Head of Academy - Financial Planning

mbf; Kettering; Hybrid; GBP 95,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading wealth management organization in Kettering is seeking a Senior Recruitment Professional to lead the Academy's expansion. You will drive growth through strategic leadership, stakeholder engagement, and operational execution. The role requires 5+ years of relevant experience and a passion for learning and development initiatives. This is a unique opportunity to make a national impact in a newly created role.

Qualifications

• 5+ years’ experience in wealth management or financial advisory.
• At least 2 years in a leadership capacity.
• Proven ability to deliver initiatives that balance strategy and growth.

Responsibilities

• Build and scale the Academy from a local initiative to a national platform.
• Partner with senior stakeholders to implement go-to-market strategy.
• Act as a strategic leader and hands-on operator.

Skills

Stakeholder management

Collaboration skills

Strategic leadership

Operational execution

Education

Level 4 RQF Diploma in Financial Planning

Job description

This range is provided by mbf. Your actual pay will be based on your skills and experience — talk with your recruiter to learn more.

Senior Recruitment Professional - Financial Services

Head of Academy – Wealth Management

Salary: £95,000 – £110,000 (flexible for the right candidate)

Contract: Permanent, full-time

We are partnering with a leading wealth management organisation to appoint a Head of Academy into a newly created and business-critical role.

This is a unique opportunity for a highly motivated and hands-on professional to take ownership of an Academy currently established in Kettering, and drive its expansion to a nationally recognised, scalable offering.

The Role

• Based 3 days a week in Kettering (some flexibility may be possible) with extensive UK travel required after the first six months.
• Full handover and knowledge transfer with the current Directors (exiting the business).
• Responsible for building, shaping, and scaling the Academy from a local initiative to a national platform.
• Partnering with senior stakeholders across the business to implement the Academy’s go-to-market strategy.
• Acting as both strategic leader and hands-on operator—this is not a role with an established team to delegate to. You will be instrumental in building the infrastructure, with a team structure to follow in time.

Key Requirements

• 5+ years’ experience in wealth management or financial advisory.
• At least 2 years in a leadership capacity.
• Strong stakeholder management and collaboration skills.
• Proven ability to deliver initiatives that balance strategy, growth, and operational execution.
• Experience in building or scaling an academy, training function, or development programme is highly desirable.
• Level 4 RQF Diploma in Financial Planning is preferred (not essential).

Who Will Succeed in This Role?

This role is best suited to someone who wants to “live and breathe” the Academy, with the energy and commitment to travel, engage, and personally build the foundations of a function that will scale nationally.

It will appeal to:

• Senior Managers who have supported academy or training initiatives and are ready to step up.
• Current Heads of Academy/Heads of Learning & Development in wealth management seeking a broader, more strategic role with true scope for growth