THE COMPANY
Pitlochry Festival Theatre is a nationally significant production theatre and one of Scotland’s leading cultural organisations, operating year-round from its base in Highland Perthshire. Since its founding in 1951, the organisation has built a strong reputation for delivering high-quality productions, attracting audiences from across the UK and internationally.
The theatre is entering a critical phase of evolution, with a renewed leadership team and a clear mandate to raise its national and international profile, strengthen commercial performance and improve operational discipline. The recent appointments of internationally acclaimed Scottish actor, writer and director Alan Cumming as Artistic Director, alongside an experienced Chief Executive, signal both ambition and intent to elevate the theatre’s profile, broaden its reach and scale its impact.
With strong audience engagement, a distinctive brand and public funding underpinning its model, the organisation now requires a new Finance Manager to work alongside the Head of Finance and existing finance team. This creates a high-impact opportunity for a finance leader to influence direction, drive improvement and deliver measurable change.
THE ROLE
The post holder will be responsible for:
- Own and manage day-to-day finance operations across all entities.
- Ensure accuracy, completeness and timeliness of financial transactions (AP, AR, payroll, banking).
- Lead month-end close processes, including journals, accruals, prepayments and reconciliations.
- Investigate and explain variances, supporting accurate and timely reporting.
- Maintain and enhance financial controls, ensuring adherence to policies and procedures.
- Oversee payroll processes, ensuring accuracy, compliance and timely submissions.
- Support the production of management information and financial analysis.
- Assist with budgeting and forecasting processes.
- Prepare for and support audit and year-end reporting requirements.
- Act as systems lead for finance platforms, supporting users and driving improvements.
- Line manage junior finance staff, ensuring effective workload management and development.
- Provide financial guidance to budget holders and non-finance stakeholders.
- Deputise for the Head of Finance as required, ensuring continuity of finance operations.
THE IDEAL CANDIDATE
- Qualified by experience or Part-qualified accountant (ACCA, CIMA, ICAS, CIPFA)
- Strong experience across core finance operations, including AP, AR and payroll
- Proven track record delivering month-end close and balance sheet reconciliations
- Solid understanding of financial controls and compliance requirements
- Experience supporting management reporting and financial analysis
- Experience supervising or supporting junior finance staff
- Strong Excel and finance systems capability
- Ability to manage workload effectively in a high-volume environment
DESIRABLE
- Fully qualified accountant (ACCA, CIMA, ICAS, CIPFA)
- Experience within charity, arts or publicly funded organisations
- Knowledge of Charity SORP, VAT and payroll in complex environments
- Experience with cloud-based systems such as Xero
- Experience supporting audit, statutory reporting or grant funding
- Experience driving process improvements or systems enhancements
