Chief Financial Officer

Eastern Education Group Trust; Bury St Edmunds; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Eastern Education Group Trust in the East of England is seeking a Chief Financial Officer to lead financial strategy across a large multi-site education organisation.

Working closely with the CEO, Board and Executive Team, you will govern finance, estates, procurement and capital projects to deliver resilience and growth.

You will shape funding opportunities, drive value for money and ensure robust governance, risk management and accountability across the group.

Qualifications

• Significant senior financial leadership within education.
• Experience with governance, funding and regulatory environments.
• Proven track record shaping strategy at board level.
• Experience leading estates, capital programmes or major infrastructure.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic financial leadership across the group.
• Develop and deliver long-term financial strategy.
• Lead estates, capital projects and procurement functions.
• Identify and secure capital funding and investment opportunities.
• Ensure robust governance, compliance and risk management.

Skills

Strategic finance

Education sector

Governance & risk

Board collaboration

Estates & capital

Job description

Full Time | Executive Leadership Role

Eastern Education Group is one of the largest and most ambitious education organisations in the East of England, bringing together colleges, schools, specialist provision and training organisations to create life-changing opportunities for learners of all ages.

As we continue to grow and evolve, we are seeking an exceptional Chief Financial Officer with significant senior leadership experience, experience within the education sector would be advantageous to join our Senior Executive Team and help shape the future of our organisation.

A CFO Role with Broader Impact

Whilst financial stewardship remains central to the role, we are looking for a strategic executive leader who understands the complexity, accountability and funding environment of the education sector and can drive organisational success across a broad portfolio including finance, estates, procurement, capital projects and funding opportunities.

Working closely with the CEO, Board and Executive Team, you will play a critical role in ensuring the Group remains financially resilient whilst delivering the infrastructure, resources and investment required to achieve our ambitious strategic objectives.

You will lead major capital developments, identify and secure funding opportunities, shape our estates strategy and ensure our procurement approach delivers maximum value across a complex and diverse education organisation.

About the Role

As Chief Financial Officer, you will:

• Provide strategic financial leadership across Eastern Education Group.
• Develop and deliver a sustainable long-term financial strategy.
• Lead the Group's estates, capital projects and procurement functions.
• Identify and secure capital funding and investment opportunities.
• Support organisational growth, innovation and transformation.
• Work collaboratively with the Board and Executive Team to shape strategic decision-making.
• Ensure robust governance, compliance and risk management arrangements are in place.
• Drive value for money and operational excellence across the organisation.
• Provide strategic leadership within the context of education funding, regulation, governance and accountability.

About You

We are seeking an experienced executive leader who can demonstrate:

• Significant senior financial leadership experience within the education sector. This is an essential requirement for the role.
• A strong understanding of the financial, regulatory, funding and governance environment within education.
• A strong track record of financial leadership within a large and complex organisation.
• Significant experience operating at Board and Executive level.
• The ability to lead beyond finance and contribute to wider organisational strategy.
• Experience of estates, capital programmes, procurement or major infrastructure projects.
• Strong commercial acumen and strategic thinking skills.
• Outstanding leadership, influencing and stakeholder management capabilities.
• A passion for delivering positive outcomes for learners, colleagues and the communities we serve.

Experience within a large multi-site education organisation, further education, schools, multi-academy trusts or similarly complex education settings would be particularly valuable.