Statutory & Tax Lead, Poland / Chief Accountant

Please note that this role is based in Poland. To enable us to meet the statutory and regulatory obligations of the Polish immigration system, you must have the appropriate immigration permission needed to work and reside in Poland for the duration of the employment.

As GFO Statutory & Tax Lead, you will play a key role in Sony Pictures Entertainment’s Global Finance Operations organisation (SPE GFO), acting as the primary finance lead for the Polish branch of the UK entity, Columbia Pictures Corporation Ltd (CPCL). The branch predominantly operates in the TV Distribution business controlled by the Warsaw office and provides some back-office services, namely accounting support (RTR – Record to Report), CMI (Cash Management & Intercompany), and Payroll services for SPE EMEA entities that are delivered from the Gdynia office.

You will have end-to-end oversight of the branch’s accounting and finance operations, ensuring that its books and financial statements are complete, accurate and compliant with local statutory and tax requirements, including VAT and CIT, as well as SPE’s global finance processes and controls.

As GFO Stat & Tax Lead for Poland, you will be working closely with other SPE GFO towers/teams, Divisional Finance and our outsourcing partner, Capgemini. You will oversee the effective delivery of accounting processes, drive the timely resolution and escalation of issues, and provide local finance expertise across the organisation. The role will also support GFO planning, budgeting and forecasting processes linked to corporate and S&T overheads.

You will provide line management to the Office Coordinator, who is responsible for supporting local office operations, overseeing the effective operation of the Gdynia office, and acting as its external representative.

What you'll do:

• Accounting and financial oversight – maintain end-to-end oversight of the Polish entity’s books and records, ensuring completeness, accuracy and compliance with Polish accounting regulations and SPE accounting policies. Lead the preparation of the statutory financial statements and ensure their timely completion in accordance with local requirements. Coordinate with the teams responsible for individual areas of the general ledger and sub-ledgers, including Capgemini, and ensure appropriate resolution of accounting and reconciliation matters. Liaise with external tax advisors on local tax compliance and reporting matters.
• Cash management – oversee the entity’s day-to-day payment activities and cash position, ensuring sufficient liquidity to meet operational requirements and coordinating cash management activities.
• Statutory and tax compliance – take ownership of the entity’s statutory and tax compliance, ensuring that all relevant tax returns, statutory filings, transfer pricing compliance and reporting, and other local reporting requirements are completed accurately and on time. Act as the key local point of expertise and escalation for Polish statutory and tax matters. Coordinate with external tax advisors on local tax compliance and reporting matters.
• Statutory audit – act as the primary point of contact for the external statutory auditors, coordinating the audit process across SPE and Capgemini teams, managing information requests and ensuring timely completion of the Polish statutory audit of the branch financial statements.
• Local Regulatory & Compliance Reporting – oversee and ensure compliance with local statistical and regulatory reporting requirements, including filings with the National Bank of Poland (NBP), and other local reporting obligations, ensuring completeness, accuracy and timely submission.
• Group Reporting & Compliance – oversee IAS 12, Pillar II and other Group reporting and compliance requirements, ensuring accurate and timely delivery in line with SPE Group policies and deadlines.
• Cross-functional and Outsource Partner Management – work closely with GFO, regional and global finance teams and Capgemini to ensure effective delivery of accounting processes. Provide local guidance, challenge, and oversight where required and support the continued development of an effective and sustainable operating model.
• Commercial Support – partner with the Warsaw Sales team on finance and tax matters related to the local business, including providing guidance on tax clauses and tax implications within distribution agreements and other commercial arrangements.
• Local Office Management and External Office Representation – Oversee the effective day-to-day operation and facilities management of the Gdynia office, ensuring a well-functioning, safe and positive working environment. Provide line management and direction to the Office Coordinator responsible for supporting local office operations. Represent the office externally, maintaining relationships with the landlord and with other relevant local stakeholders and organisations.
• Transformation Projects and Continuous Improvement – support SPE’s broader finance transformation agenda of process improvements by identifying opportunities to simplify, standardise and improve local accounting, statutory and tax processes, while strengthening controls and leveraging SPE’s global capabilities and outsourcing model, as well as utilising new technologies as part of the financial systems roadmap, including SAP governance and systems rationalisation.

The role requires a strong combination of Polish statutory and tax expertise, broad accounting knowledge of Polish GAAP, and ideally, IFRS, and business partnering skills, together with the ability to operate effectively across a complex global organization. The Statutory & Tax Lead will be expected to take ownership of the Polish entity while working collaboratively across functions, geographies and external partners to ensure high-quality, compliant and efficient finance operations.

What you have:

Knowledge

• Minimum 8 years of relevant experience in statutory accounting, tax compliance or a related finance role, preferably within a multinational environment.
• Strong practical experience in Polish statutory reporting and tax compliance, including CIT, VAT and transfer pricing requirements.
• Experience in coordinating statutory audits and liaising with external auditors and tax advisors.
• Experience working effectively with cross-functional teams across different locations and areas of expertise.

Ability to

• Strong collaboration skills, with the ability to work effectively with cross-functional teams across different locations and areas of expertise
• Operate in an international dynamic, uncertain environment
• Operate to tight deadlines
• Be a change agent
• Manage multiple projects simultaneously
• Provide line management to the Office Coordinator responsible for supporting local office operations
• Be a self-starter and work using own initiative
• Be flexible with duties, scope and hours of work and business travel requirements
• Effectively communicate in business English (oral and written skills) across finance and operational organization at all levels

If you require any reasonable adjustments with any part of the recruitment process, including the application or interview process, please contact us at [email protected]. Please put Reasonable Adjustment Request in the subject line of the email.

Sony Pictures does not allow audio recording, video recording or use of AI note-taking tools during interviews. Candidates requiring these tools as an accommodation during an interview should submit a reasonable adjustment request at the point they are invited to interview.

Sony Pictures Entertainment is committed to equal opportunity in all its employment practices, policies and procedures. No worker or potential worker will therefore receive less favourable treatment due to their race, age, creed, sexual orientation, colour, nationality, ethnic origin, disability, religion, gender, marital status or Trade Union membership (if applicable).

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