Finance Director

ATG Entertainment; Brighton; On-site; GBP 150,000 - 230,000; Full time

Job summary

ATG Productions in London is seeking a Finance Director to lead financial planning, reporting, and strategic analysis across the business. You will partner with the Leadership Team, manage one direct report, and provide timely insights to drive decision making.

The role covers production budgets, group reporting, and investment governance, with occasional UK-wide collaboration. Ideal candidates are ACA/ACCA/CIMA accountants with strong Excel skills and a passion for theatre.

Qualifications

• Fully qualified accountant ACA, ACCA, or CIMA (or equivalent).
• Practice-trained with experience in a similar role or industry knowledge advantageous.
• Advanced Excel and IT skills are essential.

Responsibilities

• Financial management of ATG Productions department and lead the business partner relationship.
• Oversee budgeting, forecasts, cash flow, and strategic plans to drive profitability.
• Review monthly management accounts and ensure correct financial reporting across P&L, balance sheet and cash flow.
• Define and maintain dashboards, KPIs, and reporting templates for timely decision-making.
• Lead production budgets and investment governance, including production SPV accounts and tax considerations.

Skills

Attention to detail

Communication with stakeholders

Adaptable working style

Collaborative working

Advanced Excel

Education

Accounting qualification (ACA/ACCA/CIMA)

Tools

Excel

IT skills

Job description

The Role: Finance Director – ATG Productions

The Finance Director – ATG Productions is part of the Leadership Team for ATG Productions and will be instrumental in driving the success and direction of the business. This will be done through the reporting, analysis, and interrogation of insightful and timely information and by providing appropriate and accurate financial information to drive decision making.

This role is based in London, predominantly at ATG Productions office (at The Tom Stoppard Theatre), occasionally spending time with the wider ATG commercial finance team (115 Shaftesbury Avenue) or with the financial reporting team in Woking (Alexander House, Church Path).

Reports to Senior Producer at ATG Productions, with a matrix dotted line into the Group CFO. Manages one direct report: Assistant Accountant – ATG Productions.

Key responsibilities

Financial management of ATG Productions department

Oversee the financial management of ATG Productions, and lead the business partner relationship.

Work with the ATG Productions Leadership team to deliver annual budget, forecasts, cash flow, and strategic plans to ATG UK Senior Leadership Team to drive profitability and in line with Group requirements.

Proactively model and analyse business opportunities, providing strategic insights on viability and potential to the business.

Review monthly management accounts, overseeing the month end process and highlighting any business issues that emerge, to ensure correct financial results are recorded in group reporting processes, including P&L, Balance Sheet, and cashflow.

Own and continuously improve finance processes across ATG Productions, identifying efficiencies in line with the company’s emphasis on simple, efficient solutions.

Define and maintain departmental reporting templates, dashboards and KPIs so that information is timely, consistent, and decision-ready.

Own and maintain financial controls across ATG Productions, ensuring the department adheres to the Delegation of Authority as defined by the Group.

Leadership

Lead, manage and develop the Assistant Accountant, setting objectives, providing regular feedback, and conducting performance and development reviews.

Drive financial acumen of the department, providing ad-hoc training to the General Management team in areas such as VAT, TTR and FEU taxes, and miscellaneous excel skills.

Identify development opportunities for team members, promoting a culture of learning consistent with the company’s values.

Manage relationship and work closely with outsourced Production Accounting, helping communication, compliance, and flow of critical information.

Liaise with ATG’s finance teams in the UK Head Office and internationally regarding productions and investments in the respective territories.

Theatrical productions

Review production budgets prior to their greenlighting, and lead the process for the preparation and presentation of Production Investment Committee documentation, including department income from the production, and forward-plan corporate and investment structure for new shows.

Work with General Management Team to review production accounts and appraise financial performance, including reviewing cashflow requirements during rehearsal period while investment is being raised, and once performances commence.

Ensure production accounts are appropriately closed out at the end of the production.

Calculate, and advise on tax implications for, investor distributions in accordance with recoupment waterfalls.

Prepare production SPV entities’ statutory accounts and corporation tax workings including TTR calculations. Liaise with external taxation compliance providers and ATG Group Finance team to co-ordinate the statutory filing. Consider impact of changes to financial reporting standards, such as the implementation of the new FRS 102 Section 20.

Drive investment strategy and management reporting on investments held, including impairment assessments, external investment opportunities, and any investment stake which ATG retain.

Prepare Investor and Co-producer contract templates.

Represent the department by attending Opening Nights for productions.

Group Reporting

Collaborate with Group Finance to ensure any audit deliverables for ATG group audit are provided in a timely manner.

Prepare Productions Consolidation for inclusion in ATG Group consolidated statutory accounts, equity accounting or consolidating annual results for each self-produced production as applicable.

Respond to ad hoc requests from stakeholders including Group Executive Leadership Team as required.

Your skills, qualities, and experience

• Fully qualified accountant ACA, ACCA, or CIMA (or equivalent)
• Practice-trained with experience in a similar role or industry knowledge advantageous
• Excellent attention to detail; well organised and process driven
• Enthusiastic and adaptable working style, keen to identify opportunities for improvements and personal growth
• Confident communicator, with the ability to influence senior stakeholders
• Collaborative working style
• Ambitious, positive, tenacious, and keen to learn
• A genuine passion for theatre
• Advanced Excel and IT skills

ATG Productions is the award-winning producing and general management arm of the world’s largest live theatre company, ATG Entertainment – dedicated to producing critically acclaimed, commercially successful, and creatively ambitious work for the West End, Broadway and beyond. Led by Adam Speers and Zareen Walker, we place partnerships and creative excellence at our core.

CURRENT & UPCOMING PRODUCTIONS: the seven-time Olivier Award-winning CABARET at the Kit Kat Club (Playhouse Theatre); DOLLY: A True Original Musical the new Dolly Parton musical (St James Theatre, Broadway); the three-time Olivier Award-winning Best New Musical The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (Public Theatre, New York); Other Desert Cities (Hudson Theatre) and Pretty Woman: The Musical (UK Tour).