Director Of Accounting, Royalty & Subrights

Aston Carter•New York, NY

4d•$130,000 - $150,000•Remote

About The Position

A leading global publishing organization is seeking a Director of Royalty & Rights Accounting to oversee all accounting operations related to royalties, subrights, licensing, revenue recognition, and period-close activities. This highly visible position leads a multi-level team responsible for complex contract accounting, statement processing, settlements, and financial analysis. The Director will own end‑to-end royalty and subrights accounting processes, strengthen internal controls, collaborate with technology and data teams, and drive transformation across financial systems—particularly within SAP and related royalty platforms. This role is ideal for a publishing-industry accounting leader with deep rights/royalty expertise and a passion for operational excellence.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Accounting or Finance; CPA preferred.
10+ years of rights and royalty accounting experience within the publishing, media, or entertainment industry.
4+ years managing direct reports in an accounting leadership function.
Advanced expertise in royalties, subrights, licensing revenue, and contract/rights accounting.
Strong working knowledge of SAP (FI/CO; royalties/subrights integrations a plus).
Advanced Excel skills (V/X Lookup, analysis, macros preferred).
Demonstrated ability to lead audits, manage complex reconciliations, and produce high‑quality financial reporting.
Proven success driving process improvement and system implementations.
Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.

Responsibilities

Oversee all royalty and subrights accounting activities, including contract interpretation, royalty statement generation, rights income recognition, and licensing settlements.
Ensure accurate calculation and reconciliation of royalties from multiple systems into the general ledger.
Maintain strong governance around rights, subrights, licensing, and royalty-related financial data.
Lead monthly and quarterly close processes related to royalties, subrights, and related revenue streams.
Oversee account reconciliations, variance analysis, accruals, and compliance with internal controls.
Strengthen process documentation, accounting procedures, and controls aligned with IFRS/GAAP.
Serve as an accounting lead for ERP and royalty system initiatives, including SAP optimization and future platform integrations.
Partner with data, technology, and operations teams to streamline workflows, automate repetitive tasks, and improve data accuracy across reporting cycles.
Support audits with reconciliations, schedules, documentation, and responses to external auditor inquiries.
Lead and develop a team of managers, senior accountants, and analysts supporting royalty, subrights, and contract accounting functions.
Provide coaching, mentorship, and performance management for a team of 5+ employees and contingent workers.
Foster a culture of accuracy, accountability, and continuous improvement.