Finance Director, Warner Bros. Studio Tour

Job Description

Finance Director, Warner Bros. Studio Tour Tokyo (WBSTT)

ABOUT

We are looking for a Finance Lead for the new Warner Bros. Studio Tour in Tokyo. This is an exciting opportunity for a talented Finance professional who will oversee Business Unit finance, planning, analysis, and control activities for WBSTT including FP&A, management reporting, safeguarding Company assets, GAAP compliance, Sarbanes-Oxley compliance (as required), and SAP controllership including reconciliation to ticketing, retail and other business systems.
In this role you will be responsible for WBSTT's P&L, Balance Sheet and Cash Flow budgets and re-forecasts, and ad hoc financial analysis including investment and other strategic decision support.
As Finance Director, you will work closely with senior management, assisting them with maximizing earnings, optimizing resource utilization, responding to competitive threats, and predicting and avoiding unplanned costs through continuous monitoring of business unit results and forecasts, targeted data analysis, and pro forma management reporting.

ESSENTIAL JOB RESPONSIBILITIES
Pre-operational work
• Building finance capability and team to fulfil purpose of role in fully operational state, including team structure design and recruitment
• Working closely with technology and operations teams to select and implement ticketing and retail system including interface and reconciliation with SAP
• Pre-operational cash flow and P&L reporting and forecasting
• Working closely with the Capital Finance Manager to understand capital reporting, impact on cash flows and financing implications for WBSTT
• Working with International Treasury and WBJ finance to ensure appropriate funding and reporting mechanisms in place to manage pre-operational cash flows
• Design and agreement with senior operational management on the form and regularity of operational and financial management reporting plus implementation of this
• Working closely with WBJ Finance team and GBS to ensure local statutory compliance and group process compliance which is suitable for a fast-paced operational business (e.g. invoice to cash, procure to pay, record to report and local audit and tax compliance)
• Ad hoc work as required

Post-operational work
• Full management reporting of actual results of all divisions of WBSTT including the completeness and accuracy of all WBSTT profit centre profit and loss accounts
• All forecasting, budgeting and LRP preparation for all WBSTT departments including cashflow forecasting
• Design and ongoing controllership of cash processes
• Ensure internal controls relative to Leavesden are adequately designed and functioning, including Sarbanes-Oxley key controls as required. Maintain and update narrative documentation and key control matrices as required
• Provide guidance to ensure compliance with GAAP, SOX, and Company policies and procedures in all areas of responsibility. Coordinate with WBJ Finance team and GBS to ensure compliance with Company policies and procedures and all local statutory tax, audit and legal matters
• Optimize use of technology, including leveraging existing Company investments in SAP and other applications, to raise productivity without increasing headcount. Identify, propose, review and/or implement cost effective continuous improvement opportunities
• Closely support senior divisional management with ad hoc reporting and financial analysis. Respond to inquiries (both verbally and in writing) from WBSO, WBSL or senior management
• Advise and provide recommendations to operating departments on financial issues

SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE
• Previous proven experience of working at Finance Director/Finance Controller level
• Proven experience of managing a team
• Experienced in large, public company
• Strong Excel skills and working knowledge of SAP
• Experience in:
• Start-up and high growth companies
• Strategy, business modelling, business planning, business process improvement
• Financial planning and analysis, including planning cycle management
• Capital investment decision support
• General accounting and management reporting
• VAT
• Internal control
• Corporate re-organisations
• Industry experience in either film and television production, entertainment, visitor attractions, facilities management, real estate development, retail services, and/or manufacturing
• Ability to lead projects and bring them to a successful conclusion
• Strong critical thinking and analytical skills
• Strong organisation skills
• Desire to produce accurate, reliable and high-quality work in a timely manner
• Excellent verbal and written communication and presentation skills with the ability to convey information in a clear and succinct manner
• Ability and desire to work successfully with operational and other non-finance teams
• Flexibility, agility, and proven success meeting urgent deadlines
• Able to manage in a matrixed organisation and balance needs of operations and finance management
• Strong organisation and time management skills
• Professional, diplomatic, tenacious, confident and collaborative with all levels of staff
• Educated to degree level or equivalent
• Recognised professional finance qualification
• Fluent written and spoken Japanese and English is essential

Many of our staff work flexibly in many different ways, including flexible hours or an element of working remotely. Please talk to us at interview about the flexibility you need.

Jobcode: Reference SBJ-gwxe3k-3-141-31-209-42 in your application.