Chief Financial Officer

Due to the progression of our incumbent Chief Financial Officer (CFO), this exciting opportunity has arisen for a highly talented and meticulous CFO or aspiring CFO to join our evolving Trust. You will be at the heart of our Trust’s financial health, building upon the financial legacy of our outgoing CFO to manage our budget of £16m and lead, shape and further develop our financial resilience at an exciting chapter in our journey, as our new CEO implements her vision across our unique mix of settings with our newly-restructured Trust Leadership team.

You will uphold responsibilities as set out in the Academies Trust Handbook, ensuring effective financial stewardship and provide top-tier leadership and ethical management for the Trust's internal finance operations. Through expert financial planning and analysis from you as CFO, we will ensure a smooth, efficient, and effective implementation of our objectives and strategic plan and progress towards a prosperous future in line with our vision.

You will be working alongside and supported by a talented Trust central team and Trustees who are ambitious and have high aspirations for our Trust. The CFO is directly responsible to the Chief Executive, who is the accounting officer for the Trust, and is ultimately responsible for the proper financial conduct of the Trust.

About You:

This role will appeal to an ambitious financial professional eager to make a difference and bring about transformative change. You will be a qualified accountant with professional accreditation (ACCA, CIMA, or CIPFA) and possess substantial leadership experience in senior financial roles, particularly within educational settings. Your extensive expertise spans financial and risk management, proficiently handling budgets, statutory accounts, and financial controls in line with the Academies Trust Handbook. You may be a current CFO or an ambitious Deputy CFO or Finance Manager looking for career progression and the opportunity to influence the future direction of our Trust.

You will boast a successful track record of implementing effective budget management and target setting, coupled with dynamic yet ethical leadership. You will have skilfully managed various income streams and engaged successfully with key external stakeholders such as the ESFA, DFE, Local Authorities, HMRC, and NAO. In addition, your commercially agile mindset enables you to lead the Trust's financial functions innovatively, identifying and capitalising on financial opportunities both internally and externally with the new Trust Director of Business Development. Finally, you will share the CEO's bold and ambitious vision for rapid growth and are committed to driving our Trust towards its strategic goals. This includes bringing your team on your journey, leading and influencing stakeholders and Trustees with credibility and resilience.