The Director of Production Finance, Esports is responsible for financial strategy, planning, execution, tracking, and performance (expenses only) of all global events (e.g., LoL Worlds and MSI, VAL Masters and Champs), as well as the events in most regional leagues (e.g., LCS, LEC), across the Esports pillar, a fast-growing division at Riot started in 2009, with ~5x growth in fans over the last 7-8 years. The division currently spans five games, thousands of professional players, over 100M fans across the globe.
As a Director of Production Finance, you will work directly with other members of the pillar’s leadership team - especially product leads, event leads, broadcast leads, content leads, tech leads, and finance leads - to (1) design and execute the budgeting for global events in ways that allow them to meet/exceed Riot’s consistently-increasing quality standards while staying within pillar financial constraints, (2) identify and implement cost optimization strategies, for both global events and regional leagues, that ensure the greatest possible return on Riot investment, (3) plan for, track, manage, and report on event financial performance. You will be responsible for supporting the Pillar Head of Content Services and the Pillar Head of Finance in ensuring that the pillar has specific financial plans - for both global events and regional leagues - that align with both Riot and esports strategies.
In the role, you will manage a team of production accountants and line producers to generate and track event-specific budgets. You will also be responsible for defining and refining Riot Esports strategy in several core aspects of event production, including vendor selection, contract structuring and negotiations, contractor policies and usage, and logistics (e.g., travel and CV-19 approaches), among others.
You will report directly to the Esports Head of Content Services and dotted line report to the Esports Head of Finance.
Responsibilities
- Collaborate with Esports SLT members to plan global and regional events that fit within budget constraints.
- Track and manage global and regional event budgets over time, coordinating with vendors, contractors, and various Riot internal teams to ensure forecasting, tracking, and reporting is accurately maintained.
- Manage a team of line producers and production accountants to properly actualize and finalize events, and ensure all financial data is properly recorded in various internal systems. In general, manage this particular “craft” within Riot esports and guide the development of the department, and all members of it.
- Develop and recommend new strategies to drive savings and free up budget for investment in event aspects that drive more meaningful returns, both in relation to player/viewer satisfaction and financial performance.
- Lead the vendor sourcing, selection, and negotiation process for global and regional events, obtaining the best possible rates on venues, services, gear, and other show aspects, and coordinating on information sharing
- Partner with Purchasing, Global Mobility, Contingent Workforce Management, and other Riot teams to optimize and streamline event planning and execution.
- Work with Esports Finance to seamlessly integrate event budgets into broader budgeting software, and provide regular updates/reports to communicate changes from plan as they arise.
- Oversee the codification and efficient execution of a wide range of processes, including vendor onboarding, management, and payment; contractor hiring and payment; and budget actualization, among others.
- Assist with internal and external audits.
- Possess a current understanding of California labor laws to ensure Riot is in line with industry standard policies and practices, as well as a minor understanding of Global employment rules and regulations that pertain to traveling Riot staff.
Qualifications
- 10+ years of production finance experience, including production accounting, line production, contingent workforce management, and vendor management.
- 5+ years of management experience, with demonstrated responsibility for coordinating the successful execution of large-scale events, ideally including those in international locations.
- Extreme proficiency in building and managing budgets for large events.
- Track record of capturing incremental financial opportunities through optimization of existing expenses (e.g., vendor selection/consolidation/negotiation, strategic event design).
- Ability to synthesize objectives of, and incorporate feedback from, multiple stakeholders to ensure global and regional events align with all broader Esports goals.
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills that facilitate the establishment of strong working relationships with colleagues from a wide range of business functions.
- High degree of adaptability and comfort working in a fast-paced, rapidly-evolving environment.
- Great attention to detail, and trustworthiness to protect confidential information.
Our Perks:
Riot has a focus on work/life balance, shown by our open paid time off policy, in addition to other perks such as flexible work schedules. We offer medical, dental, and life insurance, parental leave for you, your spouse/domestic partner and children, and a 401k with company match. Check out our benefits pages for more information.
Riot Games fosters a player and workplace experience that values teamwork embodied by the Summoner's Code and Community Code. Our culture embraces differences as a strength, and our values are the guiding principles for how we approach work. We are committed to putting diversity and inclusion (D&I) at the center of everything we do, and promoting a fair and collaborative culture where Rioters treat one another with dignity and respect. We encourage you to read more about our value of thriving together and our ongoing work to build the most inclusive company in Gaming.
It’s our policy to provide equal employment opportunity for all applicants and members of Riot Games, Inc. Riot Games makes reasonable accommodations for handicapped and disabled Rioters and does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, handicap, veteran status, marital status, criminal history, or any other category protected by applicable federal and state law, including the City of Los Angeles’ Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance relating to an applicant's criminal history.