Production Finance Assistant

Apply now!; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 28,000 - 36,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous pension

Summer Fridays

Audience tickets

Employee assistance program

EV scheme

Cycle to work scheme

Season ticket loan

Volunteer days

Job summary

Fremantle UK is seeking a proactive Production Finance Assistant to support the production accounting team across multiple projects. You will manage purchase orders, supplier invoicing in SAP/FMSUM, and weekly cost reporting, while ensuring accurate petty cash handling and wallet management with Soldo.

A strong numeracy background and familiarity with SAP are essential. The role involves close collaboration with the Production Manager and Head of Production Finance, with a hybrid work setup.

Qualifications

• The ideal candidate should have prior experience of working within the finance department of a medium sized company.
• Experience of working within a TV/Film production environment would be an advantage.
• Highly numerate with good IT skills (Excel).
• Experience with SAP would be a distinct advantage.

Responsibilities

• Support the Production Accountant and provide back-up for the production team.
• Create Purchase Orders in SAP/FMSUM and pass invoices to the correct approver.
• Ensure supplier and PO setup in SAP/FMSUM before processing.
• Deal with SSC and supplier queries and maintain vendor information in SAP/FMSUM.
• Process production petty cash/float entries and reconcile with SAP.

Skills

Highly numerate

Strong communication

Team player

Attention to detail

Tools

SAP

Excel

Job description

Work Location Type: hybrid

Company Description

Reporting to: Head of Production Finance

Contract: Permanent

About Fremantle UK

Creating the Extraordinary, Together.

Fremantle UK is one of the UK’s leading creators, producers and distributors of world-class entertainment, drama, film and documentaries. As part of the global Fremantle group, we develop and produce bold, distinctive content that reaches audiences across the UK and around the world.

From award-winning entertainment formats such as Britain’s Got Talent, The Apprentice and Too Hot to Handle, to critically acclaimed dramas including The Responder, starring Martin Freeman, and internationally celebrated films such as Yorgos Lanthimos’ Oscar-winning Poor Things, Fremantle UK is home to some of the industry’s most recognised and talked-about programming.

Our Purpose

We are driven by a shared purpose of Creating the Extraordinary, Together. We tell stories that connect people around the world, reflecting and celebrating the diversity of the communities we serve. Through compelling and irresistible entertainment, we aim to engage, inspire and create meaningful cultural impact.

To achieve this, we bring together talented people from all backgrounds, experiences and perspectives both within our teams and across our productions. We are committed to fostering an inclusive culture and creating opportunities for diverse talent in everything we do.

Job Description

Responsibilities

• Support the Production Accountant
• Take primary responsibility for purchase order creation for productions in SAP/FMSUM and pass invoices to the correct approver for authorisation in SAP/FMSUM after they have been verified by the Production Accountants.
• Ensure supplier and PO are set up in SAP/FMSUM before passing to the SSC for processing
• Deal with SSC and external supplier queries if necessary and ensure maintenance of customer and vendor information in SAP/FMSUM
• Update and take action to resolve invoices in the weekly/monthly No PO Report issued by the SSC
• Process all production petty cash/float entries for the production accountants in SAP, control production petty cash/floats, collecting from the bank and distributing within company guidelines
• Soldo: Pre-loaded debit card system
  • Assist with setting up “wallets” for new productions that require a soldo account
  • Monitor the balance of the wallet and request a top up from the SSC department when necessary
  • Assist with creating and ordering soldo cards as per Production Manager’s request
  • Monitor the balance of every soldo card and action top up’s when necessary with Production Accountant’s approval
  • Monitor the spend of every soldo user, making sure all transactions are business related and that receipts are being uploaded
  • Reconcile the spend for every soldo user on a regular basis
  • Entering all floats and expense forms onto the SAP system
• Work as a full-time assistant on a particular production if required;
  • Provide support and back-up for the production team as required
  • Reconcile and re-post central recharges
  • Reconcile and prepare monthly credit card claims
  • Reconcile and prepare petty cash claims and dispense petty cash for reimbursement and/or floats
  • Prepare and post journals to ensure costs are reported on the correct cost codes
  • Input Purchase Orders on SAP/FMSUM, create new Vendor accounts and deal with supplier queries
  • Ensure all production accounting paperwork is correctly filed
  • Ad-hoc work as required by the Production Accountant
• Support and facilitate finance reporting
  • Reconcile and correct any differences in the petty cash journal to GL balances each month end
  • Set Up and manage production WBS and DPS codes
  • Maintain, update and distribute authority table for Fremantle UK
  • Assist reconciling the Cost Manager and preparing Month End Cost Reports
  • Ad-hoc work as directed by the Head of Production Finance
• On an ad-hoc basis perform independently on small productions:
• Provide support and back-up for the production team as required
• Produce the monthly cost report package including detailed costs to complete, variance report and progress report
• Get the monthly cost report package signed off by the Head of Production Finance before submission to the Head of Production
• Ensure the overhead recoveries are adequate and prepare the monthly overhead cash flow
• Control all production expenditure by coding and managing authorisation of invoices, expense forms, cheque requisitions and petty cash/floats
• Control and reconcile all production petty cash/floats
• Raise sales invoices on a timely basis and chase outstanding debtors, flagging any issues to central finance
• Reconcile and clear down the production recharge account
• Open the production bank account and ensure it is closed at the end of the production
• Prepare the production close down report package and get it signed off by the Head of Production Finance and assist central finance in closing the production in the finance systems

Experience and qualifications

• The ideal candidate should have prior experience of working within the finance department of a medium sized company
• Experience of working within a TV/Film production environment would be an advantage

Technical skills

• Highly numerate
• PC Literate – including Excel, Word, Email
• Experience with SAP would be a distinct advantage

Core Skills

• Creative:
  • Understands other points of view and changes own approach or stance to suit the needs of the situation
  • Understand the creative output of the company and how that can be supported financially
• Commercial:
  • Shows integrity in dealing with confidential information and material
• Work harmoniously in a team, whilst understanding the responsibility of authority and need to refer up when appropriate
• Excellent inter-personal, communication and relationship building skills with a friendly and approachable attitude
• Confident
  • Responds to changing circumstances and is resilient, flexible, and willing to depart from plans when occasion demands

NB: Production Finance Assistants may be required to work unsociable hours and in various locations dependent on the need of production.

Additional Information

Our benefits include generous company pension, summer Fridays, audience tickets, employee assistance program, access to free courses and training, EV scheme, cycle to work scheme, season ticket loan and volunteer days.

Fremantle is part of RTL Group, a global leader across broadcast, content and digital, itself a division of the international media giant Bertelsmann.

For more information, please visit Fremantle.com, follow us @FremantleHQ or visit our LinkedIn and Facebook pages.