Head of Production Accounting

Role
We’re looking for an experienced candidate who embodies a team first mentality and is focused on delivering high caliber results and take a hands-on approach to directly impact the business with their expertise.  Reporting to the CFO for VICE Studios, this role will be responsible for or a range of cost and forecasting activities, as well as supporting and developing the junior team members. 

This role will act as a key liaison between production, finance, and Studios leadership to ensure a smooth process between the production needs, the project budget, and reporting requirements with internal finance.   The selected candidate will manage the VICE Studios policies and procedures and ensure alignment with the production and finance team’s expectations.
 

Key Responsibilities

Leadership & Process Improvement 

• Responsible for all accounting processes, and reporting, across all divisions of the business, including scripted production, non-scripted production, commercials and music videos.
• Responsible for the management of the Production Accountant role, to ensure smooth running of the department and upskilling of the role.
• Lead process improvements within production finance and across the wider business.
• Serve as the primary liaison between production, legal/BA, finance, external stakeholders, and broadcasters.

Production Finance Team 

• Supervise the production finance function, from start-up to closure of the productions.
• Monitor production schedules and team workloads, recruiting and allocate production accountancy resources  accordingly.
• Lead the on-boarding of new productions, ensuring the productions are set up in PMI and all aspects of production accounting has been set up including payroll, bank accounts and any overseas requirements.
• Ensure timely and accurate financial closure of production projects including reconciliations and audits.

Production Accounting 

• Issue sales invoices in line with milestone contracts and manage debtor tracking.
• Provide regular cost reports to both internal and external stakeholders.
• Collaborate with production teams to ensure accurate forecasting, planning, and reporting of production spend.
• Ensure accurate multi-currency accounting.
• Prepare and manage production multi-currency cash flows for both internal and external stakeholders including  funding reconciliations.
• Ringfence  production recoveries and ensure recoveries are billed and settled with the parent corporate entity on a timely, monthly basis.
• Review bi-weekly margin reports; to quantify and concisely communicate the potential risks, opportunities and periodic variances.
• Timely reporting and payment of fringes to US and UK unions.

Payroll

• Review the PAYE payroll and ensure the journal is correctly posted into the cost manager.
• Review the monthly submission of shoot and producer fees.

AVEC Tax Credits & Compliance 

• Oversee the AVEC tax credit process from budgeting through HMRC submission.
• Manage cultural test applications and liaise with the BFI and work closely with auditors from onboarding, interim and final audits.
• Maintain tax credit trackers and ensure accurate, timely reporting.
• Advising on timing and cost of interim financing.

Distribution, Royalty & Profit Share Reporting

• Ensuring that sales reports and royalty statements are received regularly from external parties.
• Production of quarterly participation statements for IP-owned projects.
• Maintain and update director agreements and profit share entitlements.
• Manage guild and union (DGA/WGA/WGGB) reporting as required.

Controls & Compliance 

• Adhere to internal controls, HMRC regulations, and industry standards.
• Support year-end audits and entertainment logs.

Systems & Processes 

• Supervise training on production accounting software, acting as administrator and super user.

Additional Duties 

• Assist in revenue and margin forecasting, reviewing departmental revenue trackers regularly.
• Assist in forecasting and tracking staff recoveries.
• Support year-end audits, and weekly/monthly finance meetings with production management and central finance  teams.

Key Experience

• Broad Production Experience: Accounting expertise with 5+ years experience in a production company or entertainment industry is highly desirable. Additional freelance production accounting experience is desirable.

• Software proficiency: Working familiarity with PMI is ideal.

• Management: Experience managing a team and maintaining the highest standards of accuracy and compliance.

• Communication: Proven  ability to communicate complex financial information to non-financial      professionals and report to many internal and external stakeholders.

• Analytics and Organisation Skills: Ability to prioritise tasks, manage complex projects, with high level problem-solving and analytical skills.