Job Description

Job Summary:

Walt Disney Television Controllership is dedicated to providing high quality information and services to our business partners.  We support their decision-making process while earning their confidence and respect by efficiently reporting and maintaining accurate and timely financial data.  Our vision is to be the global leader in providing financial and technical expertise.  We promote innovation and growth by developing our employees and maximizing technology while maintaining a fun environment. 

The Enterprise Financial Services Programming Center of Excellence (CoE) supports all of The Walt Disney Company’s broadcast and cable businesses.  This department has responsibility to account for the programming costs and financial reporting for multiple linear networks across our ABC, FX Network, Freeform, ABC News, and Disney Channels Worldwide businesses. 

Reporting to the Manager, Financial Accounting, the Senior Financial Accounting Analyst (SFAA) will be responsible for various key functions that support the quarter-close and year-end close processes including but not limited to the analysis of programming costs, balance sheet reconciliations, and the preparation of Segment and Corporate Financial Reporting deliverables. 

This role will be focused on our Freeform channel and will manage its commitments and payments to suppliers as well as the amortization of expenses for multiple shows a year.  These range from third party shows to internally licensed content from ABC Studios and 20th Television.

The purpose of this job is to be the day to day accounting lead in recording the $180M+ of programming expenses for Freeform.  Freeform licenses the rights to dozens of different Films and TV shows and this role will be accountable for payments and ensuring that the accounting transactions are posted for the end to end accounting life cycle as the costs of those licenses.  The key objectives that this job needs to deliver include compliance with accounting standards for program expense recognition, timely payment of our commitments to suppliers, and advanced analytics to identify P&L variance analysis for programming expenses and insights in to the programming assets/liabilities and commitments.  The team utilizes a third party application (Mediamorph) to manage and support the contracts, payments, and costs recognition for our programming costs.

In addition, the SFAA will work with our Finance counterparts to help ensure that all financial statements are in accordance with US GAAP and to provide accounting support, where needed. 

Job Responsibilities

Program Amortization – oversight of the amortization for all of Freeform’s acquired programming which should be managed using the new Mediamorph content costs system

Program payments – ensure that accurate payments are made on a timely basis

Quarter close reporting and analysis - prepare deliverables needed to support the quarter close including variance analysis, account analysis , including current/non-current classifications and commitment schedules as well as Tax related deliverables

Education:

Bachelor's Degree

Required Experience:

At least 3 years working in an accounting environment

Strong Excel skills with ability to extract data, use pivot tables and leverage macros

Strong written and verbal communication skills

Positive can do attitude and supportive of change management initiatives

Excellent knowledge of accounting principles and internal controls

Strong quantitative and analytical skills

Ability to succeed in a team environment

Preferred Experience:

Familiarity with use of SAP general ledger and projects functionality

Familiarity with Film and TV Accounting processes preferred e.g. amortization methods

Strong interest in TV business