Production Finance Manager - TV/Film

Production Finance Manager - TV/Film

Multi-award winning international production company are looking for an experienced Production Finance Manager. This position will play a key hands-on role, balancing production accounting on complex productions with leading and supporting the wider Production Accounting Team. Working closely with both internal teams and external partners to ensure accurate budgeting, forecasting, reporting, and compliance with industry standards.

This role demands strong technical production accounting skills, particularly in HETV/AVEC environments, and experience managing multi-currency productions. It's a technically focused position that also requires confident leadership, clear communication, and a proactive approach to problem-solving.

Key Responsibilities:

Leadership & Process Improvement

• Lead and develop the Production Accounting team (currently three direct reports).
• Lead process improvements within production finance and across the wider business.
• Provide training and oversight to production accounting members and new starters.
• Serve as the primary liaison between Production, Corporate Finance, and external stakeholders.
• Act as a key contact for external partners and broadcasters.

Production Accounting

• Provide regular cost reports to both internal and external stakeholders.
• Collaborate with production teams to ensure accurate forecasting, planning, and reporting of production spend. Ensuring accurate multi-currency accounting.
• Prepare and manage production multi-currency Cash Flows both Internal and External stakeholders including funding reconciliations.
• Month End Reconciliations including Equal Card Reconciliations and Bank Reconciliations.

Production Finance Team

• Supervise the production finance team, from start-up to closure of productions.
• Monitor production schedules and team workloads, recruiting and allocate production accountancy resource accordingly.
• Provide a month end report on production accruals, reviewing the production accounting accruals and prepayments before journal submission.
• Lead the On-Boarding of New productions, ensuring the productions are set up in PMI and all aspects of production accounting has been set up including Payroll, Bank Accounts and any overseas requirements.
• Ensure timely and accurate financial closure of production projects including reconciliations and audits.

Production Payroll

• Manage UK and US payroll processes, including IR35 compliance and monthly submissions, including consolidated upload to Finance System.
• Monthly Payroll Reconciliations of Control Accounts.
• Liaise with external payroll providers and ensure accurate payroll processing.

AVEC Tax Credits & Compliance

• Oversee the AVEC tax credit process from budgeting through HMRC submission.
• Manage cultural test applications and liaise with the BFI and auditors.
• Maintain tax credit trackers and ensure accurate, timely reporting.

Controls & Compliance

• Adhere to internal controls, HMRC regulations, and industry standards.
• Support year-end audits and maintain fixed asset registers and entertainment logs.

Systems & Processes

• Supervise training on production accounting software, acting as administrator and super user.
• Maintain up-to-date finance documentation and SharePoint resources.
• Strengthen internal controls and ensure compliance with IFRS.

Candidate Profile:

• 5+ years of senior production accounting experience in TV/Film.
• Expert knowledge of HETV/AVEC Tax Credits, TV Industry, and multi-currency projects.
• Strong understanding of UK and US payroll legislation, including IR35.
• Relationships with UK broadcasters and SVOD platforms.
• Advanced Excel skills
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Ability to lead, train, and support junior staff.
• Experience with PMI and Movie Magic.

Handle actively welcomes applicants from under-represented backgrounds - we pride ourselves on attracting the best talent for every opportunity through a commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion.