Associate Director of Finance & Accounting, The Orchard
The Orchard
$115-123k
4+ days a week in office
Music distribution and licensing
Be an early applicant
Music distribution and licensing
1001+ employees
Be an early applicant
$115-123k
4+ days a week in office
1001+ employees
Company mission
To be a technology-driven leader in music distribution and artist & label services.
Role
Who you are
- 6+ years of accounting experience, including at least 3 years in a leadership or senior individual contributor capacity
- Experience at a global, publicly traded organization, Big Four background strongly preferred
- Proficiency in SAP preferred
- Strong knowledge of US GAAP, intercompany accounting, transfer pricing and SOX compliance
- Proven track record of successfully managing multiple entities and business units simultaneously
- Experience with system integrations, OBS workbooks, or finance transformation initiatives
- Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field; CPA or progress toward CPA preferred
- A collaborative team player who leads by example, willing to roll up your sleeves while also elevating those around you
- Agile and adaptable: you thrive when priorities shift, embrace ambiguity and find creative paths forward without losing accuracy or accountability
- A clear, proactive communicator who can translate financial data into digestible insights for finance and non finance stakeholders alike
- Detail oriented and process minded, with a passion for identifying efficiencies and building scalable systems
- Comfortable operating in a matrixed, global organization and navigating relationships across time zones, teams, and cultures
What the job involves
- The Orchard is looking for a dynamic and collaborative Associate Director, Finance & Accounting to join our Finance team. The ideal candidate is a strategic thinker and natural team player who thrives in a fast paced, ever evolving environment with at least 6 years of accounting experience. Month end close at a global, publicly traded organization and Big Four experience are preferred.
- A hands on leadership style and the agility to pivot quickly as business needs change. This role will report into the Senior Director, Finance & Accounting and will be based in our New York City office. The Associate Director will play a key role in mentoring junior team members, partnering cross-functionally and driving continuous process improvement across our finance operations
- Office- first role, in office 4 days a week
- Month End Close & Financial Reporting
- Lead and actively participate in the month end close process, including reviewing and approving journal entries prepared by Senior Accountants and offshore teams, while also preparing complex JEs in SAP for domestic and foreign entities
- Maintain and review balance sheet reconciliations and schedules, analyze account movements and investigate significant or unusual variances with a solutions oriented mindset
- Partner with the Senior Director to continuously evaluate and streamline the close process, adapting quickly to structural or business changes as they arise
- Oversee and review key balance sheet accounts including holdback reserves and contingent considerations
- Multi-Entity & Business Unit Oversight
- Serve as the primary finance point of contact for multiple entities, business units and labels ensuring timely and accurate monthly JEs, accruals, and financial reviews
- Analyze monthly financial results across entities, business units and labels, proactively identifying trends, risks, and opportunities and communicating findings clearly to leadership and cross-functional partners
- Review non contingent accruals by examining contract terms and preparing entity level accrual JEs with precision and accountability
- Prepare and review monthly accruals and actuals for labels and monitor equity income activity for investments
- Group Reporting & Parent Company Collaboration
- Lead preparation of monthly and quarterly financial schedules for group reporting, including Sony quarterly schedules (intangibles), Sony Music Global Finance requests, intercompany variance reporting and Sony Tax Packs
- Manage Orchard Transfer Pricing processes and multi entity transaction reviews, partnering cross-functionally to ensure accuracy and compliance
- Act as a key liaison with Sony Music Global Finance, responding to ad-hoc requests promptly and collaboratively
- Audit, Compliance & SOX
- Partner with external and internal auditors on local statutory audits, group level audits, business process reviews, and SOX compliance, acting as a knowledgeable and responsive point of contact who can adapt documentation and deliverables to meet evolving audit requirements
- Oversee and maintain SOX controls, including ensuring new label advances are routed to EVP & CFO and EVP Label BA for timely review and approval
- Integration, Systems & Process Improvement
- Champion integration projects by evaluating current processes and controls, developing improved workflows, and leading implementation
- Demonstrate agility in onboarding new entities and processes, including the Orchard Abacus advance process, the new Payoneer cash funding process, and future integrations. Bringing a continuous improvement mindset to every initiative
- Proactively identify process improvement opportunities across the broader Finance team and collaborate with stakeholders to design and implement scalable solutions
- Accounts Payable & Expense Management
- Review and approve purchase requisitions, vendor invoices, and expense reports in accordance with company policy including PO approvals in Console across various Orchard cost centers and expense reports in Latin cost centers
- Cross-Functional Partnership & Leadership
- Collaborate closely with Contract Administration on reporting requirements and partner across Legal, Operations, and Label Business Affairs to ensure financial accuracy and alignment
- Serve as a trusted mentor and resource to Senior Accountants and junior team members, fostering a culture of learning, accountability and adaptability
- Contribute to ad-hoc projects including system integrations and implementations, bringing both technical expertise and a team first attitude
Our take
The Orchard has spent 25 years offering independent artists a comprehensive set of music services, including marketing, sales, YouTube monetisation, and distribution and licensing across over 40 worldwide markets. The company has spent nearly a decade of that time operating as a subsidiary of Sony Music.
The addition of YouTube monetisation services a decade ago was a smart move for The Orchard - even if it’s landed the company in some hot copyfraud water for what some criticise as an overzealous approach to copyright infringement claims. It means that artists with The Orchard have more tools in their arsenal to combat the rise of streaming services, which have put independent artists in a difficult position regarding monetisation.
If the company wants to continue providing the best service for independent artists, however, it may need to be more proactive in accommodating new and highly influential trends in music marketing. TikTok, for example, has become a major tool for generating exposure, and many artists are experimenting independently with NFTs. The industry is moving at light speed, and The Orchard may need to pick up its pace to continue attracting independent talent.
Kirsty
Company Specialist at Welcome to the Jungle
Insights
7% employee growth in 12 months
Company
Company benefits
- You join an inclusive, collaborative and global community where you have the opportunity to fuel the creative journey
- A modern office environment designed to foster productivity, creativity, and teamwork
- An excellent range of benefits, like private medical cover, a generous pension scheme, life assurance and income protection, plus loads of music biz perks
- We invest in your professional growth & development
Company HQ
NoHo, New York, NY
Leadership
Richard Gottehrer
(Founder & Chief Creative Officer)An original founder of the company back in 1997.
Salary benchmarks
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