Finance Manager in London - Harper May Ltd

Harper May is working with a London-based entertainment business that produces and distributes content across film, television, and digital platforms. The company is backed by independent investors and has grown steadily over the past five years, with recent expansion into new territories and production partnerships. The finance function is now being strengthened to support this growth trajectory, and they are seeking a Finance Manager to embed robust controls and insight across their expanding operations.

The Role
Reporting to the Finance Director, you will manage core financial operations across production, distribution, and corporate functions. You'll be responsible for ensuring accurate financial reporting, maintaining control environments as the business scales, and providing commercial insight to senior stakeholders and production teams. The role spans a varied landscape of film finance, licensing agreements, and overhead management.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead monthly close cycles and prepare management accounts that support decision-making across the business
• Own budget preparation, rolling forecasts, and cash flow projections across production and distribution streams
• Monitor project costs and profitability at granular level, working closely with production and operations teams
• Maintain balance sheet controls, perform bank and balance sheet reconciliations, and manage statutory compliance
• Review and improve finance processes, systems capability, and reporting efficiency as the business develops
• Support external audit and ensure compliance with financial reporting standards

What we are looking for

• ACA, ACCA, or CIMA qualified, or equivalent accounting experience at manager level
• Background in entertainment, media, or similar project-based businesses (or willingness to learn sector specifics quickly)
• Strong technical accounting and Excel proficiency
• Ability to explain financial performance clearly to non-finance colleagues
• Proactive approach to identifying control gaps and improving systems