College Manager in Swindon

credit_card Salary £19,353 per annum pro rata to the FTE of £24,921 per annum

Overview

At Swindon Academy, we pride ourselves on a team of staff who are supportive, friendly, and dedicated to providing the very best teaching and learning for our students. Staff across the academy set a culture of high expectations and continuous improvement for students which, in turn, is reflected in the emphasis we place on continuing professional development (CPD) for our staff. We have made significant, sustained progress at GCSE and are proud to be the top performing school in Swindon for progress over the last six years. Swindon Academy was the first all-through academy to open in the UK and has over 1,900 pupils from the age of 2 to 19. The school is situated in purpose-built £25 million premises, benefiting from excellent, state-of-the-art facilities, and situated within the beautiful county of Wiltshire, within commuting distance for Bristol, Bath and Oxford. United Learning is a large, and growing, group of schools aiming to offer a life changing education to children and young people across England. Swindon Academy is part of United Learning, a large, and growing, group of schools aiming to offer a life-changing education to children and young people across England. United Learning is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. All positions are subject to an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring check from the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) and shortlisted candidates will be subject to an online check. We always appoint on merit, and we are open to discussing flexible working options.

Join Our Mission to Inspire Futures – Become Our Finance Manager!

Location: Swindon Academy, part of United Learning Trust

Position: Finance Manager

Contract Type: Full-time, Permanent

Start Date: November 2025

We’re on the lookout for a passionate and proactive Finance Manager to play a key role behind the scenes in shaping the future of our students. If you’re ready to bring your financial expertise to a place where your work truly matters, this is your chance to make a lasting impact.

Swindon Academy is a thriving, all-through school of Character and Excellence where every child is empowered to achieve their very best through Hard Work, Kindness and Responsibility. We’re proud of our values-led culture, our relentless pursuit of excellence, and our commitment to nurturing both academic success and personal growth.

As part of the United Learning Trust, we offer great benefits for our staff, including:

• free onsite parking,
• Health Cash Plan,
• cycle to work,
• access to extensive range of discounts and cashback opportunities across a wide variety of well-known retailers and service providers,
• will writing,
• RAC discount,
• life insurance,
• discounted gym membership.

United Learning is a group of schools that aims to provide excellent education to children and young people across the country. We seek to improve the life chances of all the children and young people we serve and make it our mission to bring out ‘the best in everyone’ – pupils, staff, parents and the wider community.

Why Join Us?

• Be part of a dynamic, forward-thinking team that values collaboration and innovation.
• Help drive financial sustainability in a setting that transforms lives.
• Enjoy a supportive environment where your skills and ideas are valued.

What We’re Looking For:

• A solid accounting background and proven experience in financial management with a recognised accounting qualification, AAT Level 4/ACCA/CIMA/ACA.
• A hands-on, can-do attitude with a willingness to take on varied responsibilities.
• Strong interpersonal skills to work effectively with staff, students, and external partners.
• Experience in education is a bonus, but not essential.
• A genuine commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of young people.

Key Responsibilities:

Please refer to the attached job description for a full list of duties.

• Account Management: Oversee the Academy’s accounts, including payables, receivables, bank reconciliations, and audit preparation.
• Budgeting & Forecasting: Support the development of annual budgets and long-term financial planning, including staffing costs and curriculum budgets.
• Reporting & Compliance: Provide financial reports to leadership and ensure compliance with internal policies and external audit requirements.
• Income Generation: Research funding opportunities and manage lettings and bursary processes.
• Leadership & Development: Line manage the finance team and participate in middle leadership strategic planning and development.

Why Swindon Academy?

• A values-led organisation committed to supporting every student to thrive.
• A collaborative and supportive staff culture.
• Access to professional development including middle leadership training.
• Opportunities to contribute to wider Academy initiatives and community engagement.

Ready to Make a Difference?

If you’re a proactive, detail-oriented finance professional who wants to be part of a school that truly values its staff and students, we’d love to hear from you.

Apply now and help us continue to build a school where every child is known, valued, and supported.

For further information or an informal discussion about the role, please contact Sam Jadeja, the Strategic Business Director, on sam.jadeja@swindon-academy.org.

Safeguarding Statement

Swindon Academy is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults, and expects all staff and volunteers to understand and share this commitment. The successful applicant will be subject to an enhanced DBS check, at least two satisfactory references must be provided, and any other safeguarding checks that are required at the time of appointment will be applied to the pre-employment process. All offers of employment are conditional and subject to safeguarding checks being met successfully. Swindon Academy reserves the right to withdraw an offer of employment should it deem pre-employment checks as unsatisfactory.

Following the shortlisting stage, and prior to making a final decision, the School will collect and process information publicly available about you by conducting a brief online search using an internet search engine. We do this to ensure that the school acts in accordance with its obligations set out in the latest version of KCSiE.

By signing the application form I understand that I am giving my consent for the School to carry out an online search if I am shortlisted for this post. The search would be part of the School\'s due diligence in line with the latest KCSIE guidance and would be limited to identifying any incidents or issues that have happened and are publicly available online. I understand that the School might want to explore any such incidents or issues with me at interview.