Management Accountant - 9 month FTC

9 month fixed term contract

£40,000 to £45,000 per year

Hybrid, London

Are you looking for a Management Accountant role in a fast-growing business where people are at the heart of everything we do?

Would you like to work within a socially conscious organisation that is making a real impact in the education sector?

The Company 

The Key Group serves school leaders and trusts across the UK providing authoritative guidance and intuitive tools that support school leadership.

We work across the full diversity of schools and locations, from small rural and coastal primaries to the largest trusts and local authorities in the country.

We recognise that each school and trust is on a journey and school leaders need to identify their specific context, their own path and the next step in that journey. This process requires more than just shared values in a school, it requires the knowledge, data, context and confidence to bring others with you in effecting change.

That's why we're here. We put the power back in the hands of those leading our schools and trusts, by equipping them with remarkable products & services. The Key Group is home to 5 brands, each the leading provider in its category including Arbor, ScholarPack, Integris, The Key and GovernorHub. Nearly 600 colleagues deliver our award-winning services and serve 19,000 schools.

The Role

This is a fantastic opportunity for an enthusiastic, process-driven accountant to join a finance team at an exciting point in its evolution. As our Management Accountant, you will take ownership of our monthly cost reporting and play an active role in shaping how we work as we become an AI-native organisation. This is a role for someone who doesn't just want to do the job — they want to make it better. Given the nature of the data they'll be working with, including payroll, we're looking for someone who handles sensitive information with the utmost discretion and professionalism.

Month-End & Management Accounts

• Take ownership of monthly cost reporting as part of the management accounts process
• Prepare and post payroll journals, ensuring accuracy and timely processing
• Own balance sheet reconciliations, maintaining a clean and accurate ledger
• Drive automation and continuous improvement of month-end processes, reducing manual effort and increasing the reliability of outputs
• Complete ONS statistical surveys accurately and on time, ensuring compliance with reporting requirements 
• Assist with the year-end audit, preparing supporting documentation and responding to auditor queries as required. 

Variance Analysis & Reporting

• Perform variance analysis against budget and forecast, investigating and explaining key movements
• Present findings clearly and concisely to relevant stakeholders, with a focus on building reporting that is slick, repeatable, and easy to maintain

Business Partnering

• Build a strong working relationship with the FP&A team to ensure reported results are accurate and well-understood
• Support non-finance stakeholders with financial insight and analysis where needed

AI & Process Improvement

• Actively contribute to our journey to become an AI-native finance function
• Work collaboratively with the wider management accounts team to identify and implement opportunities to automate routine tasks and use AI tools to free up time for higher-value work
• Bring ideas, take initiative, and help shape how the finance team operates

The ideal person

Essential

• Qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA, or CIMA)
• Prior experience in a management accounting role
• Solid understanding of month-end processes including journals, reconciliations, and variance analysis
• A high degree of integrity and discretion, particularly when handling sensitive or confidential data
• Confident communicator — able to present financial information clearly to both finance and non-finance audiences
• Highly organised with the ability to manage competing deadlines and work autonomously
• Enthusiastic, proactive, and eager to get stuck in — someone who takes ownership and drives things forward
• A genuine curiosity for process improvement and emerging technology, including AI, with a willingness to learn and adapt in a fast-moving environment

Desirable

• Experience with NetSuite
• Exposure to FP&A or business partnering activities
• Experience working in a fast-paced or high-growth environment

If you don’t meet all of the above but have a genuine interest in joining our team please get in touch - we’d be very happy to chat.

Why work for us

We place huge importance on caring for and developing our people. If you join us you can expect a good work-life balance and the training and support you need to succeed in your role and continue to progress. We are a socially conscious company, but one that also likes to have fun. We offer a generous holiday allowance, flexible hours, buying and selling holiday, enhanced maternity pay, free breakfast, fruit, and drinks, regular socials and much more.

What we offer

• A varied role with real scope to shape and improve how the team works
• The opportunity to be at the forefront of AI adoption in finance
• A collaborative, ambitious team environment

How to apply

Please upload your CV and covering letter below. In your cover letter please explain why you think you would be right for this role, how your experience fits, and why you would like to work at The Key

The deadline for applications is 5pm on Tuesday 30th June.