Assistant Finance Manager

Cabot Learning Federation, Bristol, BS15 4JT

26 days remaining to apply

• Job start date

  1 June 2026

• Closing date

  12 April 2026 at 11:59pm

• Date listed

  17 March 2026

Job details

• Job role:
  • Administration, HR, data and finance
• Visa sponsorship: Visas cannot be sponsored
• Working pattern: Part time
• Contract type: Permanent
• Full-time equivalent salary: £34,708 - £37,389

Assistant Finance Manager job summary

Job Title: Assistant Finance Manager

Actual Annual Salary: £34,708 - £37,389 (Based on hours and working weeks)

Full Time Equivalent Salary: £43,386 - £46,737 (CLF Grade G). Based on 37 hours per week, all year round.

Contract Type: Permanent

Hours: Part time, 29.6 hours per week, all year-round (Flexibility: Non‑working day can be Monday, Tuesday, or Friday. Hours could be spread over 5 days)

Additional Information: You will work through a blended model that includes home working and with two days per week based at Federation House, Kingswood, Bristol. Travel to academies across the trust will be required.

Provisional Start Date: 01 June 2026 (Subject to completion of pre-employment checks)

Delivering confident financial leadership to guide our academies through accurate budgeting, insightful analysis and effective resource management

We are looking for a skilled, proactive and relationship‑focused Assistant Finance Manager to provide high‑quality financial management, insight and support across a group of academies within the Cabot Learning Federation.

This is an exciting opportunity to join a collaborative, forward‑thinking central finance team where your expertise will directly support financial planning, strong governance and improved outcomes for children, young people and staff across the trust.

Working closely with Principals, senior leaders, Finance Assistants and central colleagues, you will play a key role in ensuring robust budgets, accurate management accounts and effective financial decision‑making. Your work will help our academies use their resources efficiently, sustainably and in line with CLF and DfE requirements.

About the role

As an Assistant Finance Manager, you will:

• Build strong, trusting professional relationships with Principals, senior leaders and academy staff, acting as a credible, expert adviser.
  
• Serve as the finance lead for several academies, overseeing their full financial management cycle.
  
• Support and lead annual budget setting, helping academy leaders develop robust, realistic plans aligned to educational priorities.
  
• Produce complete monthly management accounts, including forecasting, analysis and investigation of variances.
  
• Prepare and review month‑end journals, including prepayments, accruals and balance sheet reconciliations.
  
• Provide clear, accessible financial reporting, translating complex information into meaningful insights for a range of stakeholders.
  
• Oversee expenditure analysis, including monitoring ring‑fenced funding and identifying cost‑saving or income‑generating opportunities.
  
• Maintain strong financial controls and ensure compliance with CLF Financial Regulations, DfE guidance and GDPR standards.
  
• Lead and support Finance Assistants within your academies, offering guidance, oversight and training.
  
• Collaborate with HR, Estates, Operations and Executive Principal teams to support effective organisation‑wide planning.
  
• Respond professionally to complex queries, provide financial advice at academy and central level, and support Principals in value‑for‑money decision‑making.
  
• Support procurement activities, ensure high‑quality data management, and contribute to ongoing improvements across the finance function.
  

About you

You will bring:

• A strong understanding of financial regulations, month‑end processes and budget preparation.
  
• An AAT qualification and/or newly qualified accountant status.
  
• Experience working with financial systems and maintaining accurate, reliable financial data.
  
• Excellent analytical, problem‑solving and organisational skills, with high attention to detail.
  
• Confidence in leading on key financial processes, making sound judgements and working independently.
  
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to engage professionally with stakeholders at all levels.
  
• The ability to take a lead role across multiple sites, with experience guiding or supporting team members.
  
• A proactive, solution‑oriented mindset, able to identify improvements and drive positive change.
  
• Strong IT skills, particularly in Excel and the effective use of digital financial tools.
  
• A commitment to confidentiality, professionalism, safeguarding, equality and the values of working within education.
  

Applicants are advised to refer to the full requirements of the role in the attached job description and person specification prior to submitting an application.

Why work in CLF’s Central Finance Team?

As an Assistant Finance Manager, you’ll be part of a supportive and high‑performing central function that values accuracy, integrity, collaboration and continuous improvement.

We offer:

• The opportunity to influence financial planning and decision‑making across several academies.
  
• Varied, meaningful work that directly supports educational improvement.
  
• Opportunities to lead on financial processes, support team development and contribute to trust‑wide improvements.
  
