Senior Manager

Welcome to Warner Bros. Discovery… the stuff dreams are made of.

Who We Are…

When we say, “the stuff dreams are made of,” we’re not just referring to the world of wizards, dragons and superheroes, or even to the wonders of Planet Earth. Behind WBD’s vast portfolio of iconic content and beloved brands, are the storytellers bringing our characters to life, the creators bringing them to your living rooms and the dreamers creating what’s next…

From brilliant creatives, to technology trailblazers, across the globe, WBD offers career defining opportunities, thoughtfully curated benefits, and the tools to explore and grow into your best selves. Here you are supported, here you are celebrated, here you can thrive.

Your New Role

      The Senior Manager Personnel Accounting will be responsible for delivering quality accounting services for personnel accounting operations.  Personnel activities include but are not limited to accounting for severance, retention, health and welfare, and other benefit reserves, and ensuring accuracy and completeness of payroll and related cost postings. This role includes managing the operational personnel accounting activities in accordance with US GAAP and Company policies and practices; performing SOX controls; preparing relevant reports and schedules necessary for management and external reporting; and other duties as assigned including those outlined below. This role will work closely with key stakeholders in FP&A, Benefits Finance, Various Accounting teams, and other key stakeholders as well as internal and external audit. 

      Given the sensitive nature of the information available to you, being able to maintain confidentiality is a critical component of this role.

Your Role Accountabilities

• Oversee and manage accounting functions including maintaining the general ledger, journal entry processing, review of actuals to forecast, variance flux explanations and balance sheet account reconciliations as it pertains to personnel accounting activities.

• Timely review and approval of complex work product while ensuring compliance with US GAAP, regulatory requirements, and company policies.

• Proactively plan and execute the month end close process to ensure accuracy, integrity, and completeness.

• Manage a team of 5+ consisting of managers and seniors accountants to provide quality services and providing hands-on support of the daily operations. This includes setting goals, managing capacity and workload allocation, holding the team accountable, providing training and career development, evaluating performance, building notable process improvements, and ensuring timeliness, quality and completeness of all accounting transactions and reporting.

• Indirectly lead the Centers of Excellence (COE) personnel accounting teams. This will include reviewing work, validating and investigating issues as well as providing inputs into the coaching and development of existing team members, cross team coordination, and excellent communication with senior leadership teams.

• Lead special projects and proactively develop timely ad hoc analyses for management to make informed decisions. Also, coordinate with counterparts in COEs to provide insight and work together to identify and resolve problems.

• Work closely with external and internal audit to support walk-throughs and testing completion.

• Serve as subject matter expert for existing systems and processes throughout financial system and boundary system integrations and implementations. Serve as a key contributor to the implementation of the new accounting platform SAP S/4 HANA.

• Develop and recommend continuous, innovative process improvements that leverage systems to ensure overall efficiency while maintaining or improving the internal controls environment around Personnel accounting.

• Ensure proper internal controls are in place and all transactions are recorded timely and accurately in accordance with US GAAP, regulatory requirements and company policies.

Qualifications & Experience

• 7-10 years of work experience in an accounting role and an experience appropriate understanding of US GAAP and SOX 404 requirements.
•   Needs leadership and supervisory experience 2+ years.
• BS/BA in Accounting and/or Finance from an accredited university
• Active CPA strongly preferred
•   Big 4 Public Accounting experience a plus
• Excellent oral and written communication skills to articulate key information.
• Self-motivated and able to handle and prioritize multiple tasks in order to meet deadlines.
• Keen attention to detail
• Track record of demonstrating process re-engineering to gain efficiency while not compromising process effectiveness.
• Excellent time management track record.
• Initiative and willingness to take on additional responsibilities.
• High emphasis on teamwork, collaboration, data analysis, and process innovation.
• Detail-oriented and high energy.
• Unceasing curiosity and the courage to challenge the status quo.
• Self-starter and works with limited direction and take full ownership of areas of responsibility.
• Team player who embraces change.
• Unceasing curiosity and the courage to challenge the status quo.
• Advanced analytical and Microsoft Excel skills.
• Strong working knowledge of Microsoft Word & PowerPoint.
• Track record of developing a team to create future leaders within the organization.
• Experience in the Media industry preferred.

How We Get Things Done…

This last bit is probably the most important! Here at WBD, our guiding principles are the core values by which we operate and are central to how we get things done. You can find them at www.wbd.com/guiding-principles/ along with some insights from the team on what they mean and how they show up in their day to day. We hope they resonate with you and look forward to discussing them during your interview.

Championing Inclusion at WBD

Warner Bros. Discovery embraces the opportunity to build a workforce that reflects a wide array of perspectives, backgrounds and experiences. Being an equal opportunity employer means that we take seriously our responsibility to consider qualified candidates on the basis of merit, without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, mental or physical disability, and genetic information, marital status, citizenship status, military status, protected veteran status or any other category protected by law.

If you’re a qualified candidate with a disability and you require adjustments or accommodations during the job application and/or recruitment process, please visit our accessibility page for instructions to submit your request.