Financial Controller - Entertainment

This is a Full Time Job

We are looking for a Financial Controller who will own all day-to-day accounting, cash management, and financial reporting for a boutique talent management company. The role is both strategic and hands-on, supporting the CEO with clear financial insight while maintaining strong controls in a lean environment.

Key Responsibilities

Accounting & Reporting:

• Manage the full general ledger, including posting and reviewing journal entries and maintaining the chart of accounts.
• Prepare monthly financial statements (P&L, balance sheet, cash flow) and management reports for the CEO.
• Maintain accurate records for all talent/artist-related income and expenses, including commissions, recoupable costs, and reimbursable expenses.
• Oversee revenue recognition and ensure proper tracking of retainers, advances, and backend/participation income.
• Support year-end close and preparation for external tax filings.

Cash Management & Payables/Receivables:

• Monitor daily cash balances and prepare short-term cash-flow forecasts.
• Own A/P and A/R: process and code vendor invoices, talent expenses, and corporate bills; issue client/talent invoices and track collections.
• Coordinate and execute outgoing payments, including commissions, royalties, subcontractors, and reimbursements, ensuring timely and accurate disbursements.
• Reconcile bank and credit card accounts regularly.

Talent / Deal Support:

• Set up and maintain deal tracking for clients (commission rates, minimum guarantees, bonuses, residuals, and other participation economics).
• Track and reconcile statements from agencies, studios, labels, brands, and platforms; flag discrepancies and assist with follow-ups.
• Provide clear deal-level P&L and historical earnings summaries to the CEO to support negotiations and strategic decisions.

Controls, Policies & Systems:

• Design and maintain basic internal controls suitable for a small company (segregation of duties, payment approvals, documentation standards).
• Develop and update accounting policies for expense classification, reimbursements, T&E, advances, and petty cash.
• Own the accounting system (e.g., QuickBooks, Xero), including system configuration, integrations (bank feeds, payroll, expense tools), and data integrity.

Budgeting, Forecasting & Analysis:

• Prepare annual budgets and rolling forecasts in collaboration with the CEO.
• Monitor actuals vs. budget and provide simple variance explanations and recommendations.
• Build and maintain basic KPIs (e.g., revenue and gross margin by client, concentration metrics, overhead ratios, cash runway).

Tax, Compliance & External Relationships:

• Coordinate with external CPA on income tax, sales/use tax (if applicable), 1099s, and other compliance filings.
• Maintain organized support for all filings, including contracts, statements, and backup schedules.
• Support any insurance audits (e.g., workers’ comp) and respond to ad-hoc financial information requests.

People & Operations Support:

• Oversee payroll processing (either directly or via a provider) and ensure accurate classification of employees vs. contractors.
• Administer employee reimbursements, basic benefits data to brokers/payroll, and assist with onboarding/offboarding from a finance perspective.
• Partner with the CEO on ad-hoc operational projects (e.g., evaluating new software tools, negotiating vendor terms).

Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, or related field.
• 5+ years of progressive accounting/controllership experience; small business or entertainment/talent/agency background strongly preferred.
• Strong understanding of GAAP and small-business accounting best practices.
• Hands-on experience with cloud accounting software (e.g., QuickBooks Online, Xero) and Excel/Sheets.
• Demonstrated ability to design and maintain lightweight but effective internal controls in a lean environment.
• Comfortable working independently, prioritizing multiple responsibilities, and communicating clearly with non-finance colleagues.

Personal Attributes:

• Detail-oriented, highly organized, and reliable with a high-level of discretion.
• Comfortable “rolling up sleeves” and working at both strategic and transactional levels.
• Experience in entertainment and talent management preferred
• Strong discretion and integrity in handling sensitive financial and client information.
• Proactive, solutions-oriented mindset with an interest in the entertainment/talent management space.