Production Accountant
Permanent - Full Time £42,000 - £45,000 / yearJob Overview
We’re looking for a Production Accountant to join our specialist Theatre team based in our West End office.
This is a varied, hands-on role supporting a portfolio of theatre and production clients, with responsibility for the day-to-day preparation and delivery of production accounts. You’ll work across areas including payroll journals, reconciliations, purchase ledger, royalty statements, VAT and year-end accounts, while liaising closely with clients and colleagues to ensure accurate and timely reporting.
The role would suit someone with strong accounting experience who enjoys working in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment, with previous theatre or production accounting experience being advantageous but not essential.
This is a varied, hands-on role supporting a portfolio of theatre and production clients, with responsibility for the day-to-day preparation and delivery of production accounts. You’ll work across areas including payroll journals, reconciliations, purchase ledger, royalty statements, VAT and year-end accounts, while liaising closely with clients and colleagues to ensure accurate and timely reporting.
The role would suit someone with strong accounting experience who enjoys working in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment, with previous theatre or production accounting experience being advantageous but not essential.
Key Responsibilities
- Prepare and post weekly payroll journals accurately, following client instructions and relevant sector rules, and investigate unusual movements or variances.
- Maintain weekly bank, petty cash, purchase ledger, supplier payment and control account reconciliations.
- Prepare sales contra calculations and post the required accounting adjustments.
- Produce weekly production accounts, including reconciliations, prepayments, accruals and detailed variance analysis.
- Monitor actual production costs against budgets and cash-flow forecasts, highlighting unusual balances or emerging issues promptly.
- Prepare royalty, merchandise royalty and profit distribution statements, reconcile these to control accounts and communicate payment information to relevant stakeholders.
- Prepare VAT returns, including any sector-specific adjustments, and support the quarterly preparation and submission of CT61 and FEU forms.
- Complete government surveys and provide ad hoc financial analysis and reporting in line with client requirements.
- Prepare year-end accounting schedules to first-draft stage and assist with Theatre Tax Relief workings.
- Build effective relationships with clients and internal colleagues, following agreed processes and travelling to client premises in London when required.
Skills, Knowledge & Expertise
- Practical experience in production accounting, management accounting, bookkeeping or a similar finance role involving regular reporting and reconciliations.
- Experience preparing and posting journals, with the ability to investigate discrepancies and explain unusual movements.
- Hands-on experience of bank, control account and purchase ledger reconciliations, together with prepayments and accruals.
- Experience producing management or production accounts and reviewing actual costs against budgets or forecasts.
- Intermediate Microsoft Excel skills, including formulas, lookups, pivot tables, filtering and maintaining reconciliation schedules.
- Experience using accounting software such as Xero, QuickBooks, Sage 50 or a comparable system.
- Evidence of managing multiple deadlines and maintaining accuracy in a fast-paced, client-focused environment.
- Clear written and verbal communication skills, strong attention to detail and a proactive approach to resolving queries.
- Willingness to travel to client premises within London when required.
Desirable
- Experience within theatre, entertainment, media or another production-led sector.
- Experience preparing royalty or profit distribution statements.
- Experience preparing VAT returns, CT61 or FEU submissions.
- Exposure to year-end accounts preparation or Theatre Tax Relief workings.