Senior Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A) Manager; Systems & Reporting Lead

Acorn Care and Education; Bolton; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading education provider in Bolton is seeking a Senior Financial Planning & Analysis Manager. You will deliver high-quality financial forecasting and analysis, driving business performance in a hybrid work setting. This role requires a fully qualified accountant with extensive FP&A experience and offers a competitive salary of £70,000 - £75,000 per annum.

Benefits

Life Assurance

Pension scheme

Mental health support

Flexible Benefits Platform

Qualifications

• 5+ years’ experience in FP&A / Commercial Finance.
• Strong attention to detail in financial modelling.
• Ability to present complex information clearly.

Responsibilities

• Deliver high-quality forecasting, analysis, and reporting.
• Lead periodic management reporting and analysis.
• Build and maintain robust financial models.

Skills

Financial Modelling

Analytical Problem-Solving

Budgeting and Forecasting

Presentation Skills

Education

Fully qualified accountant (CIMA / ACCA / ACA)

Tools

Excel

Power BI

Job description

We’re reimagining work/life balance – and you could be part of it.

At OFG, we're proud to be part of the 4-Day Working Week trial – a bold step toward giving our teams more time to recharge, refresh, and enjoy life outside of work.

That means you could be working 80% of your usual hours, while still earning 100% of your pay.

If the trial proves successful, we’ll roll out the 4DWW across the Group – making now the perfect time to join #TeamOFG and help shape the future of work.

Job Title: Senior Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A) Manager – Systems & Reporting Lead

Salary: £70,000 - £75,000 Per Annum Depending on Experience

Location: Bolton (Hybrid working office based 2 days per week)

Contract: Permanent

Hours: 37.5 hours per week, Mon-Fri 9-5

About Us

At Outcomes First Group, we believe every child can thrive when given the right environment for success. As one of the world’s leading providers in our sector, we deliver exceptional, research-led education tailored to each individual, with smaller class sizes and personalised learning plans.

Our vision is to empower every child with a world-class education that nurtures potential and inspires lifelong learning. Our mission is to unlock that potential through personalised learning and opportunity. And our promise is simple: we listen, we work together, and we are accountable to one another to make the remarkable happen.

The role:

Deliver high-quality forecasting, analysis and reporting that drive business performance. Act as a trusted FP&A manager, financial modeller and business partner to senior leaders, providing clear, actionable insight that supports divisional and Group decision‑making.

What you'll do:

Financial Performance & Analysis

• Lead periodic management reporting and analysis, ensuring timely, accurate results to internal stakeholders.
• Support senior leadership with insight, challenge and recommendations aligned to strategic and operational objectives.
• Manage KPI reporting for relevant divisions, highlighting trends, risks and opportunities.
• Build and maintain robust financial models to support initiatives and business cases.
• Provide variance analysis vs budget/forecast with clear commentary and actions.
• Deliver high-impact ad-hoc analysis as requested by the Head of FP&A / Finance Director.

Budgeting & Forecasting

• Coordinate and deliver the UK annual budgeting cycle with the FP&A team, aligning to divisional goals and Group timelines.
• Drive the quarterly reforecast process in partnership with Finance and BI to improve accuracy and efficiency.
• Maintain and improve the planning model and underlying KPI assumptions to ensure data integrity and consistency.
• Monitor performance vs budget/forecast and recommend corrective actions.

Systems & Automation

• Support the implementation and enhancement of system-driven solutions for reporting, budgeting and modelling in partnership with the Head of FP&A and BI.
• Continuously improve processes, standardise reporting packs and automate repeatable tasks.
• Manage distribution of dashboards and results through systems and automation.

Business Partnering / Customer Service

• Build strong working relationships with senior leaders and operational teams; act as the first point of contact for finance queries within remit.
• Provide timely monthly reports/scorecards (with BI support) and improve financial awareness through guidance and training where needed.
• Model a positive, professional and collaborative approach within Finance.

What we're looking for:

Essential

• Fully qualified accountant (CIMA / ACCA / ACA or equivalent).
• 5+ years’ FP&A / Commercial Finance experience.
• Advanced financial modelling, budgeting and forecasting (Excel and/or BI tools).
• Strong analytical problem‑solving with high attention to detail.
• Ability to present complex information clearly to senior stakeholders; strong executive‑ready slide skills (PowerPoint).
• Solid grounding in management accounting and planning.

Desirable

• Experience improving/standardising reporting processes and automation.
• Exposure to tools such as Planning Analytics, Power BI, Tableau or Cognos.
• Experience in a PE‑backed environment.
• Experience mentoring or informally coaching team members.

Why join Outcomes First Group?

To each other and for one another.

Benefits

Your health and wellbeing are important to us, so you’ll get an exceptional reward package including:

• Life Assurance
• Pension scheme with options to increase your contributions
• “Your Wellbeing Matters” – access to a wide range of first‑class mental health support services and physical health checks
• Family Growth Support - inclusive benefits package covering enhanced maternity and paternity leave, along with paid fertility treatment support.
• And a market‑leading benefit offering through our Flexible Benefits Platform, Vista, enables you to choose the package that’s right for you, including:
  • A wide range of health, wellbeing, and insurance benefits
  • 100’s of discount options valid in the UK and abroad
  • Cycle to Work Schemes
  • Electric Car Purchase Scheme
  • Critical illness cover

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and we expect all employees to share this commitment and undertake appropriate checks.

All applicants will be subject to social media checks and successful applicants to a fully enhanced DBS.

We are an Equal Opportunities Employer.

Please note: 4DWW is subject to successful completion of your probation period and is not a contractual benefit.

We reserve the right to close the vacancy early if we receive a high volume of suitable applications.