AVALON

Avalon is a multi-award-winning talent management, television production and live promotion group with offices in London, Los Angeles and New York. Avalon, Artists Rights Group and The Agency together represent a diverse and distinctive roster of artists including actors, comedians, writers and directors, among them Academy Award, BAFTA, Emmy, Tony and Olivier Award-winners.

Avalon is the UK’s largest independent television production company, with over 40 shows in production in the last year including: hit entertainment format Taskmaster (Channel 4 in the UK, Network 10 in Australia, TV4 in Sweden, TVNorge/Discovery+ in Norway); multi-Emmy award winning Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO); Not Going Out (BBC), the UK’s longest running sitcom on air; Tall Tales & Murder (BBC/RTE), a highly anticipated darkly comedic crime drama; upcoming live-action, sketch comedy series The Terrors Of Jordan Mendoza (Adult Swim); a brand new series of the iconic satirical puppet show Spitting Image: The Rest is Bulls*!t (YouTube) and Dogs Behaving (Very) Badly (Channel 5 in the UK, Network 10 in Australia). Avalon has produced over 4,000 episodes of programming for audiences in the UK, US and around the world, winning 39 Emmy Awards and BAFTAs from 100+ nominations.

Other landmark Avalon shows include Catastrophe (Amazon/Channel 4), Breeders (FX/Sky), Starstruck (HBO Max/BBC), Flatbush Misdemeanors (Showtime), Workaholics (Comedy Central), The Russell Howard Hour (Sky), TV Burp (ITV) and Fantasy Football League (BBC/ITV/Sky). Avalon has also produced over 60 comedy specials for various platforms including Amazon, HBO, Netflix and Sky, as well as numerous podcasts and radio shows, including over 300 episodes of the record-breaking, arena-touring podcast, Shagged. Married. Annoyed. with Chris & Rosie Ramsey. Avalon’s dedicated distribution arm licenses its catalogue of programmes and formats to over 200 territories worldwide.

Avalon also produces and promotes live comedy around the world and has promoted more winners and nominees of the prestigious Edinburgh Comedy Award than any other company. Avalon produced Newman and Baddiel: Live at Wembley, the UK’s first arena comedy show, Jerry Springer: The Opera, winner of four Olivier Awards, and is currently producing the Tony and Olivier award-winning musical, Operation Mincemeat in the West End and on Broadway.

We are always on the lookout for exceptional talent. Avalon is committed to creating a diverse environment and proud to be an equal-opportunity employer. We encourage applications from individuals from underrepresented groups. Regardless of your race, colour, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, age, or veteran status, you are welcome at Avalon.

THE TEAM

The successful candidate will sit within the Finance department, part of central finance, working closely with the Finance Managers of each Business Unit and manage a team of 8.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES & DUTIES

This is a critical role within the Avalon finance team supporting both the UK business AND Group as whole. The candidate will be required to demonstrate strong levels of integrity, professionalism and gravitas as well as excellent management skills and strong technical and commercial expertise. Reporting to the Finance Director the UK FC has responsibility to manage the day-today 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, managing auditors and liaising with tax advisors as required.
Liaising with divisional finance functions to ensure all corporation tax returns for the group are prepared and quarterly instalment payments are made on a timely basis.

Preparing 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, liaising with payroll bureau and pension advisers. Preparing information for annual P11d, P60s and PSA submissions to HMRC and ensuring monthly PAYE/NIC payments are made on time.

Preparing information for annual P11d, P60s and PSA submissions to HMRC and ensuring monthly PAYE/NIC payments are made on time.

Ensure Companies House records are up to date for all group companies. Maintaining statutory information records and filing all annual returns and dormant/abbreviated accounts.

Review intercompany 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, reviewing finance assistant postings as necessary and liaising with Operations/Support Team to oversee upgrade as required.

Producing 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 being appropriately tracked/costs controlled in line with group policy and to understand the nature of each department and the issues they face.
Main point of contact for Managers (AMG) for managing relationships between finance and artist management team.
Reviewing and approving budgets.
Manage and support relationships with internal teams.
Support relationships with external clients and suppliers as appropriate.

Supporting the team to provide answers to adhoc queries across the business.

Monthly overheads & staff costs reporting to Global Operations Director.

Financial framework, processes, and controls

Ensuring compliance with standards and regulations, ensuring control environment is appropriate.
Ensuring efficiency of process and pro-actively identifying opportunities for process improvement.
Responsible for adherence to accounting standards and recommendation of policy improvements or changes to current working practices to ensure compliance.
Key point of contact for external auditors and tax advisors, providing all relevant support and documentation.
Be a key user of financial systems and ensure they are used in a way that maximises efficiency, and that they meet business needs.

General

Providing high quality analysis to support results as well as future business decisions.
Ensuring completeness, accuracy, and the timeliness of all related transactions, balances, monthly closings, reporting, forecasting, and budgeting.
Ensuring transactions are processed in accordance with the control framework. Driving continuous improvement in processes.
Engendering a business service culture.
Ensuring that team resources are matched to the department’s requirements, that team members are adequately trained including development of knowledge in business wide issues, that the team maintain adequate relationships with the divisions they are supporting.
Ensuring the team delivers to deadlines; and
Providing financial guidance and expertise as required.

ABOUT YOU

The ideal candidate will be a qualified accountant with experience of working within a finance function of a media & entertainment business. Preferably with experience in client / royalties reporting and TV production with exposure to consolidations and inter-company transactions. The successful candidate will need to be able to demonstrate the following key competencies:

Strong background in accounting, particularly in UK GAAP, group consolidations and taxation.
Self-starter who can equally thrive in an environment where they need to take the initiative and initiate change or take instruction from the Finance Director
Ability to drive tasks / projects through to completion
Highly organised with the ability to work in tight deadlines
Track record of effective collaboration across teams & a positive attitude to change. Must be able to demonstrate examples of improving processes, adding value and influencing people
Excellent interpersonal and relationship management skills
Experience in exposure to senior management
Experience in mentoring/managing a team
Ability to develop a successful and motivated team
Excellent presentation and communication skills
Strong analytical and process-oriented mind
Excellent attention to detail
Experience if setting-up and maintaining an effective internal control environment
Experience of developing finance systems
Advanced excel skills
Commercial awareness

WHAT WE OFFER

Cycle to work scheme
Income protection scheme
Life assurance
Pension scheme
Employee assistance programme
Competitive holiday allowance
Season ticket loans
Regular staff socials, seasonal parties, tickets for our Live gigs, Monday breakfasts and more

Financial Controller

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