Chief Operating Officer

AoC Executive Recruitment; England; On-site; GBP 150,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading educational institution in the United Kingdom is seeking a Chief Financial Officer to provide strategic financial leadership. The role involves ensuring compliance with financial regulations, robust financial management, and supporting the college's mission to enhance community well-being. Ideal candidates will have experience in complex environments and a collaborative approach. If you have the vision and skills to make a difference, this position might be for you. Join us at Kendal College to help shape the future of education.

Qualifications

• Experience in a highly complex environment.
• Ability to work with challenging funding regimes.
• Demonstrated drive and vision.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership for finance, estates, ICT, and procurement.
• Ensure compliance with financial regulations and deliver robust financial management.
• Foster a culture of collaboration, equality, and professional excellence.

Skills

Financial management

Strategic leadership

Compliance knowledge

Ability to adapt

Job description

Kendal College is Cumbria’s gateway to the lakes, a beautiful place to learn, live, work, and explore. The college provides an educational offer to students of all ages, including full‑time courses, part‑time courses, higher education and apprenticeships. The local area's economic well‑being is supported by providing courses for adults to help them re‑enter the job market and improve their employment prospects. Our courses include a range of vocational, academic and higher education courses, as well as apprenticeships across our three sites in Kendal. We are committed to providing outstanding education and training opportunities that are responsive to the needs of our students and our community.

As our Chief Financial Officer, you will provide strategic leadership for finance, estates, ICT, procurement and risk to support the college’s mission and strategic plan. Reporting to the Principal and Chief Executive and as a member of the Executive and Senior Leadership Team, you will act as the college’s Chief Finance Officer, ensuring compliance with the College Financial Handbook and regulatory frameworks, delivering robust financial management, budgeting and reporting to ensure long‑term viability and value for money. We are looking for someone who will foster a culture of professional excellence, collaboration, equality and diversity across all functional areas, and provide outstanding support to students, staff, and the community.

While FE experience is not essential, the successful candidate will need to be able to demonstrate experience working in a highly complex environment, experience working with similarly challenging funding regimes or the ability to quickly learn and adapt.

If you believe that you have the drive, vision, skills, expertise, and enthusiasm to make a difference.

We reserve the right to bring forward the closing date of the adverts should we receive a sufficient level of interest.