Executive Director, Production Accounting

Executive Director, Production Accounting

Sony Pictures Television is seeking an experienced and collaborative Executive Director, Production Accounting to oversee production accounting across a slate of scripted and unscripted television productions. This role serves as a senior business partner to Production, Production Finance, Business Affairs, Labor Relations, Tax Incentives, Treasury, Audit, and studio leadership teams. The Executive Director will provide strategic oversight throughout the full production lifecycle, from development and prep through wrap and final reporting, while ensuring strong financial controllership, operational consistency, and production support.

The ideal candidate brings deep experience across television production accounting and production finance, strong communication and leadership skills, and the ability to manage complex productions in fast-paced environments. This individual should be comfortable leading teams, mentoring staff, managing freelance accounting personnel and vendors, and navigating both studio and on-location production environments.

Essential Responsibilities

• Oversee financial operations, cost reporting, and production accounting workflows for assigned productions.
• Partner closely with Production Executives, Line Producers, UPMs, Show Accountants, and studio leadership.
• Lead and manage production accounting teams across prep, production, post-production, and wrap.
• Supervise and mentor staff including production accountants, payroll accountants, assistants, and freelance personnel.
• Support staffing strategies and manage accounting vendors and freelance accounting teams.
• Provide leadership on budgeting, cost reporting, payroll, accounts payable, cash flow forecasting, and tax incentives.
• Ensure studio policies, accounting controls, and reporting standards are implemented consistently.
• Oversee production accounting system setup and workflows across Smart Accounting, PSL, Vista, and payroll systems.
• Collaborate with Production Finance Ops, FP&A, BA, Billing/OTC, Tax Incentives, Treasury, Audit, Legal, Labor Relations, and IT teams.
• Identify operational risks, reporting issues, labor concerns, or communication breakdowns early and drive resolution.
• Support production audits, incentive reviews, compliance reviews, and reconciliations.
• Travel to production locations to review accounting operations and team effectiveness.
• Maintain knowledge of labor agreements, tax incentives, and evolving production finance practices.

Technical Skills

• Advanced Excel and Microsoft Office experience.
• Strong knowledge of Smart Accounting, PSL, Vista, EP, Cast & Crew, and related applications.
• SAP experience required.

Basic Qualifications

• BA/BS degree required; CPA, MBA, or equivalent advanced degree preferred.
• 10+ years of television and/or film production accounting and production finance experience.
• Experience supporting high-budget ($100M+ gross production spend) scripted productions and complex production environments.

Desired Characteristics

• Strong leadership presence and communication skills.
• Experience managing teams across multiple productions simultaneously.
• Experience managing freelance accountants, prep/wrap accountants, and vendors.
• Strong understanding of payroll, labor agreements, tax incentives, and financial controls.
• Highly organized with strong attention to detail and follow-through.
• Strong analytical thinking and problem-solving skills.

The anticipated base salary for this position is $208,000-$260,000. This role may also qualify for annual incentive and/or comprehensive benefits. The actual base salary offered will depend on a variety of factors, including without limitation, the qualifications of the individual applicant for the position, years of relevant experience, level of education attained, certifications or other professional licenses held, and if applicable, the location of the position.

Sony Pictures Entertainment is an equal opportunity employer. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, veteran status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, or other protected characteristics.

SPE will consider qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records in accordance with applicable law.

Sony Pictures does not allow audio recording, video recording or use of AI note-taking tools during interviews. Please be aware these tools may be enabled as a default and can be difficult to disable once the interview has started, so we recommend you check your device and disable these tools prior to the start of your interview. If recording or the use of the tools occurs during the interview and cannot be promptly turned off or disabled, the interviewer may end the interview.

To request an accommodation for purposes of participating in the hiring process, you may contact us at View email address on click.appcast.io.