Director, Payroll Finance Systems

The Director role aligns with and provides support to the payroll business functions.  The Director is the IT team lead and liaison to IT for application and technology-related matters for Payroll user communities.  This role owns development and maintenance of systems supporting Payroll activities, including ensuring that any outsourced and/or SaaS arrangements effectively manage SPE’s business.  Work side-by-side with Payroll Operations as well as the HR functional/IT teams.  This role will cross support with the Participations and Residuals manager. 

This leader is expected to:

• understand the various Payroll activities and processes,
• coordinate their up- and down-stream feeder systems with other teams,
• be intimate with the information needed to support business processes,
• gather requirements as needs change from the Business – indeed, to anticipate them,
• propose solutions that meet those requirements efficiently and economically,
• confidently make calculated and informed decisions, drive toward continuously improving processes with the use of technology

Responsibilities:

• Lead development, delivery, and management of Payroll systems across SPE. 
• Foster and enhance relationships with various constituencies including GFO leads, Payroll, Participations and Residuals leadership and direct reports and their teams.  Manage vendors providing Payroll application and technology support. 
• Responsible for applications and technology strategy as relates to Payroll activities and for optimizing processes and applications for a simplified architecture. 
• Manage IT Payroll projects and their corresponding budgets – using an Agile methodology where possible – by providing guidance, expertise, and in coordinating staff activities and their participation. 
• Lead, mentor and develop the IT staff who support Payroll. 
• Provide open and clear communication to stakeholders and executives of progress, plans and issue resolution.  Coordinate with appropriate Corporate Communications teams as necessary. 

Requirements:

• Master’s degree preferred
• 10+ years of payroll experience
• 10+ years of Media and Entertainment experience
• 5 years of experience with project management
• Desirable to have experience with Hours-to-Gross and Gross-to-Net payroll systems for US and Canada (global a plus), preferred examples including but not limited to: UKG Pro /Ultipro/Kronos/Dimensions/PRO WFM/Infor/Workday and SAP financials. 
• Experience with IBM Cognos BI reporting. 
• Needs experience managing vendors and SaaS providers.  
• Proficiency in Excel, business intelligence/IBM Cognos BI reporting tools, SQL. 
• Expertise in collective bargaining agreements, specific to entertainment unions, and how those rules impact the complexity in the payroll systems.

Sony Pictures Entertainment is an equal opportunity employer. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, veteran status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, or other protected characteristics.

SPE will consider qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records in accordance with applicable law.

To request an accommodation for purposes of participating in the hiring process, you may contact us at SPE_Accommodation_Assistance@spe.sony.com.