Finance Manager - Hot Sauce Pictures

Sony Pictures Entertainment, Inc; Belfast City District; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

Hot Sauce Pictures, backed by Sony Pictures Television, seeks a seasoned finance lead focused on production budgets, cost control, and reporting across productions and SPVs. You will also deliver corporate reporting to Sony and support budgeting, forecasting and audits.

This hands-on role may flex between Finance Manager and Head of Finance, depending on seniority, with close collaboration to Sony’s accounting teams and regulatory compliance across the UK.

Qualifications

• Qualified or part-qualified accountant (ACA/ACCA/CIMA) or equivalent.
• Experience in production or project-based finance.
• Strong knowledge of UK tax, PAYE, VAT and IR35.
• Strong budgeting, cost-tracking and forecasting.
• Excellent communication with producers and senior stakeholders.
• Organised, detail-oriented, able to manage multiple deadlines.

Responsibilities

• Production budgets, cost tracking and reporting across live productions.
• Company finance, banking, payroll, ledgers and VAT compliance.
• Monthly management accounts, FP&A, audit support and board packs.
• VAT, PAYE, IR35 compliance and tax credit support.
• Improve finance processes and systems with the in-house team.

Skills

Accounting proficiency

Production finance experience

Budgeting & forecasting

UK tax & VAT knowledge

Communication skills

Time management

MS Office

Education

Accounting qualification (ACA/ACCA/CIMA or equivalent)

Tools

Sage

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.
• Corporate Reporting & Sony Liaison 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. Provide input into board-level financial reporting packs. 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. Submit Hot Sauce Group VAT reports. 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 (Essential)

• 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.

Skills & Experience (Desirable)

• Direct television/production finance experience.
• Experience with production accounting tools ("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.