Media Accounting Manager

About the Role & Team
Be you, be here, be part of the story!

At The Walt Disney Company, magic is more than just a word; it's a way of life. For a century, we've been inspiring imaginations, celebrating diversity, and bringing families together through our beloved stories, characters, and experiences. From our iconic theme parks and resorts to our groundbreaking films, television shows, interactive media and products, we're dedicated to creating magic that knows no bounds.

We are looking for a Media Accounting Manager to join our EMEA Controllership team in London!

As a Media Accounting Manager and reporting into the Senior Media Manager, the successful candidate will be responsible for the close accounting processes and deliverables for Media segments, specifically focusing on Disney + and Media Distribution, with involvement in Fox Channels, National Geographic, Baby TV, Fox Sport, ESPN, Disney Channel, AD Sales & other media LOBs.

This is an office-based role. 4 days working in the Hammersmith, London office with 1 day working from home (Monday or Friday).

What You Will Do

• Day to day management, support & development of 1 person, including hiring, objective setting, performance management, guidance, and training.  

• Ensuring quarterly close activities are completed in an accurate and timely manner e.g. monitor the timely completion of the team deliverables checklist & facilitate fast issue resolution.  

• Ensuring overall preparation of reporting packages & financial reports, such as income statements, balance sheet flux schedules and impairments are completed on a timely basis & all issues & variances are followed up on where required. 

• Reviewing & approving key close postings and deliverables before period close such as the quarterly WHT provision, impairments, FOH reconciliations & BS flux. 

• WHT for TWDC UK, monitoring & resolving aged & incorrectly withheld balances with key stakeholders such as Tax, Capgemini & Finance.  

• Working closely with local, EMEA & US teams on a daily basis to bridge knowledge gaps, facilitate rapid issue resolution, implementing new systems, processes and facilitating change management. 

• Approval of all journals & ICO invoices over $1m.   

• Approval of all monthly & quarterly BS reconciliations. 

• Maintaining status of an EMEA programming centre of excellence & liaising with EMEA & US programming teams on a daily basis to ensure accounting, tax & legal compliance. 

• Ensuring compliance with programming accounting policies for EMEA internally developed content, third-party acquisitions, pre-buys (original acquisitions), co-productions, US content, Studio content, contributions, interstitials, development & pilot & content produced for third parties. 

• Approving in Mediamorph (programming FOH system) set ups for programming assets, liabilities, amortisation, collapsing assets & AP payments on an ongoing basis as well as advising the team on efficient issue resolution. 

• Preparation of the EMEA BS Flux, investigation of variances & providing feedback to the US corporate & EMEA leadership teams. 

• Review of the EMEA Media P&L Flux, for all material LOBs, investigation of variances & providing feedback to the US corporate & EMEA leadership teams. 

• Attending & leading quarterly close calls to ensure the leadership team receive timely & accurate updates on close numbers. 

• Liaising with external Auditors on a quarterly basis, including attending the audit calls.   

• Ensure compliance with Sarbanes Oxley & Disney Minimum Control Standards e.g. journal log. 

• Identify & drive areas of improvement within current processes with the aim of maintaining the current high standard of service provided in a more efficient manner. 

• Undertake various projects to drive efficiency. 

• Legal entity rationalisation i.e. mergers and transfers of business. 

• Supporting management & wider finance team on any ad-hoc duties 

Required Qualifications & Skills

• Qualified CIMA/ACCA/ACA with a minimum of 5 years’ post qualified experience  

• Background & knowledge of film & TV programming accounting preferred.   

• Advanced excel and SAP experience  

• A strong attention to detail, with an ability to analyze information critically & ask questions. 

• Adaptable & ability to manage to tight deadlines 

• Engages colleagues across the organization to optimize performance.  

• Proven ability in managing the needs of diverse stakeholders.   

• Provides appropriate rationale & context to drive commitment.  

• Effectively persuades others to support ideas & plans.  

• Conveys relevant information in a candid & timely manner 

• Translates strategy into specific priorities, objectives, & action plans.  

• Manages projects, processes & resources to produce desired outcomes.  

• Holds self & others accountable to high performance standards.  

• Analyses problems effectively & takes action to resolve.  

• Analyses data & information to drive decisions 

• Facilitates the exchange of ideas & creation of new ones.  

• Conceives creative ideas to solve problems or meet objectives.  

• Demonstrates flexibility in response to changes.  

The Perks

• 25 days annual leave

• Private medical insurance & dental care

• Free Park Entry: You will have the opportunity to enter any of our parks with your family and friends for free

• Disney Discounts: you are entitled to discounts on designated Disney products, resort F&B and ticketing

• Excellent parental and guardian leave

• Employee Resource Groups – WOMEN @ Disney, Disney DIVERSITY, Disney PRIDE, ENABLED, and our Mental Health & Wellbeing Group, TRUST.

The Walt Disney Company is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We strive to be a diverse workforce that is representative of our audiences, and where all can thrive and belong. Disney is committed to forming a team that includes and respects a variety of voices, identities, backgrounds, experiences and perspectives.