SVP, Production Finance at FIFTH SEASON – Los Angeles, California

About FIFTH SEASON

FIFTH SEASON is a leading global independent studio that specializes in the development, financing, production and distribution of feature films, premium television series and documentaries for theatrical distributors, streaming platforms as well as broadcast and cable networks globally. The company is headquartered in Los Angeles, California, and operates major hubs in New York and London as well as additional offices in Europe, Asia and South America. Known for producing and distributing award-winning content that engages audiences and moves culture, the studio’s film titles include the multi-Oscar-nominated The Lost Daughter from Maggie Gyllenhaal, Ambulance directed by Michael Bay, Destin Daniel Cretton’s Just Mercy, the Book Club franchise, the Sundance Film Festival Audience Award winner Cha Cha Real Smooth, and 80 For Brady. The studio produces premium TV series including the 14-time Emmy-nominated Severance, See, and Truth Be Told for Apple TV+, Wolf Like Me for Peacock, Life & Beth, Nine Perfect Strangers, and McCartney 3, 2, 1 for Hulu, and Tokyo Vice for HBO Max. FIFTH SEASON also handles global distribution for dozens of hit series in addition to its own studio productions, including Killing Eve, The Morning Show, Normal People, and The Night Manager.

Our Culture:

A studio with a soul, FIFTH SEASON is proud to be an anti-racist and feminist company, focused on leaving the entertainment business better than we found it. We empower freedom and ownership, delivering the expertise of a big studio with the entrepreneurial spirit and creativity of a start-up.

We offer competitive compensation, benefits, and opportunities for professional growth in a dynamic and exciting industry. The ideal candidate is driven and hungry to learn and wants to be in the trenches of the entertainment industry. If you meet the above requirements and are excited about this opportunity, we invite you to apply.

Role Overview:

The Senior Vice President, Production Finance will lead and oversee all financial operations for a premium scripted content slate, including high-budget television series and feature films. This executive will serve as the strategic and operational finance partner to Production, Studio Leadership, Corporate Finance, and Accounting, ensuring financial rigor from development through delivery.

The ideal candidate brings deep experience in premium scripted series and feature films, sophisticated knowledge of domestic and international tax incentive programs, and a strong track record managing audits, production accounting teams, and large-scale budgets across multiple jurisdictions.

This role requires a highly collaborative leader who can operate at both strategic and granular levels, adapt to production-driven schedules, and oversee a growing team of production finance professionals. This is a high-impact executive role for a seasoned production finance leader who thrives at the intersection of creativity, operational complexity, and financial strategy.

Role Responsibilities:

Strategic Production Finance Leadership

• Lead the Production Finance department across a slate of premium scripted series and feature films
• Partner closely with Heads of Production and Studio Executives to align creative ambitions with financial frameworks
• Oversee greenlight budgeting, cost modeling, and long-range production cash flow planning
• Provide strategic financial guidance throughout development, prep, production, post-production, and delivery

Budgeting & Financial Oversight

• Supervise the preparation, review, and approval of production budgets and subsequent iterations
• Analyze above-the-line and below-the-line cost structures and identify optimization opportunities without compromising creative goals
• Monitor cost reports, ETCs, and variance analyses across multiple active productions
• Ensure compliance with internal financial controls and reporting standards

Tax Incentives & Global Production Structuring

• Lead strategy and execution for domestic and international tax incentive programs
• Evaluate global production locations based on financial, regulatory, and operational factors
• Oversee incentive applications, compliance, audits, and monetization strategies
• Collaborate with external advisors, local production partners, and government agencies as needed

Audit & Compliance Management

• Run point on network, studio, guild, and third-party audits
• Oversee audit preparation, documentation, and resolution of findings
• Ensure productions adhere to union, guild, and contractual financial obligations
• Maintain strong internal controls and risk mitigation protocols

Corporate Finance & Accounting Partnership

• Serve as primary liaison between Production Finance and Corporate Accounting/Finance
• Align production reporting with corporate financial planning, cash forecasting, and consolidation requirements
• Support quarterly and annual financial reporting cycles
• Ensure seamless integration between production cost tracking systems and corporate financial systems
• Collaborate and communicate with Treasury department on bank account and funding needs

Team Leadership & Talent Development

• Build, mentor, and manage a high-performing Production Finance team
• Oversee staffing of production accountants, controllers, and finance leads on individual projects
• Develop staffing strategies aligned with slate volume and complexity
• Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, and operational excellence

Operational

• Operate effectively in a fast-paced production environment with shifting schedules and priorities
• Support productions across multiple time zones and international locations
• Maintain flexibility to accommodate production-driven hours and urgent financial matters
• Foster collaboration and streamline processes and systems across the organization
• Lead automation of financial and data systems and processes

Requirements:

• 15+ years of progressive experience in production finance, with significant leadership experience at a studio, network, or major production company level
• Deep expertise in premium scripted television series and feature films
• Extensive experience with U.S. and international tax incentive programs
• Demonstrated experience leading network or studio audits
• Strong command of production budgeting, cost reporting, and cash flow management
• Proven experience managing and scaling teams across multiple concurrent productions
• Strong working knowledge of union and guild agreements
• Experience partnering with Corporate Accounting and Finance functions
• Exceptional analytical, negotiation, and communication skills with the ability to synthesize data and complex information, and present succinctly to executives and stakeholders at all levels
• Ability to balance strategic oversight with hands-on execution