Financial Controller

Avalon Entertainment; Greater London; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading entertainment company in Greater London is seeking a Financial Controller to oversee its UK finance team. The ideal candidate should be a qualified accountant with strong experience in the media industry, particularly in UK GAAP and financial processes. Key responsibilities include managing daily finance activities, compliance with regulations, and providing financial analysis. Excellent interpersonal skills and a strong analytical mindset are crucial for this mid-senior level role. This is a full-time position offering an opportunity to influence financial strategies.

Qualifications

• Experience in client/royalties reporting and TV production.
• Ability to drive tasks/projects through to completion.
• Experience developing finance systems.

Responsibilities

• Manage day-to-day activities of the UK finance team.
• Review monthly management accounts and balance sheet reconciliations.
• Oversee preparation and submission of quarterly group VAT return.

Skills

Qualified accountant

Experience in media & entertainment business

Strong background in UK GAAP

Advanced Excel skills

Excellent interpersonal skills

Strong analytical mindset

Experience in mentoring/managing a team

Job description

Overview

This is a critical role within the Avalon finance team supporting both the UK business and Group as a whole. The candidate will demonstrate integrity, professionalism, and strong management skills along with technical and commercial expertise.

Reporting to the Finance Director, UK, the Financial Controller will manage day‑to‑day activities of the UK finance team.

Reporting and compliance

• Review monthly management accounts and balance sheet reconciliations across the group.
• Central coordination of statutory group accounting, audit and tax; manage auditors and liaise with tax advisors.
• Liaise with divisional finance functions to ensure all corporation tax returns for the group are prepared and quarterly instalment payments are made on time.
• Prepare monthly group cash flow reporting for the bank, including quarterly bank loan covenant testing.
• Oversee preparation and submission of the quarterly group VAT return and monthly payments on account.
• Oversee group payroll and pension administration, liaise with payroll bureau and pension advisers; prepare information for annual P11d, P60s and PSA submissions to HMRC and ensure monthly PAYE/NIC payments are made on time.
• Ensure Companies House records are up to date for all group companies; maintain statutory information records and file all annual returns and dormant/abbreviated accounts.
• Review inter‑company balance reconciliations and ensure all necessary recharges are invoiced and paid down on a timely basis.
• Oversee bank and credit card administration.
• Manage financial IT systems, review finance assistant postings and liaise with Operations/Support to oversee upgrades.
• Produce ad‑hoc accurate group financial reports and analysis to deadline, as required.
• Review and authorise fortnightly client and weekly supplier payment runs on Bankline.
• Ensure debtors are monitored appropriately by the team and provide support where required; approve quarterly bad debt provisions.

Operational

• Oversee routine meetings with Department Heads/Finance Managers to ensure performance is tracked, costs controlled in line with group policy, and understand departmental issues.
• Act as main point of contact for Managers (AMG) for managing relationships between finance and artist management team.
• Review and approve budgets.
• Manage and support relationships with internal teams.
• Support relationships with external clients and suppliers as appropriate.
• Support the team to provide answers to ad hoc queries across the business.
• Monthly overheads & staff costs reporting to Global Director of Operations & HR.

Financial framework, processes, and controls

• Ensure compliance with standards and regulations; maintain an appropriate control environment.
• Ensure process efficiency and proactively identify improvement opportunities.
• Ensure adherence to accounting standards and recommend policy improvements.
• Be key point of contact for external auditors and tax advisors, providing support and documentation.
• Be a key user of financial systems, ensuring they maximise efficiency and meet business needs.

General

• Provide high‑quality analysis to support results and future business decisions.
• Ensure completeness, accuracy, and timeliness of all related transactions, balances, monthly closings, reporting, forecasting, and budgeting.
• Ensure transactions processed in accordance with the control framework; drive continuous improvement.
• Engender a business service culture.
• Ensure teams are resourced appropriately, members are trained, and relationships with divisions are maintained.
• Ensure the team delivers to deadlines.
• Provide financial guidance and expertise as required.

The Candidate

• Qualified accountant with experience within a finance function of a media & entertainment business.
• Experience in client/royalties reporting and TV production, exposure to consolidations and inter‑company transactions.
• Strong background in UK GAAP, group consolidations and taxation.
• Self‑starter who thrives in initiating change and following instruction from the Finance Director.
• Ability to drive tasks/projects through to completion.
• Highly organised, able to work under tight deadlines.
• Track record of effective collaboration across teams and positive attitude to change; ability to improve processes and influence people.
• Excellent interpersonal and relationship‑management skills.
• Exposure to senior management.
• Experience in mentoring/managing a team.
• Ability to develop and motivate a successful team.
• Excellent presentation and communication skills.
• Strong analytical and process‑oriented mindset.
• Excellent attention to detail.
• Experience establishing and maintaining an effective internal control environment.
• Experience developing finance systems.
• Advanced Excel skills.

Seniority level

• Mid‑Senior level

Employment type

• Full‑time

Job function

• Accounting/Auditing and Finance
• Entertainment