Senior Bookkeeper

• Full time
• £30k-£40k

Wed, 04 Nov 2026 "> published - Wed, 04 Nov 2026

Job Summary

Hands-on Senior Bookkeeper for a specialist finance practice for the arts. Own ledgers, reconciliations, production payrolls and VAT returns for theatre, music, film and arts charity clients. £35,000, full-time, hybrid (Rainham, Kent).

Job Description

Greenroom SM is a specialist finance and management practice for the arts and creative industries. Producing theatres, orchestras, festivals, touring productions, film companies and arts charities trust us to run or oversee their finances.

We are growing, and we're looking for a hands-on Senior Bookkeeper to take on the senior bookkeeping work across our client portfolio. You will own the ledgers, reconciliations, production payrolls and VAT returns for a number of clients, and be the first person our clients turn to with a finance question.

No two days are the same. You might start the morning reconciling a theatre's balance sheet, turn around a production payroll by lunchtime because a company is paying its cast on Friday, and finish by preparing a VAT return. Productions run to strict timeframes, so turnaround is quick and priorities can change within a day. You'll thrive here if you enjoy pace and variety and can stay calm and accurate under pressure.

What we offer:
- £35,000 salary, 28 days' holiday plus bank holidays, and a workplace pension
- Full-time (average 40 hours), flexible hours between 8.30am and 6.30pm, core hours 10am-12pm and 2pm-4pm
- Hybrid working from our office in Rainham, Kent: at least 2 days a week in the office (3 during the 6-month probation, for training), the rest from home. Occasional client days in London; travel outside Kent and London is paid
- Varied, meaningful work across theatre, music, film and the wider arts, including creative-industry tax reliefs and audits
- A small, supportive team, direct access to the Directors, and training in the AI tools and systems we use

Interviews in December, start January 2027.

Job Requirements

Essential:
- Solid experience across purchase ledger, sales ledger and balance sheet reconciliations through to trial balance
- Payroll experience, ideally weekly or freelance-heavy payrolls
- Preparing and filing VAT returns (MTD)
- Proficient in Xero and QuickBooks; strong Excel skills
- Confident, curious user of AI tools
- Exceptional attention to detail, even at pace
- Comfortable juggling several clients and strict deadlines
- Clear, friendly communicator

Desirable:
- Arts, theatre, live events, film, production or charity finance experience
- Knowledge of Theatre, Orchestra or Film Tax Relief
- Charity accounting (SORP, restricted funds)
- Dext, ApprovalMax, Pleo, Soldo or Sage 200
- AAT qualified, or part-qualified ACCA/CIMA/ACA
- Experience reviewing others' work

Job Responsibilities

- Run purchase ledgers across several clients: invoice capture (Dext), coding, approvals and supplier payment runs
- Run sales ledgers and credit control: invoicing, allocating receipts and chasing debtors
- Prepare monthly balance sheet reconciliations agreed back to the trial balance
- Process production payrolls (often weekly) for performers, creatives and crew, including RTI and pension submissions
- Prepare and file VAT returns under MTD, reviewing VAT on productions, ticketing and grants
- Track client deadlines (VAT, PAYE, pensions, year end, Companies House) and flag risks early
- Be first point of contact for client finance enquiries
- Review the work of our bookkeeping team and support the Directors with month-end, cash flow, audits and tax-relief claims

Job Overview

• Job Title: Senior Bookkeeper
• Salary: £30k-£40k
• Hours: Full time
• Artform: Performing arts
• Role: Finance
• Contract: Permanent
• Closing date: Mon, 30 Nov 2026
• Location:

  South East

How to Apply

Send your CV and a short covering note (no more than one page) to info@greenroomsm.com. In your note, tell us why the role appeals to you and give an example of a time you delivered accurately against a tight deadline.

Closing date: Monday 30 November 2026 @ 5pm. Interviews in December, start January 2027.

Greenroom SM is committed to equality, diversity and inclusion. We welcome applications from everyone, especially people from groups under-represented in finance and the arts. If you need any adjustments to apply or to interview, including BSL interpretation, please let us know.

• Contact email: info@greenroomsm.com

About Greenroom SM

Greenroom SM was founded in 2016 and is a specialist finance and management practice for the arts and creative industries. We provide bookkeeping, payroll, management accounts, year ends, audits, cash flow and governance support to theatres, orchestras, festivals, production companies and arts charities, and are known for our expertise in Theatre, Orchestra and Film Tax Relief. We're a small, close team that cares about the sector we work in.

Find out more