Finance Manager

Hot Sauce Pictures; Belfast City District; On-site; GBP 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Hot Sauce Pictures, a Belfast-based scripted television production company, is seeking a senior finance professional to manage production budgets, cost reporting and forecasting within the in-house finance function.

The role focuses on production finance and the broader Sony reporting package, including monthly management accounts, budgeting and FP&A. Depending on seniority, it may evolve into a Finance Manager or Head of Finance role with reduced Sony involvement over time.

Qualifications

• Qualified or part-qualified accountant with flexibility for seniority
• Experience in production finance or project-based finance environments
• Strong budgeting, cost-tracking and forecasting skills
• Experience liaising with producers, studios and corporate accounting teams

Responsibilities

• Prepare and manage production budgets; track spend and flag overspend
• Maintain cost reports, cash flows, and forecasts across live productions
• Liaise with production accountants for month-end reports and reconciliations
• Lead or support audit processes and statutory reporting
• Produce monthly management accounts and assist with budgeting/forecasting cycles

Skills

Budgeting

Forecasting

Financial reporting

Stakeholder communication

Attention to detail

Multitasking

Excel

Education

ACCA/ACCA/CIMA

Tools

Sage

SAP

Just TV

Job description

Please note that this role is based in the United Kingdom. To enable us to meet the statutory and regulatory obligations of the United Kingdom immigration system, you must have the appropriate immigration permission needed to work and reside in the United Kingdom for the duration of the employment.

About Hot Sauce Pictures

Hot Sauce Pictures is a scripted television production company based in Belfast, founded by Adam Patterson and Declan Lawn, the creators of Blue Lights and The Salisbury Poisonings. In 2025, they were joined by Creative Director Helen Ziegler, with a shared ambition to build a company that empowers creators to make bold, adventurous, artist-led television.

Hot Sauce is backed by Sony Pictures Television and develops and produces ambitious scripted projects for UK and international audiences.

Overview of the Role

This role sits at the heart of Hot Sauce's finance function as it is built in-house. The primary focus is production finance – budgeting, cost control and reporting across Hot Sauce's productions and associated SPVs, working closely with producers and production accountants.

Alongside this, the role provides the corporate financial reporting Hot Sauce needs to deliver as part of the wider Sony Pictures Television group, from monthly management accounts through to input on budgeting, forecasting and audit.

This is a hands-on role. Depending on the experience of the successful candidate, it may be shaped as a Finance Manager position (with more day-to-day support and oversight from Sony) or a Head of Finance position (taking fuller ownership of audit, FP&A and reporting, with Sony's involvement reducing over time).

Key Responsibilities

Production Finance

• Prepare and manage production budgets alongside producers; track spend against budget and flag potential overspend early
• Maintain cost reports, cash flows, and forecasts across live productions
• Liaise with production accountants to obtain month-end reports and produce monthly production reconciliations
• Manage wrap and final cost reporting at the end of each production
• Incorporate SPVs for new productions, open production bank accounts and arrange signatories/mandates
• Prepare and monitor scripted development budgets, liaising with broadcasters and development funders

Company Finance, Banking & Payroll

• Perform day-to-day bank reconciliations and credit/procurement card reconciliations; manage relationships with Hot Sauce's banking providers
• Manage sales and purchase ledgers; raise and pay invoices in a timely manner
• Raise sales invoices to broadcasters and distributors in line with agreed production milestones
• Process cast/crew and staff payroll, liaising with the payroll provider, releasing payments and issuing starter packs
• Maintain SAP (or equivalent) accounting systems
• Work with Sony to produce the monthly Sony reporting package, including corporate prepayments/accruals, bank and balance sheet reconciliations, production reconciliations, and the fixed asset register and depreciation schedule
• Prepare monthly management accounts; manage month-end close and sign off the trial balance
• Contribute to the annual budget and quarterly reforecast submission as part of Sony's FP&A cycle
• Support scenario planning and show modelling, and provide variance commentary on actuals vs forecast
• Lead, or closely support (depending on seniority of hire), Hot Sauce's statutory audit, and assist with subsidiary and tax credit audits

Compliance

• Ensure day-to-day VAT, PAYE and IR35 compliance
• Prepare and submit ONS returns
• Support tax credit claims and related subsidiary audit requirements
• Process, Systems & Team
• Help build and improve finance processes and systems as Hot Sauce's in-house finance function matures
• Provide guidance to production accountants as needed
• Support development staff with financial queries
• Assist the CEO’s/Managing Director/Creative Director with ad hoc operational and corporate matters

Skills & Experience

• Qualified or part-qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA, CIMA or Accounting Technician) or equivalent experience – exact level flexible depending on seniority of hire
• Experience in production finance or a project-based/media finance environment
• Good working knowledge of UK tax, PAYE, IR35, VAT and accounting standards
• Strong budgeting, cost-tracking and forecasting skills
• Confident communicator, comfortable liaising with producers, founders and a major studio's corporate accounting team
• Self-starter who is organised, detail-oriented and comfortable managing multiple deadlines and productions
• Proficiency in Excel, Word and PowerPoint; working knowledge of Sage or similar
• Direct television/production finance experience
• Experience with production accounting tools (e.g. Just TV or similar)
• Experience with UK funding and tax credit reporting (e.g. NI Screen, HMRC)
• Familiarity with industry contracts, union agreements or freelancer payroll
• Experience working within or alongside a US studio corporate structure
• Location & Working Pattern
• Belfast-based, with in-office presence expected. Full-time.

If you require any reasonable adjustments with any part of the recruitment process, including the application or interview process, please contact us at [e-mail]. Please put Reasonable Adjustment Request in the subject line of the email.

Sony Pictures does not allow audio recording, video recording or use of AI note-taking tools during interviews. Candidates requiring these tools as an accommodation during an interview should submit a reasonable adjustment request at the point they are invited to interview.

Sony Pictures Entertainment is committed to equal opportunity in all its employment practices, policies and procedures. No worker or potential worker will therefore receive less favourable treatment due to their race, age, creed, sexual orientation, colour, nationality, ethnic origin, disability, religion, gender, marital status or Trade Union membership (if applicable).