Merchandise Lead, Finance Supervisor - GFFS

At Sony Music Entertainment, we fuel the creative journey. We’ve played a pioneering role in music history, from the first-ever music label to the invention of the flat disc record. We’ve nurtured some of music’s most iconic artists and produced some of the most influential recordings of all time. Today, we work in more than 60 countries, supporting a diverse roster of international superstars, developing and independent artists, and visionary creators. From our position at the intersection of music, entertainment, and technology, we bring imagination and expertise to the newest products and platforms, embrace new business models, employ breakthrough tools, and provide powerful insights that help our artists push creative boundaries and reach new audiences. In everything we do, we’re committed to artistic integrity, transparency, and entrepreneurship.

The Global Finance Shared Service Center supports the core business with finance related matters, covering a wide scope of activities across the globe. We ensure suppliers and artists are paid on time for the amazing work they create. We work closely with the local finance teams around the world, which means we have an excellent understanding of how the company operates and are kept up to date with key developments in this exciting and fast-paced industry. Our teams play a key role in ensuring Sony Music achieve their annual goals each year.

As our Global Finance Shared Service (GFSS), you will be overseeing the following USA merchandise business areas: 

• Accuracy of the accounting entries made by GFSS across tour, e-commerce, and licensing revenue streams
• Accountability for the output of our Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) partner.
• Be the primary GFSS contact for other GFSS departments, and the merchandise and label finance or sales teams.

This role requires a highly organized, confident, motivated team player who operates well under pressure.

It is a role for someone equally comfortable designing a process and executing one.

What You'll Do:

Accounting Integrity — Merchandise Business

• Own the accuracy and integrity of financial reporting within GFSS’ scope across all merchandise revenue streams. Including revenue recognition, cost of sales, vendor obligations, and balance sheet positions
• Act as the accounting lead to ensure proper accounting for unusual scenarios
• Review and approve all reconciliations, reports, and financial summaries before they are sent to other departments and stakeholders
• Maintain a thorough working knowledge of how each merchandise revenue stream flows through SAP so that accounting positions can be taken and explained or justified
• Ensure the accounting is structured to withstand external, statutory, and artist audits at any point

Process Design and Problem Solving

• Identify gaps in current accounting workflows and develop approaches to address them
• Implement process changes/improvements and ensure they are documented, repeatable, and scalable

Vendor Payables and Cost Accounting

• Maintain accounting for vendor cost obligations arising from merchandise operations, including venue revenue-sharing arrangements
• Ensure accrued payables are recorded correctly, cleared on a timely basis, and the balance is kept clean
• Coordinate with Accounts Payable (A/P) to ensure vendor payments are applied correctly in SAP and the payables ledger reflects the true state of outstanding obligations

US State Sales Tax Reporting

• Support the US sales tax compliance process with Sony Global Tax Office. g. state filings, and timely settlement of tax liabilities.
• Review supporting data, reconciliations, and schedules required for filings

Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) Team Management

• Directly manage the offshore Team Lead. Set clear performance expectations, review output quality, and develop the team’s capability over time
• Hold accountability for the performance of the offshore team supporting Merchandise — the standard of work that reaches GFSS management and stakeholders is this role’s responsibility

Stakeholder Management

• Serve as the primary GFSS accounting contact for merchandise and label finance, accounts payable, and senior management
• Work directly with the merchandise sales and operations team to understand how the business operates and translate that into accounting solutions and proper documentation
• Take on increasing responsibility for direct customer-facing communication as the function matures
• Ensure issues are escalated proactively

Who You Are:

• Degree in Accounting or Finance; CPA, CA, or equivalent professional designation
• 5-8 years of progressive accounting experience, including direct management of a team; public accounting professionals transitioning to industry are encouraged to apply
• SAP (S/4HANA) experience preferred across A/R, G/L modules, along with general knowledge of the A/P module
• Sound working knowledge of IFRS 15 applied to a multi-stream revenue business
• Demonstrated experience with sales tax compliance is an asset for this role
• Reliable track record managing a remote offshore team to a high standard of output quality is a plus
• Excellent written and spoken English; this role communicates regularly with senior management
• Experience in entertainment, music, live events, or merchandise is an asset. Intellectual curiosity about the industry matters equally

What We Give You:

• You join an inclusive, collaborative and global community where you have the opportunity to channel your passion every day  
• A modern office environment designed to foster productivity, creativity, and teamwork empowering you to bring your best
• Investment in your professional growth and development enabling you to thrive in our vibrant community.  
• The space to accelerate progress, positively disrupt, and create what happens next  
• We give you the platform to champion positive change, with the opportunity to contribute to our social impact, diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.
• A benefits portfolio that supports the needs of you and your family, from well-being support and family benefits to paid time off to help you balance work and life.
• Time off for a winter recess

Sony Music is committed to providing equal employment opportunity for all persons regardless of age, disability, national origin, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, veteran or military status, marital and civil partnership/union status, alienage or citizenship status, creed, genetic information or any other status protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.