Chief Financial Officer

DealHub Ltd; Warrington; Hybrid; GBP 103,000 - 111,000; Full time

Job summary

Great Schools Trust in Warrington is seeking a Chief Financial Officer on a permanent, full-time basis. The role requires strategic, values‑led financial leadership across the Trust and reports to the CEO.

The successful candidate will oversee finance, drive long-term planning and assurance, and support leaders to turn financial information into insight across multiple academies. Travel across Trust academies is expected.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop the finance function across the Trust.
• Ensure long-term sustainability and value-for-money across academies.
• Provide strategic financial leadership and trusted advice to the CEO and trustees.

Job description

Chief Financial Officer

Great Schools Trust

Contract: Permanent, full-time, 37 hours, all year round

Location: Hybrid, with a minimum of three days per week at King's Leadership Academy Warrington and regular travel across Trust academies

Salary: £103,030 – £110,892 FTE

Start: Negotiable

This is an important executive appointment for Great Schools Trust.

We are seeking a Chief Financial Officer who can provide strategic, values-led financial leadership across our Trust. This is a demanding full-time role that requires technical excellence, strong professional judgment, and a clear commitment to stewarding public money.

At GST, financial decisions are educational decisions. They shape what we can sustain, where we can invest and how confidently we can plan for the future. We are looking for someone who can help us turn financial information into insight, strengthen financial planning and assurance and support leaders to make wise, evidence-informed decisions.

The successful candidate will work closely with the CEO, Executive Team, trustees, academy leaders and central colleagues. You will lead and develop the finance function, support long-term sustainability and ensure our resources are aligned with the Trust's mission, values and priorities.

Our current CFO remains in post until the end of December 2026 and would be happy to meet prospective candidates to provide insight into the role and the Trust. Depending on the level of interest, we may also arrange group briefing calls with members of the Executive Team.

We have taken considerable care to produce a thorough recruitment guide for this role, which gives much fuller detail about the Trust, the context, the culture and the breadth of the CFO position. We ask all prospective candidates to read this carefully before applying. The guide is attached and can also be accessed here: CFO Recruitment Guide - https://canva.link/chief-financial-officer

For an informal conversation or to arrange a visit, please contact:

Hayley Fenlon at [e-mail]