Finance Assistant

Cabot Learning Federation; Bristol; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 32,000; Full time

Job summary

Cabot Learning Federation in Bristol is seeking a highly organized Central Finance Assistant to support day-to-day financial operations across the trust. You will work with academies and central teams to ensure accuracy, compliance and efficient transactional processing in a busy finance environment.

This role offers a hybrid setup with in-office days in Kingswood and flexible home working. It requires strong numeracy and literacy, familiarity with finance software and a proactive,

Qualifications

• Strong numeracy and literacy skills, with GCSE Maths and English at grade C or above.
• Experience in administrative roles with exposure to finance tasks such as invoice processing, reconciliations, and data entry.
• Excellent attention to detail and accuracy, with ability to manage and prioritise a varied workload.
• Proficiency in IT systems, including Microsoft Office and finance software, with the ability to learn new systems quickly.
• Strong communication skills, both written and verbal, with ability to build relationships with internal and external stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Process supplier payments and reconciliations across multiple systems.
• Support credit control activities and day-to-day transactional finance tasks.
• Provide system support and data maintenance for finance processes.

Skills

Numeracy

Literacy

Attention to detail

IT skills

Communication

Tools

Microsoft Office

Finance software

Job description

Job Title: Finance Assistant

Salary: £29,812 - £32,138 (CLF Grade C). Based on 37 hours per week, all year round.

Contract Type: Permanent

Hours: Full Time, Monday to Friday / All year-round

Additional role info: Hybrid role - A mixture of working from home, the finance office in Kingswood - with an expectation to be in the office on Mondays and Tuesdays each week.

Provisional Start Date: End of September/beginning of October - pending pre-employment checks

Your opportunity to support financial operations and make a difference in education

We are looking for a highly organised and detail-oriented individual to join our Central Finance Team as a Central Finance Assistant. This role is essential in supporting the day-to-day financial operations of the trust, ensuring accuracy, compliance, and efficiency across a range of transactional finance activities. You'll work closely with colleagues across our academies and central teams, contributing to the smooth running of financial processes that underpin the success of our educational mission.

About you:

You will have:

• Strong numeracy and literacy skills, with qualifications equivalent to GCSE Maths and English at grade C or above.
• Experience in administrative roles, ideally with exposure to finance-related tasks such as invoice processing, reconciliations, and data entry.
• Excellent attention to detail and accuracy, with the ability to manage and prioritise a varied workload.
• Proficiency in IT systems, including Microsoft Office and finance software, with the ability to learn new systems quickly.
• Strong communication skills, both written and verbal, with the ability to build effective relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
• A commitment to confidentiality, professionalism, and continuous improvement.
• A keen interest in working within an education-based environment and supporting the success of our academies.

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?

You'll be a trusted member of the Central Finance Team, helping to maintain high standards of financial accuracy and service across the trust.

We offer:

• A collaborative and supportive team environment.
• A varied role with exposure to a wide range of finance tasks, including supplier payments, credit control, and system support.
• Flexible, hybrid working arrangements - from home, our Bristol office, and onsite at academies.
• Opportunities to work across both primary and secondary academies, gaining insight into diverse educational settings.
• Career development and growth opportunities within the Central Finance Team and the wider trust.

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: 23 August 2026 @11.59pm

Short-listing: 28 August 2026

Interviews: 4 September 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.

Skilled Worker visas cannot be sponsored through this role, as it does not meet the requirements set out by government.

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.