Job Title: Head of Statutory Reporting & Audit (Maternity Cover 16-18 month contract)
Department: Finance UK
Reports To: EVP Finance, UK Director
Lionsgate is a leading global entertainment company with a strong and diversified presence in film, television, home entertainment and digital distribution. The role of the Head of Statutory Reporting and Audit will be responsible for submission of all external UK company reporting, including maintaining accounting records, statutory financial reporting and audit, royalty reporting, tax matters and supervising the finance team members for the UK. The desired person should be a self‑starter, a proven track record and with previous statutory reporting and team management experience.
Key Responsibilities
Financial Reporting
- Manage drafting and initial review of the year‑end individual and consolidated statutory accounts for audit.
- Manage the year‑end external audit process and ensure all information is available and provided on time to the auditors.
- Keep up to date with new technical releases affecting the company such as developments in IFRS and US GAAP accounting rules and corporation tax legislation.
- Maintain control of royalty reporting and royalty audits ensuring statements are prepared, reviewed and distributed to required timescales.
- Review UK cash flow forecasts to US deadlines.
Regulatory
- Ensure all accounting records are kept and maintained to comply with internal and external controls and legislation.
- Ensure the quarterly UK VAT returns are prepared, reviewed and submitted on time.
- Ensure all UK Corporation Tax returns are filed on time.
- Manage other UK filings such as Tax Strategy, SAO notifications, ONS surveys and PPPR reporting.
- Suggest and implement improvements to working practices and controls.
- Ensure all reporting submissions made to different regulatory bodies are timely and accurate.
- Liaise with other departments and external advisors as appropriate to ensure that all relevant areas (legal, regulation requirements, corporation tax, VAT etc) have been considered in the financial reporting process.
- Ensure all new regulatory requirements are adhered to and all audit controls are tracked.
- Manage the Internal audit process.
Team Management
- Day‑to‑day management of the Statutory Reporting Senior Manager, Assistant Financial Accountant & Royalty Accountant.
- Team development and training.
- Performance management for team.
- Ad hoc guidance for other members of the team.
Other Areas
- Support the EVP in adding value and challenging the status quo in other areas of the business to optimize business performance and profitability.
- Report any areas of financial and regulatory risk to EVP of Finance and suggest and implement suitable controls to mitigate these.
- Jointly work with Senior Group Reporting Team Members to review all new deals and acquisitions for all areas related to the UK to determine how to account for these and communicate this to the relevant staff members booking the entries.
- Manage any IT changes impacting financial systems and regulatory reporting, ensure communication and training is provided to any relevant business areas as required.
- Jointly work with Senior Group Reporting Team Members to provide advice to legal and commercial teams on financial matters including helping advise on deal structures.
- Various month and quarter end tasks for management reporting.
- Other ad hoc duties as required.
Key Skills Required
- Able to work with internal and external stakeholders
- Experience dealing with regulatory bodies
- Strong knowledge of US GAAP and IFRS
- Experience with Sarbanes‑Oxley act regulations
- Qualified accountant with experience (ACA or ACCA or equivalent)
- SAP experience beneficial but not essential
- Experience managing the audit process
- Experience preparing statutory accounts
- Experience managing tax matters including VAT and Corporation Tax
- Strong organisational skills
- Strong team management experience
- Strong attention to detail
- Self‑motivated and able to manage own time
