Chief Financial Officer

Pure Resourcing Solutions; Bury St Edmunds; Hybrid; GBP 110,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working

Local government pension scheme

Salary sacrifice car scheme

Job summary

Eastern Education Group is seeking a Chief Financial Officer to partner with the CEO and Executive Team on strategic financial leadership. The role focuses on strengthening forecasting, FP&A, scenario modelling and business partnering across estates, major bids and procurement.

You will drive efficiency by leveraging data, technology and AI while ensuring long-term sustainability for 15,000 learners across the region.

Qualifications

• Professional qualification: ACA, ACCA, CIMA, CIPFA or equivalent.
• Strong commercial and strategic judgement with ability to influence senior leadership.
• Experience leading multi-site or complex education organisations.
• Proven ability to transform finance functions through technology and data.

Responsibilities

• Shape strategy as strategic financial and commercial partner to CEO and Board.
• Strengthen forecasting, FP&A, scenario modelling and business partnering.
• Oversee estates strategy, capital investment, procurement, funding opportunities and major bids.
• Drive performance through technology, data, automation, and AI to improve insight and decision-making.

Skills

Commercial and strategic judgement

Leadership experience

Board-level credibility

Innovative mindset

Education

ACA

ACCA

CIMA

CIPFA

Job description

Chief Financial Officer

Eastern Education Group | Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk

Help shape the future of one of the East of England's most ambitious education groups.

EEG is a diverse, ambitious and growing education group, supporting around 15,000 learners across Suffolk, Norfolk and Cambridgeshire. Its provision spans primary and specialist SEND education through to sixth form, further and higher education, apprenticeships and professional development. With an outstanding track record of educational provision, EEG continues to look forward - growing and diversifying its offering, investing in its people and places, embracing innovation and sustainability, and working closely with employers and communities to create wider social and economic impact.

For the right person, this is an opportunity to help shape the future of an ambitious, forward-thinking education group and make a meaningful difference to the lives and opportunities of thousands of learners across the region.

This appointment is about considerably more than financial stewardship.

Working alongside an ambitious and forward-thinking CEO and Senior Executive Team, the CFO will be a strategic financial and commercial partner - combining strong technical capability with commercial instinct, creativity and an enabling mindset. You will bring insight and constructive challenge to strategic decision-making, identifying how opportunities can be realised while ensuring ambition is underpinned by sound financial planning and long-term sustainability.

There is also a genuine opportunity to transform the finance function, strengthening forecasting, FP&A, scenario modelling and business partnering, while harnessing technology, data, automation and AI to improve insight, efficiency and decision-making.

Your broader portfolio will encompass estates strategy and significant capital investment, strategic procurement, funding opportunities and major bids, risk and assurance, and long-term financial sustainability.

Who are we looking for?

• Professional qualification - ACA, ACCA, CIMA, CIPFA or equivalent.
• Commercial and strategic judgement - curious, forward-thinking and comfortable contributing beyond the traditional boundaries of finance.
• Relevant leadership experience - ideally within education (FE, MAT, HE or a complex education group), although we welcome candidates from other complex, multi-site or multi-entity organisations.
• Board-level credibility - the confidence to advise, influence and challenge the CEO and Board constructively.
• An appetite for innovation - embracing technology, AI and new ways of working to improve performance and effectiveness.
• Strong people leadership - a track record of leading change, developing teams and building high-performing functions.

You may already be a CFO or an exceptional senior finance leader ready to take that next step. Above all, you will bring the adaptability to understand a new funding and regulatory environment, alongside the ambition to make a meaningful contribution to EEG's future.

Few CFO roles offer this combination of purpose, complexity, transformation and breadth.

Base salary of: £110,000 - £130,000, with benefits including hybrid working, a local government pension scheme, salary sacrifice car scheme.