Director of Finance

THE COMPANY

Our client is a London-based film and media group made up of three well-known distribution labels and an international sales company. With a catalogue of more than 1,500 titles, the group gets films into cinemas, onto streaming platforms and into home entertainment markets in the UK and around the world.

THE ROLE

As the Director of Finance, you will report directly to the CEO and COO and take ownership of the finances across the group. This is a hands-on senior role covering everything from day-to-day cash management and collections through to film modelling, international reporting and year-end audit.

Key responsibilities:

• Lead the annual budgeting process and monitor variances, producing cashflow and P&L re-forecasts, monthly management accounts and year-end accounts, and delivering the statutory and consolidated group audit on time each year.
• Provide regular reporting to the bank and other stakeholders, while maintaining a detailed 12-week cashflow.
• Manage daily cash, monitoring bank balances and movements to minimise foreign exchange exposure and interest costs and run the weekly payment cycle.
• Prepare royalty statements for UK distribution and international sales titles, report on sales and costs to third parties where the group represents their titles.
• Build UK and international film models for net income and amortisation to support acquisitions and track the performance of UK releases by uploading third-party reports into the finance tracking documents.
• Review collection accounts held with agents, checking that receipts are correct and in line with the Collection Account Management Agreements.
• Review international distribution contracts to ensure invoices are issued in line with their terms, keep the international collection tracker and the TV and digital trackers up to date so that all reports are received and payments collected, and raise sales invoices and oversee bookkeeping.
• Manage withholding tax by administering certificates of residency and issuing tax forms to international distributors.
• Oversee monthly payroll and year-end procedures, administer the pension scheme alongside the COO, file confirmation statements for every company in the group, and supervise and develop the Junior Management Accountant with scope to grow the team.

THE PERSON

You should be an experienced finance professional who has held a similar role within the media sector. Film distribution and/or TV sales experience is essential, along with a solid grounding in royalty accounting. It is important you are comfortable working with legal contracts and have a good working knowledge of contract law.

Having excellent Excel skills and being confident working with Sage systems, ideally Intacct. Time management comes naturally to you, and you thrive in a fast-paced environment where deadlines matter.

WHAT TO EXPECT

• Searchlight only advertises active roles
• Your details will be sent directly to the Consultant who is handling this role
• We aim to respond to candidates within 14 days.

If this role isn’t quite right, but you would like us to have your CV on file, please send it to sroffice@searchlight.global.

Searchlight strives to promote equal opportunities for all. We welcome applications regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, socio-economic background, religion and/or belief.