• Flexible, hybrid working from home and our Kingswood, Bristol office.
  
• Ongoing professional development and career progression pathways within the central team and wider trust.
  
• A collaborative culture where your expertise, initiative and insight will be valued and recognised.
  

Why work at CLF?

We are a diverse and inclusive community of 36 academies across five cluster regions in the South West that is committed to excellence and making a positive impact. Our people bring unique perspectives, but we’re all driven by a shared moral purpose and a passion for making a positive impact, whether in a teaching, leadership or support role. We’re proud to foster a culture where everyone can thrive, feel valued, and make a meaningful difference to the lives of others.

We are an equal opportunity employer and proud to serve a diverse student population and our communities. We strongly believe that representation matters and so encourage applications from underrepresented and global majority groups including ethnicity, gender, transgender, age, disability, sexual orientation or religion.

We aim to remove any barriers to employment, ensuring everyone can compete on equal terms. Job share, part-time and flexible working opportunities will be considered.

What we can offer you:

• Access to a generous pension through the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS).
  
• Generous annual leave.
  
• A comprehensive induction and ongoing commitment to wellbeing and career progression, through a range of training, apprenticeships and in-role/wider-trust development opportunities.
  
• Well-being support through an Employee Assistance Programme.
  
• Health benefits, including wellness sessions, gym discounts, and flu jabs.
  
• A range of generous family leave options, including above industry average occupational maternity pay.
  
• Additional benefits like cycle to work scheme, on-site parking plus many more!
  

Recruitment timeline:

• Closing Date: 12 April 2026 @11.59pm
  
• Shortlisting: 14 April 2026
  
• Interviews: 23 April 2026
  

As part of our commitment to Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE), we do not accept CVs – a full education and employment history must be provided through our application form.

Please note we are not able to offer visa sponsorship for this role.

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early, should we receive a high level of interest in the role. Therefore, candidates are advised to apply at their earliest convenience to avoid missing out.

As a Disability Confident Committed Employer, we are dedicated to equity and inclusion and commit to interviewing applicants with a disability who meet the essential criteria. We aim to provide an inclusive and accessible recruitment process, and support employees throughout their employment. If you have a disability, are neurodivergent, or require any adjustments to support you through the application or interview process please let us know how we can assist.

 

Further information about the job

The candidate will be required to undergo a full enhanced DBS check and must be eligible to work in the UK.

Visas cannot be sponsored.

If you're interested in teaching or training to teach in England as an international citizen, we can help you understand your next steps.

Commitment to safeguarding

The Cabot Learning Federation are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

The successful applicant will, in accordance with statutory guidance, be subject to a comprehensive pre-employment checking process including references from current and previous employers, health, right to work in the UK and a child disqualification check. The checks will also include an enhanced DBS check and a further check against the appropriate barred list.

Applying for the job

This school accepts applications through their own website, where you may also find more information about this job.

CVs will not be accepted for this application.

About Cabot Learning Federation

• Type: Multi-academy trust
• Website: Cabot Learning Federation website
• See more jobs: teaching-vacancies.service.gov.uk/organisations/cabot-learning-federation

Cabot Learning Federation (CLF) is a diverse West Country multi-academy trust which is home to 36 schools operating in five clusters in Bristol, Gloucestershire, South Gloucestershire, North Somerset and Somerset.

The CLF is unique due to its tight geographical concentration, the diversity of the communities it serves, and the variety of educational provisions it offers. We are one of the largest and most respected trusts in the South West and hold national as well as regional recognition due to the breadth and influence of strong practice in our trust.

Our collaborative culture, driven by a strong moral purpose, is key to our success. We believe strong collaboration can drive school improvement and embed excellence in our academies. Our team is united with the common goal of delivering outstanding educational experiences and promoting the life chances of the young people in our academies now and in the future.

Following a recent period of growth, we are proud to serve circa 18,000 pupils who all attend one of our 10 secondary academies, 17 primary academies, an all-through provision, a studio school, a discrete post-16 provision, three special schools and two alternative provisions spanning the age ranges.

The CLF is an equal opportunity employer and is proud to serve a diverse student population and their communities. We actively encourage applications from underrepresented groups including ethnicity, gender, transgender, age, disability, sexual orientation or religion. To ensure our leadership team is fully representative of the people we serve, we are encouraging applications for this role from global majority communities.

We are proud to be part of a diverse region and celebrate the richness of cultures, faiths and backgrounds of our students. We aim to develop a curriculum that is responsive to our pupils’ needs and reflects their diverse interests and backgrounds.

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