Cinesite-London
Production Controller - EUROPE
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Production Controller – Europe (London / Germany)
Location: London / Germany Servicing: Cinesite London & Trixter Reports to: Finance Manager – Europe
Contract Type: Permanent Working Arrangements: TBC (Flexible working options available) Working Hours: TBC (Full-time, typically 9 AM to 6 PM)
About the Company
Established in 1991, Cinesite is one of the world’s most respected independent digital entertainment studios, delivering award-winning animation, visual effects (VFX), and immersive entertainment for film, broadcast, streaming, gaming, music, and events.
As one of Europe’s fastest-growing companies, Cinesite operates studios in London, Montreal, Vancouver, Munich, and Mumbai. Its VfX brands—Cinesite, Image Engine, and Trixter—have worked on iconic projects such as Marvel’s Avengers, Game of Thrones, and BAFTA-winning The Witcher*.
Beyond VFX, the company excels in high-end animation (e.g., The Addams Family, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, The Smurfs) and provides motion capture for blockbuster films, as well as immersive experiences for London’s top attractions.
About the Role
We are seeking a Production Controller to drive commercial and project-specific finance across our London businesses and Trixter. This role will involve:
- Partnering with production teams to ensure project performance and profitability
- Providing forward-looking financial insights across business units
- Overseeing day-to-day project financial management, including:
- Tracking project performance, margins, and delivery milestones
- Managing forecasts for future sales and direct labour
- Collaborating with non-financial stakeholders to validate assumptions
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Requirements
-
Essential:
- Experience working in a production management business
- Understanding of completion-based revenue recognition
- Commercial mindset – ability to analyse beyond data to identify risks and opportunities
- Strong communication skills for non-finance leadership (explaining financial metrics clearly)
- Collaborative aptitude – supporting teams effectively
- Advanced Excel skills (data analysis, forecasting)
-
Desirable:
- Part-qualified accountant (CIMA/ACCA/ACA preferred)
- VFX/film production experience (advantage)
- Proficiency in German (strong plus)
Key Responsibilities
Project Performance & Margin Reporting
- Prepare financial tracking reports for active shows
- Conduct "bid vs. actual" analysis to:
- Track profitability
- Identify margin erosion early
- Pinpoint cost overruns
- Deliver detailed variant analysis on crew utilisation and outsourcing
Forecasting & Capacity Planning
- Forecast sales for future projects with accuracy
- Forecast direct labour costs (including cross-site spend and outsourcing)
- Optimise crew utilisation via forecasting and KPIs for production spend
- Partner with Financial Control to update company budgets using:
- Project revenue recognition
- Milestone data
- Labour forecasts
Revenue Recognition & Commercial Partnering
- Manage percentage-of-completion accounting for revenue recognition
- Act as the primary financial liaison for:
- Heads of Production
- Executive Producers
- (Translating complex metrics into actionable production insights)
- Support teams in assessing financial impacts of:
- Scope creep
- Client-driven delays
- Change orders
- Collate production-level tracking data to support:
- FC + corporate tax teams (e.g., UK AVEC tax credit applications)
- Example: Data extraction for creative industry incentives
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Project Cost Control
- Review and validate cost allocations to ensure accuracy
- Monitor third-party outsourcing costs and cross-studio recharges
- Ensure adherence to budgeted show parameters
General Responsibilities
- Identify process efficiencies and workflow standardisation
- Leverage automation tools or AI where applicable
- Maintain efficient administration and general queries management
- Provide ad-hoc financial support, including:
- Corporate projects
- Software transitions
Why Join Cinesite?
We foster a positive, creative environment where top-tier talent thrives, producing award-winning global work. Cinesite values work-life balance, offering:
- Flexible working options, including hybrid and remote arrangements
- Collaboration with some of the world’s leading creative minds
- Producing work that pays homage to excellence and innovation
(Full job responsibilities preserved from original; Emphasis added for key phrases.)
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