Established in 2014, 11Arches began operating on the 2 July 2016 when it presented the first season of Kynren, a sold out, open-air summer spectacular templated from the award-winning Cinéscénie produced by Puy du Fou in France. Kynren was created thanks to an initial £35m investment, funded entirely by charitable donations and has since operated on previous year’s proceeds.

Since its opening performance, Kynren has attracted over 350,000 visitors to Bishop Auckland and this puts it among other treasures in the North East. 40% of its visitors come from outside the North East, from all over the UK and all over the world, from the USA to China, from South Africa to the Middle East.

In 2021, 11Arches launched a brand new daytime theme park, 11Arches Park offering epic journeys through time with spectacular shows and immersive attractions. On the back of our soft launch success in 2021, we have embarked upon a massive production and build programme that will see many more shows added to our daytime offering. 11Arches Park will reopen in 2024.

11Arches is one of two charities established together in Bishop Auckland, the other being The Auckland Project. The charities have overseen the commitment of approaching £200m to date (largely private funding) into the town to create a major visitor destination that will attract up to 750,000 visitors a year by 2024. Philanthropy on this scale, unseen in the UK, provides a unique opportunity to provide a catalyst for the revival of the town and area.

On the back of continued growth the charity is looking to appoint their first Finance Director into the organisation.

Finance Director Job Mission

• To become an integral, trusted member of the 11 Arches senior management team.
• Uphold the values and culture of 11 Arches.
• Heavily contribute to the strategic planning of the organisation, including realisation of CAPEX requirements and delivery of projects in a timely and efficient manner.
• To be responsible for the efforts, results, and success of the finance function.
• Provide financial data, analysis and opinions to help fellow senior executives, the board of trustees and stakeholders shareholders make key decisions.

Results and Capabilities

• Heavily assist in the delivery of the short and medium term vision of 11 Arches.
• The timely preparation and development of KPI’s.
• The preparation of monthly management accounts and supporting reports.
• Overseeing the finance department, including the updating and implementation of financial policies and procedures; ensuring adequate resources are available for day to day operations; workload is dealt with accurately and efficiently and all the company’s financial practices are in line with statutory regulations and legislation.
• Offering assistance and cover in the accounts department in times of absence, holidays and heavy workload periods.
• Liaising and working closely with other members of the management team on system developments, continuous improvement activities and other matters.
• Other Ad Hoc Duties
• Preparation of cash flows, VAT compliance, submitting theatre tax credit relief claims and sourcing any funding or grants to support investment and growth.
• Overseeing and preparing all information for the annual accounts audit
• Assisting the senior team in the preparation of annual budgets and forecasts and then oversee, review and ensure these budgets are adhered to and variances understood.
• Analysis of the financial climate and market trends to assist the Directors and shareholders to create strategic plans for the future
• Interpret complex financial information and provide updates and information as needed
• Seek out methods and practices to minimise financial risk
• Create and maintain relationships with service providers and contractors, including banking institutions, accountants and trade credit insurers etc

Preferred Finance Director Skills and Qualifications:

Formal qualification in accounting, (eg. ACA, CIMA, ACCA) several years of experience in finance; excellent mathematical skills; leadership skills; management experience; integrity; honesty; understanding of data privacy standards; exceptional communication skills, both written and verbal; thorough understanding of business principles and practices; superior attention to detail; organisational skills; planning skills; problem-solving skills; research skills; analytical skills; critical thinking skills; computer skills; multi-tasking skills.

This is an outstanding opportunity for someone who would like to make a difference to the region.

Renumeration will be dependant on experience but will not prove a barrier to appointing the right person.

All third party CVs received by 11Arches will be forwarded to Broster Buchanan for consideration.