Accounts Payable Specialist

The Accounts Payable Specialist supports the Development Finance team by managing accounts payable workflows and processing payments to talent with active deals in development prior to production. This role operates in a fast-paced, results-oriented entertainment environment and requires strong verbal and written communication skills to engage with a broad range of internal and external business partners. The position offers exposure to development finance, talent payment processes, and advanced automation and AI tools used in the finance field, making it a strong starting point for someone early in their career.

Responsibilities

• Manage talent payee onboarding for all deals in development by using internal accounts payable platforms to collect and validate payment information for writers, directors, producers, and rights holders ahead of payment.
• Maintain and enhance key accounts payable process workflows with a focus on improving controllership, accuracy, and operational efficiency.
• Collaborate with internal Development stakeholders, including Creative, Business Affairs, and Legal, to track new deals closing across movie and television development slates and assist in setting up payment schedules in the Payment Scheduler System (PSS) in alignment with deal terms.
• Set up and monitor payment schedules in PSS to ensure payments are processed accurately and on time according to contractual agreements.
• Field ad hoc inquiries from talent and their representatives and coordinate with the AP FinOps Support team to troubleshoot development payment and onboarding issues.
• Manage payment metric dashboards in Quicksight to reinforce financial controllership and provide clear visibility to various internal business partners.
• Produce Development Cost Reports from PSS data for Production Finance for active titles and for Legal for abandoned projects and in-development payables.
• Use accounts payable, accounting, invoice processing, invoicing, purchase order, and data entry skills to support end-to-end payment workflows.
• Communicate effectively across different teams involved in the lifecycle of the payment process, ensuring alignment, clarity, and timely resolution of issues.
• Apply knowledge of contracts, agreements, finance, and reporting to interpret deal terms and support accurate financial and payment reporting.
• Demonstrate customer obsession by anticipating stakeholder needs and providing useful, timely information upon request.
• Show bias for action by proactively identifying issues or process gaps and taking steps to address them quickly.
• Earn trust with internal and external partners through reliable execution, attention to detail, and transparent communication.

Essential Skills

• 12 years of experience in finance, accounting, accounts payable, or a related field; highly qualified new graduates may be considered.
• Hands-on experience working with accounts payable systems and workflows.
• Proficiency in accounts payable, accounting, invoice processing, invoicing, purchase order handling, and data entry.
• Ability to communicate effectively with multiple teams involved in the lifecycle of payment and development processes.
• Experience with financial reporting and dashboarding, including managing or interpreting metric dashboards.
• Knowledge of contracts and agreements and the ability to apply that knowledge in a finance and reporting context.
• General understanding of finance principles and financial reporting.
• Bachelors degree (BA) or higher, in any discipline.

Work Environment

This role follows a standard Monday through Friday schedule, with five days per week in the office. The work environment is fast-paced and highly collaborative, centered around the entertainment industry and development finance. The position involves daily interaction with creative, business affairs, legal, production finance, and accounts payable support teams, as well as external talent and their representatives. You will work extensively with accounts payable platforms, the Payment Scheduler System (PSS), and reporting tools such as Quicksight, leveraging automation and AI technologies in the finance field. The office setting supports professional attire appropriate for a corporate entertainment and finance environment. Contract extensions are not guaranteed but may be possible, and there is potential for conversion depending on business needs and performance.

Job Type & Location

This is a Contract position based out of Culver City, CA.

Pay and Benefits

The pay range for this position is $38.00 - $43.00/hr.

Individual compensation offered for this position within this range will depend on many factors, including qualifications, skills, relevant experience, job knowledge, geographic location, internal equity, and other pertinent job-related factors.

Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your job classification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may be subject to specific elections, plan, or program terms. If eligible, the benefits available for this temporary role may include the following: Medical, dental & vision Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital 401(k) Retirement Plan Pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions available Life Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D for the employee and dependents) Short and long-term disability Health Spending Account (HSA) Transportation benefits Employee Assistance Program Time Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation or Sick Leave)

Job Type & Location

This is a Contract position based out of Culver City, CA.

Application Deadline

This position is anticipated to close on Nov 4, 2026.

Workplace Type

This is a fully onsite position in Culver City,CA.

About Aston Carter

Aston Carter provides world-class corporate talent solutions to thousands of clients across the globe. Specialized in accounting, finance, human resources, talent acquisition, procurement, supply chain and select administrative professions, we extend the capabilities of industry-leading companies. We draw on our deep recruiting expertise and expansive network to meet the evolving needs of our clients and talent community with agility and excellence. With offices across the U.S., Canada, Asia Pacific and Europe, Aston Carter serves many of the Fortune 500. We are proud to be a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing® Platinum Award winner for both client and talent service.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.

If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification or adjustment of the job application process or interviewing process due to a disability, please email astoncarteraccommodation@astoncarter.com for other accommodation options.

San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance: Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in the city and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Massachusetts Lie Detector: It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI): We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support parts of our hiring process, including sourcing, screening, and evaluating candidates. AI helps assess applications and qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, you acknowledge and agree that your application may be reviewed using AI tools.