We create iconic, genre-defining immersive arts and hospitality experiences. We believe that great art, in the right place, at the right time, has the power to transform lives. Our mission is to expand this unique business rapidly into an international cultural powerhouse.
We’re seeking an experienced Head of Finance to join our team at The Lost Estate. The right candidate will be passionate about live experiences and hospitality - thriving in a fast-paced, high-growth startup environment. Having bootstrapped our way to the £10m mark, we’re looking for someone who can lead the finance function, designing and implementing brilliant
systems that help drive the Company’s rapid growth.
You’ll be someone who will get a kick out of working directly with our Founders, and someone with killer commercial instincts who naturally takes an entrepreneurial approach to risk and driving the bottom line.
You’ll be responsible for developing our financial strategy and building upon our current reporting, forecasting, and compliance practices. You’ll also be happy getting stuck in with the day-to-day running of the finance function - managing one direct report, preparing and filing quarterly VAT returns, and delivering weekly, monthly, and whole-project reporting.
This is a unique opportunity to join an extraordinary, diverse team of talents, working together to define a new genre of live-experience entertainment.
* Salary: £70-85k depending on experience
* Hours: 40 hours per week
* Holidays: 30 days annual leave, including public holidays + one further day of annual leave for your birthday
* Benefits including:
* Free tickets to The Lost Estate shows (subject to availability)
* Staff discount on drinks at The Lost Estate shows
* Company pension scheme
* Training and development program
* Extra day off for your birthday
* Social events and team-building days
* Remote working (subject to business requirements)
KEY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
STRATEGY, FORECASTING & BUDGETING
* Work closely with the Managing Director and Founders to develop
* our financial strategy.
* Assist with the preparation, design, and maintenance of show,
* project, and annual budgets.
* Developing rolling forecasts and what-if models to help guide a
* rapidly growing and changing business.
* Advise on the financial viability of new business development.
* Lead on financing options, including leasing and debt finance.
CONTROL & PROCESS
* Adopt an approach of continuous improvement suitable for a fast-
* growth business.
* Maintain strong internal controls, with clear documented
* procedures.
* Design, maintain and iteratively improve the financial tech stack.
* Develop and control budgets across departments, identifying cost-
* reduction opportunities.
* Ensure all financial aspects of the business comply with legislation
* and develop compliance across the organisation.
* Manage cash flow, treasury and working capital to minimise risk.
REPORTING
* Responsible for producing the monthly Group management accounts, including the Group consolidation.
* Responsible for the year-end statutory accounts, working with outsourced accounting firm.
* Working with department heads to deliver meaningful reports.
MANAGEMENT & FINANCE ADMINISTRATION
* Oversee the day-to-day accounting for the company.
* Manage the monthly financial timetable and coordinate with the team.
* Oversee and be accountable for payrolls, including staff benefits, expenses and pensions.
* Preparation and submission of VAT returns.
* Oversee the business insurance renewal process.
* Ensuring asset registers are correctly set up and maintained across departments.
ROLE REQUIREMENTS:
PERSONAL SKILLS
* Analytical.
* Meticulous attention to detail.
* Excellent Problem-solving skills.
* Result-focused.
* Team player.
* Excellent team management and delegation skills.
* Proactive, self-starter, driving tasks through to conclusion.
* Avid learner.
* Always first to spot industry trends, changes in platform best practices, and emerging technologies.
* Enthusiasm to obtain new skills and knowledge.
* Adaptable to change and possess a willingness to embrace innovative ideas and new processes.
* Live experience lover.
* Fundamentally a lover of live arts - music, theatre etc. - and experiences. Deeply passionate about The Lost Estate’s work and the process of making genuine world-class arts experiences.
* Able to reconcile and merge commercial responsibilities with the artistic integrity and long-term vision at the heart of the brand.
TECHNICAL SKILLS
* Thorough knowledge of accounting principles, best practices and procedures, with proven experience in:
* Running an efficient month-end process and year-end close.
* Financial regulations and legislation, including UK VAT compliance requirements.
* Forecasting and budgeting.
* Excellent software and tech skills, including:
* Thorough knowledge of major accounting software packages, especially QuickBooks and Xero.
* Advanced spreadsheet skills are essential.
EXPERIENCE & QUALIFICATIONS
* Proven working experience as a Financial Controller.
* 4+ years of overall combined accounting and finance experience.
* Experience working in the theatre, live entertainment, and/or events industries is highly desirable.
Our company is built on three fundamental pillars: great culture; great systems; great finance. We believe that if these pillars flourish, our company will flourish with them. We believe that all three are ongoing processes - ones we must improve and strengthen daily if we are to succeed. As such, we believe that caring for these three pillars is every team member's most important responsibility.
We founded The Lost Estate following careers as professional classical musicians. The company has grown from homespun pop-ups to become the UK’s leading immersive theatre and hospitality producer. Our teams have been and continue to be fundamental to this success. They make the new and extraordinary worlds we dream up a reality for our audiences. We’re proud to work with some of the best talent in the industry, and aim to make this an aspirational workplace, one where you can dream big and do your best work alongside inspiring and supportive colleagues.
The Lost Estate (TLE) is London's master experience maker. It turns the stories of great art into transformational shared experiences, creating original productions filled with theatre, music, hospitality, and immersive design.
From the legend of Swan Lake (The Great Masked Ball, 2018) to a 1930s New York Super-Speakeasy (The Greatest Night Of The Jazz Age, 2023), each TLE experience is unique. With 100,000+ guests served across 8 sold-out experiences, and countless 5-star reviews earned, TLE stands alone within the cultural landscape - an independent, profitable, artist-led Scale-Up.
Remaining founder-led, TLE has built its workforce to a thriving mix of c. 70 full-time. fixed-term and freelance team members across management, marketing, hospitality, box office, and production.
Today, The Lost Estate stands at a key turning point. After 5 years as a pop-up, it has opened its first permanent premises - a 30,000 sq ft former mannequin factory in Earl‘s Court, transformed into a groundbreaking arts and hospitality complex, complete with a 250-seat immersive theatre at its heart. You can read more about it here.
In 2024/5, the company will open a second site in Peckham - a 5000 sq ft warehouse housing a new permanent concept - as well as launch international licensed productions in both the USA and China.
If that sounds like you please reach out directly to hr@thelostestate.com
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