Edinburgh Guarantee Jobs Board

Employer:

Unique Assembly have presented Edinburgh's Christmas and Hogmanay activations since 2022, and Edinburgh’s Christmas welcomed over 2.8m visitors in 2024 to enjoy a spectacular programme of festive fun in the city.

This year Edinburgh's Christmas will include seven weeks (49-days) of seasonal fun across Edinburgh’s city centre, including Traditional Christmas Markets, Funfair Rides, Big Wheel & Around the World Starflyer, Ice Rink, Santa’s Stories, Polar Ice Bar and more.

Environment:

Unique Assembly are looking for an experienced Finance Officer.

The Finance Officer role supports the Head of Finance, Finance Manager and Managing Director with the financial management of the company, working to ensure suppliers and staff are paid on time and within budget.

What might a day in this role look like?

Contract Type: PAYE, Fixed Term Full-Time (37.5 hours per week)

Salary: £27,300 per annum/pro rata with 25 days annual leave + 8 Bank Holidays (pro rata)

Contract Duration: Immediate start, 4 months with the possibility of extension

Reports to: Managing Director, Head of Finance, and Finance Manager

Direct Internal Relationships: Artistic Director, Operations Director, Programme Team, Finance Team, Technical Team, Operations Team, Bars and Catering Team, Marketing Team, Press Team, Venue/FOH Team, Head of Box Office, Payroll Assistant.

The Finance Officer role supports the Head of Finance, Finance Manager and Managing Director with the financial management of the four companies we operate: Assembly Festival Ltd, Unique Assembly Ltd, List Publishing, Assembly Theatre Ltd. This individual will be responsible for managing a broad range of technical, reporting and analytical tasks across the four companies. This will include purchase and sales invoicing, SOLDO and Pleo Management, Zahara purchase order input, and reconciling in Xero. This role takes place in an extremely busy and fast-moving environment of Edinburgh’s Festivals industry so the individual should expect to be responsible for other tasks as and when required.

Summary of Role and Responsibilities

• be the first point of contact for high volume account inboxes and provide general administrative assistance as required
• match all Accounts Payable invoices to purchase orders on PO system Zahara and report on variances, following up with purchase order creators to reconcile differences
• collate data in Excel spreadsheets as needed
• filing and maintaining company data accurately
• support the company’s HR processes for contracting seasonal Festival staff as required
• support the generating of data for gathering statistics for reporting and fundraising
• work with the Programming, Bars and Catering team, Marketing, Technical and Operations teams to ensure flow of information/documents and supporting queries and processes
• assist Head of Finance and Finance Manager with duties as and when required
• ensure internal workings of the Finance Department confidential at all times

What qualifications/skills are required?

• self-motivated, proactive individual who is able to work through complex tasks independently and efficiently
• great attention to detail and accuracy in reporting
• strong ability to multi-task working with four companies simultaneously
• must be able to work under pressure and in a busy office environment
• ability to devise quick and effective solutions to practical problems
• ability to work towards tight deadlines
• extremely proficient in working with Excel, Outlook, Sharepoint
• sound knowledge of VAT and PAYE processes
• quick to learn, implement and share new systems with others
• patience, flexibility and a team player
• required: experience with Xero
• desirable: experience with Zahara or other purchase order system, Modulr and Brightpay

The position is based in our central Edinburgh offices, though some home working and flexible working patterns may be considered. Evening and weekend work may be required in busier periods.

This role will be required to work over the Christmas and Hogmanay period when Unique Assembly Ltd operates the Edinburgh’s Christmas celebrations and Edinburgh’s Hogmanay, delivered on behalf of City of Edinburgh Council:

• working all of December 2025, except 25 and 26 December
• working all of January 2026, except 1 and 2 January

Apply now