Dir, Accounting

The Director of Revenue Accounting is a senior leadership role with focused ownership of royalty expense and revenue accounting, reporting and the accounting for complex strategic deals and partnerships. Reporting to the Head of Revenue Assurance & Accounting, this individual serves as both a technical accounting expert and a hands-on operational leader-equally comfortable presenting deal structure analysis to senior stakeholders and working side by side with their team to resolve nuanced
accounting issues.The ideal candidate is an active CPA with expertise in ASC 606 and royalty accounting, a strong commercial instinct for evaluating strategic transactions, and a proven track record managing and developing large accounting teams of 20 or more professionals. This leader brings a combination of the rigor of a technical accountant, the mindset of a business partner, and the drive to get things done.

Responsibilities

Leadership & Team Development
* Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing accounting team of 20+ professionals spanning royalty expense, royalty revenue, revenue reporting and strategic deal accounting functions
* Set clear performance expectations; foster a culture of accountability, intellectual curiosity, and continuous improvement through regular coaching and structured performance reviews
* Recruit and retain top accounting talent; proactively build team capabilities to support business growth, new deal structures, and evolving accounting standards
* Champion cross-functional collaboration with Revenue Assurance, Legal, Business Development, FP&A, Tax, and IT to ensure accounting considerations are integrated into deal-making and operational planning

Royalty Expense Accounting
* Oversee the end-to-end accounting for royalty expense obligations, including accruals, payments, and reconciliation of royalty payable balances across content, licensing, and partner agreements
* Ensure accurate and timely recording of royalty costs in accordance with U.S. GAAP; establish and maintain policies for consistent treatment across agreement types
* Partner with Legal and Business Development to review new and amended royalty agreements, assess accounting implications, and determine appropriate expense and revenue recognition methodology
* Manage royalty audit processes-both inbound (from rights holders) and outbound (of licensees)- and oversee resolution of royalty disputes and adjustments
* Drive process improvements and system enhancements to increase the efficiency, accuracy, and scalability of royalty expense operations

Royalty Revenue Accounting
* Own the accounting for royalty revenue streams, including recognition, reporting, and reconciliation of amounts earned under licensing, and distribution arrangements
* Apply deep knowledge of ASC 606 to evaluate and document the proper recognition of royalty revenue, including assessment of performance obligations, usage-based licensing, variable consideration, and contract modifications
* Coordinate with Revenue Assurance, Sales Operations, and Technology teams to ensure complete and accurate capture of royalty revenue data from source systems through the general ledger
* Prepare and review royalty revenue schedules and disclosures for internal management reporting and external financial statement purposes
* Monitor the royalty revenue portfolio for changes in contractual terms, deal structures, or business practices that may affect accounting treatment; proactively communicate impacts to leadership

Complex Strategic Deal Accounting
* Serve as the primary accounting lead for complex, non-standard, and high-value strategic transactions
* Engage early in the deal structuring process to advise Business, Procurement and Legal Teams on
the accounting implications of proposed contract terms, ensuring deals are structured to achieve intended financial outcomes
* Draft and own technical accounting position papers and memoranda documenting the company's accounting conclusions for complex transactions under U.S. GAAP
* Coordinate with external auditors on complex deal accounting positions; manage timely resolution of audit inquiries related to strategic transactions
* Maintain a deal review framework that ensures consistent, well-documented, and auditable accounting treatment for non-routine arrangements

Technical Accounting, Controls & Operations
* Maintain deep current knowledge of U.S. GAAP, with particular expertise in ASC 606 (revenue recognition)
* Support the monthly, quarterly, and annual close process for all areas within scope; ensure journal entries, reconciliations, and supporting schedules meet quality and timeliness standards
* Design and maintain a strong internal control environment over royalty and deal accounting;
* Evaluate and champion technology solutions-including royalty management platforms, ERP enhancements, and automation tools-that improve the acc racy, speed, and scalability of the team's work
* Leverage data analytics to provide meaningful insights into royalty trends, deal performance, and financial exposures; present findings clearly to senior leadership

What you need to succeed
* Active Certified Public Accountant (CPA) license required
* Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field; Master's degree a plus
* 18+ years of progressive accounting experience, with a minimum of 5 years in a senior leadership role
* Demonstrated experience directly managing teams of 20 or more accounting professionals, including managers and individual contributors
* Hands-on expertise in royalty accounting-both expense and revenue-within a complex, high- volume environment (media, technology, publishing, entertainment, or software strongly preferred)
* Proven experience accounting for complex, non-standard strategic transactions; ability to independently research technical accounting issues and author well-supported position papers
* Strong business acumen-ability to understand commercial deal economics, identify accounting risk, and communicate complex accounting conclusions clearly to non-finance audiences
* Technology proficiency: experience with ERP systems (e.g., SAP, Oracle, Workday) and royalty management platforms; comfort with data tools and automation (Excel, SQL, BI platforms) highly
valued
* Willingness and demonstrated ability to be hands-on-this leader must be comfortable rolling up their sleeves, working directly on complex issues, and operating in detail alongside their team
* Strategic thinker who can proactively identify accounting implications of business decisions before they become issues
* Outstanding communication skills, with experience engaging external auditors, legal counsel, and senior business leadership

About Adobe

Adobe empowers everyone to create through innovative platforms and tools that unleash creativity, productivity and personalized customer experiences. Adobe's industry-leading offerings including Adobe Acrobat Studio, Adobe Express, Adobe Firefly, Creative Cloud, Adobe Experience Platform, Adobe Experience Manager, and GenStudio enable people and businesses to turn ideas into impact, powered by AI and driven by human ingenuity.

Our 30,000+ employees worldwide are creating the future and raising the bar as we drive the next decade of growth. We're on a mission to hire the very best and believe in creating a company culture where all employees are empowered to make an impact. At Adobe, we believe that great ideas can come from anywhere in the organization. The next big idea could be yours.

Let's Adobe together

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Our interviews are designed to reflect your own skills and thinking. The use of AI or recording tools during live interviews is not permitted unless explicitly invited by the interviewer or approved in advance as part of a reasonable accommodation. If these tools are used inappropriately or in a way that misrepresents your work, your application may not move forward in the process.

At Adobe, we empower employees to innovate with AI - and we look for candidates eager to do the same. As part of the hiring experience, we provide clear guidance on where AI is encouraged during the process and where it's restricted during live interviews. See how we think about AI in the hiring experience.

Expected Pay Range:

At Adobe, for sales roles starting salaries are expressed as total target compensation (TTC = base + commission), and short-term incentives are in the form of sales commission plans. Non-sales roles starting salaries are expressed as base salary and short-term incentives are in the form of the Annual Incentive Plan (AIP).

In addition, certain roles may be eligible for long-term incentives in the form of a new hire equity award.

State-Specific Notices:

California:

Fair Chance Ordinances

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Colorado:

Application Window Notice

If this role is open to hiring in Colorado (as listed on the job posting), the application window will remain open until at least the date and time stated above in Pacific Time, in compliance with Colorado pay transparency regulations. If this role does not have Colorado listed as a hiring location, no specific application window applies, and the posting may close at any time based on hiring needs.

Massachusetts:

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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.