Management Accountant / Data Analyst at Malvern College, Malvern

Management Accountant / Data Analyst

Location: Malvern College

Hours: Full time

This is an exciting opportunity to join a forward-looking team at Malvern College, in a culture that emphasises the development of people.

The Finance team plays a central role in the running of Malvern College. It supports the senior school, the prep school and nursery at The Downs Malvern, the College’s commercial activities and the international Malvern College Family of Schools. The department is keen to make better use of its data and reduce time spent on manual reporting, so there is plenty of opportunity to improve how things are done. The role will also contribute to wider strategic work, including fee-setting and capital projects, and will work closely with the wider team to develop papers for the Senior Leadership Team and College Council.

The successful candidate will be a qualified or part-qualified accountant with a strong interest in understanding what sits behind the numbers. They will be highly proficient in Excel, able to build models from scratch and confident working with large datasets. Equally important is the ability to explain financial information clearly to colleagues outside finance. The role calls for someone who will question budget assumptions constructively and who knows when an issue should be escalated to the Head of Finance. Experience in a school, charity or not-for-profit setting would be an advantage but is not essential.

Key Responsibilities

Management Reporting •

• Produce insightful monthly management accounts that go beyond reporting results to explain what happened, why it happened, and what is likely to happen next. •
• Present clear variance analysis against budget, forecast and prior year, highlighting root causes and recommended actions.

Data Analysis & Trends •

• Conduct detailed analysis of historic, current and emerging financial and operational data to identify trends, anomalies, risks and opportunities. •
• Perform deep-dive investigations into income and expenditure movements, identifying root causes and key business drivers. •
• Use transactional-level analysis to challenge assumptions, validate performance and identify areas requiring management attention. •
• Develop meaningful KPI reporting, trend analysis and predictive models that support decision-making. •
• Translate complex datasets into clear recommendations for senior leaders and budget holders. •
• Proactively identify cost-saving opportunities, process improvements and areas of financial inefficiency.

Forecasting •

• Lead the preparation and continuous refinement of robust rolling forecasts using historic trends, current performance and operational intelligence. •
• Build evidence-based forecasts that are regularly challenged and updated to reflect changing circumstances. •
• Analyse forecast accuracy and continually improve forecasting methodologies and assumptions. •
• Produce scenario modelling and sensitivity analysis to assess the financial impact of changing pupil numbers, staffing structures, inflationary pressures and strategic initiatives. •
• Anticipate potential overspends, savings opportunities and risks before they materialise in reported results. •
• Provide clear recommendations and corrective actions to improve forecast outcomes.

Budgeting & Business Partnering •

• Develop strong relationships with budget holders and provide proactive financial support throughout the year. •
• Hold regular review meetings with budget holders to understand current performance, anticipated expenditure and emerging financial pressures. •
• Challenge spending plans and budget assumptions constructively to improve financial discipline and value for money. •
• Help budget holders understand financial reports, key trends and available options to manage their budgets effectively. •
• Use financial data and operational insight to identify overspends, underspends and reallocation opportunities. •
• Drive accountability by ensuring budget holders understand the financial implications of their decisions and actions.

Systems & Processes •

• Work with the finance system to ensure data is structured in a way that supports good reporting (chart of accounts, analysis codes) •
• Identify and propose opportunities to automate recurring reports and improve data quality •
• Liaise with the transactional team to ensure accurate and timely coding of income and expenditure

Ad Hoc •

• Prepare analysis and papers to support the Head of Finance ahead of Board meetings •
• Support fee-setting, capital investment appraisals, and other strategic projects as required

Application Process

Applications should be submitted no later than Friday 13th November 2026. Malvern College reserves the right to close this vacancy early, so applicants are encouraged to apply sooner. For queries about the application process, please email (url removed). For queries about the role, please email (url removed).

Candidates who are shortlisted for interview will be contacted directly. If you have not heard from us within four weeks of the closing date, please assume that your application has been unsuccessful on this occasion.

Safeguarding

Malvern College is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all employees to share this commitment. Candidates must be prepared to undergo child protection screening and an Enhanced DBS check. We will seek references on shortlisted candidates that include questions about past disciplinary actions or allegations in relation to behaviour with children, and may approach previous employers to verify particular experience or qualifications before interview.

You may have experience in the following: Management Accountant, Data Analyst, Financial Analyst, Finance Business Partner, Assistant Management Accountant, FP&A Analyst, Part Qualified Accountant, Reporting Accountant, Budgeting and Forecasting Analyst, etc.