the management and reporting of CapEx.
• Manage financial aspects of corporate overhead and headcount planning.
• Recommend benchmarks and metrics for measuring financial and operating performance.
• Drive corporate priorities to completion utilizing strategic project management and collaboration. These projects support the growth of the entire organization and in most cases involve multiple divisions and departments.  
• Review all submissions of business plans and investment cases for these businesses to ensure that they are accurate and achievable.
• Align with business unit support to develop estimates and track progress against those goals.
• Partner with the Accounting team to ensure accurate reporting of month-end results (provide reclasses, review accruals and labor allocations)
• Oversee and be direct liaison with various internal and external auditors, including 3rd party, financial, and SOX.
• Working on special projects that support the growth of the organization and may involve new technologies, branding, and other multi-divisional matters that require leadership working with executives in all areas of the organization.

What do you need to succeed?

• 10+ years of work experience with best-in-class organizations in relevant functional areas. Strong preference for individuals with experience in Technology, Media, Telecommunications, and Entertainment
• Four-year degree in Finance, Accounting, Business Management Education or an equivalent combination of education and experience is preferred. CPA certified or MBA desired.
• Demonstrated experience managing highly complex financial operations, including content production.
• Ability to analyze and dissect a business, i.e., understanding the components and drivers of success beyond the financials deeply and thoroughly.
• Resilient finance executive with ability to work independently and cross-functionally in a fast-paced environment.
• Flexible and adaptive to changing business needs; can take direction and incorporate feedback from senior management and key stakeholders.
• Can effectively balance multiple simultaneous project streams with independent and sometimes competing timelines.

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