Management Accountant

Cabot Learning Federation, Bristol, BS15 4JT

29 days remaining to apply

• Job start date

  13 February 2026

• Closing date

  17 March 2026 at 11:59pm

• Date listed

  16 February 2026

Job details

• Job role:
  • Other leadership roles
• Visa sponsorship: Visas cannot be sponsored
• Working pattern: Full time
• Contract type: Permanent
• Full-time equivalent salary: £39,649 - £42,301

Management Accountant job summary

Job Title: Management Accountant

Actual Annual Salary: £39,649 - £42,301 (CLF Grade F)

Contract Type: Permanent

Hours: Full-time, 37 hours per week, Monday to Friday, All year-round

Additional Information: You will work through a blended model that includes home working and time spent at Federation House in Kingswood, with two days per week based at Federation House and periodic visits to academies across the trust as required.

Provisional Start Date: April 2026

Drive financial excellence and support impactful decision‑making across our trust

We are seeking a skilled, proactive and detail‑driven Management Accountant to deliver high‑quality financial support, insight and analysis across our central team and academies. This is an exciting opportunity to join a collaborative and forward‑thinking finance function, where your expertise will directly contribute to strong financial management, informed decision‑making, and improved outcomes for staff and students across the Cabot Learning Federation.

In this role, you will work closely with Principals, senior leaders, academy staff and central colleagues, providing effective business partnering, robust month‑end reporting and expert financial guidance. You will play a pivotal part in delivering accurate forecasting, insightful analysis and strong financial controls — ensuring our academies can manage their resources efficiently, compliantly, and sustainably.

About the role

As a Management Accountant, you will:

• Build trusted, professional relationships with stakeholders at all levels, offering expert financial advice, guidance and challenge.
  
• Lead month‑end processes, including reconciliations, prepayments, accruals, income deferrals, payroll reporting and balance sheet reviews.
  
• Produce clear, accessible financial reporting, translating complex financial information into meaningful insights that support effective decision‑making.
  
• Support annual budget setting for multiple academies and monitor in‑year performance, identifying risks, opportunities and key financial trends.
  
• Analyse expenditure — including non‑staffing spend — to identify trends, cost‑saving opportunities and efficiencies.
  
• Maintain and enhance financial controls, ensuring compliance with CLF Financial Regulations, ESFA requirements and GDPR legislation.
  
• Work collaboratively with colleagues in HR, IT, Estates and Operations, providing high‑quality management information to support organisation‑wide planning and understanding.
  
• Deliver training and guidance to academy and central staff on financial procedures and the use of financial systems.
  

About you

You will bring:

• Strong knowledge of finance regulations, month‑end processes and annual budget preparation.
  
• An AAT qualification and/or newly qualified accountant status.
  
• Experience working with financial systems and maintaining accurate, reliable data.
  
• Excellent analytical skills with high levels of accuracy and attention to detail.
  
• Strong communication and relationship‑building skills, with the confidence to work with a wide range of stakeholders.
  
• The ability to work independently, manage competing deadlines, lead on key financial processes and exercise sound judgement.
  
• Strong IT skills, particularly in Microsoft Excel and financial systems.
  
• A proactive, solution‑focused approach, using initiative to drive improvements and deliver high‑quality outcomes.
  
• High levels of discretion, professionalism and commitment to confidentiality.
  
• A commitment to continuous improvement, equality, safeguarding and the values of working within an education environment.
  

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 a Management Accountant, you’ll be part of a supportive and high‑performing central finance function that is committed to developing its people and delivering exceptional service.

We offer:

• The opportunity to influence financial decision‑making across a diverse portfolio of academies.
  
• Varied, meaningful work that directly supports education outcomes.
  
• Opportunities to lead project work and contribute to process improvements.
  
• Flexible, hybrid working from home and our Kingswood, Bristol office.
  
• Career development pathways within the Central Team and the wider trust.
  
• A collaborative culture that values accuracy, insight, innovation and continuous improvement.
  

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: 17 March 2026 @11.59pm
  
• Shortlisting: 18 March 2026
  
• Interviews: 25 March 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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