Finance Partner

eTeach UK Limited; Tees Valley; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

The Education Village Academy Trust (EVAT) is seeking a Finance Partner to join its central finance team. You will act as the primary finance contact for an allocated portfolio of academies, providing proactive financial advice, challenge and support to headteachers and budget holders.

In this newly created role you will lead budgeting, forecasting, and management reporting, delivering high–quality analysis to help leaders maximise resources for children and young people while driving governance

Qualifications

• Has significant experience working within a finance environment.
• Has experience of providing financial advice and support to senior leaders and budget holders.
• Has strong budgeting, forecasting and financial analysis skills.
• Can communicate complex financial information clearly and effectively to non-finance colleagues.
• Has excellent organisational, analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Can build positive and effective relationships with a wide range of stakeholders.
• Has experience of developing or improving financial systems, processes and controls.
• Demonstrates a commitment to continuous improvement and high standards of financial governance.
• Shares our values and commitment to improving outcomes for children and young people.
• Professional accountancy qualifications, or working towards a qualification, would be advantageous but are not essential.
• Experience within the education sector, particularly within academies or multi-academy trusts, would also be advantageous.

Responsibilities

• As a Finance Partner, you will act as the primary finance contact for an allocated portfolio of academies, building strong relationships with Headteachers, senior leaders and budget holders.
• You will provide proactive financial advice, challenge and support, helping leaders make informed decisions and maximise the impact of available resources.
• Working as part of the central finance team, you will support all aspects of financial planning and management, including budget setting, forecasting, management reporting and financial monitoring.
• Through high-quality financial analysis and business partnering, you will help schools develop sustainable financial plans that align with both local priorities and Trust objectives.
• In addition to supporting schools, you will lead or contribute to Trust-wide financial workstreams and improvement projects.
• This may include areas such as financial reporting, funding, procurement, banking, insurance, financial controls and process development.
• You will play an important role in driving consistency, efficiency and continuous improvement across the Trust's finance function.
• The successful candidate will be comfortable working collaboratively with both finance and non-finance colleagues, translating complex financial information into clear, practical advice and supporting leaders to achieve the best possible outcomes for children and young people.

Job description

Finance PartnerBand 9 (SCP 24-27)37 hours per weekPermanent (Whole Time)Join Our VillageAt The Education Village Academy Trust (EVAT), we are committed to improving the life chances of children and young people through excellence in education, inclusion and collaboration. Our values underpin everything we do, and we believe that by working together, we can create exceptional opportunities for every learner.As our Trust continues to grow, we are investing in our central services to ensure that our schools receive the highest quality support. We are therefore seeking to appoint an additional Finance Partner to join our expanding finance team.This is a newly created role, established in response to the continued growth of the Trust and the increasing scale and complexity of our operations. The appointment represents an investment in strengthening financial capacity, enhancing organisational resilience and ensuring we continue to provide high-quality financial support to our academies as the Trust grows.

About the Role

As a Finance Partner, you will act as the primary finance contact for an allocated portfolio of academies, building strong relationships with Headteachers, senior leaders and budget holders. You will provide proactive financial advice, challenge and support, helping leaders make informed decisions and maximise the impact of available resources. Working as part of the central finance team, you will support all aspects of financial planning and management, including budget setting, forecasting, management reporting and financial monitoring. Through high-quality financial analysis and business partnering, you will help schools develop sustainable financial plans that align with both local priorities and Trust objectives. In addition to supporting schools, you will lead or contribute to Trust-wide financial workstreams and improvement projects. This may include areas such as financial reporting, funding, procurement, banking, insurance, financial controls and process development. You will play an important role in driving consistency, efficiency and continuous improvement across the Trust's finance function. The successful candidate will be comfortable working collaboratively with both finance and non-finance colleagues, translating complex financial information into clear, practical advice and supporting leaders to achieve the best possible outcomes for children and young people. This is an exciting opportunity to join a forward-thinking and ambitious organisation at a significant point in its growth journey.

What We Are Looking For

We are seeking an experienced finance professional who:

• Has significant experience working within a finance environment.
• Has experience of providing financial advice and support to senior leaders and budget holders.
• Has strong budgeting, forecasting and financial analysis skills.
• Can communicate complex financial information clearly and effectively to non-finance colleagues.
• Has excellent organisational, analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Can build positive and effective relationships with a wide range of stakeholders.
• Has experience of developing or improving financial systems, processes and controls.
• Demonstrates a commitment to continuous improvement and high standards of financial governance.
• Shares our values and commitment to improving outcomes for children and young people.

Professional accountancy qualifications, or working towards a qualification, would be advantageous but are not essential.Experience within the education sector, particularly within academies or multi-academy trusts, would also be advantageous.

Why Join EVAT?

At EVAT, our staff are our greatest asset. We are committed to supporting professional development and creating opportunities for colleagues to grow and thrive throughout their careers.

In return, we offer:

• A supportive and collaborative working environment.
• Opportunities for professional development and career progression.
• Flexible working opportunities where operationally appropriate.
• Membership of the Local Government Pension Scheme.
• Access to employee wellbeing support and benefits.
• The opportunity to make a genuine difference across a growing and ambitious multi-academy trust.
• The chance to help shape and develop finance services within an evolving organisation.

This is an excellent opportunity for a talented finance professional who enjoys working in partnership with leaders, influencing decision-making and helping organisations achieve their objectives through strong financial management.

If you share our values and would like to be part of our journey, we would love to hear from you.

Closing Date: 29 November 2026Interviews: 8 December 2026