Chief Finance Officer

Orchard Learning Alliance, Reading, RG5 4RF

16 days remaining to apply

• Closing date

  22 March 2026 at 11:59pm

• Date listed

  6 March 2026

Job details

• Job role:
  • Administration, HR, data and finance
• Visa sponsorship: Visas cannot be sponsored
• Working pattern: Full time
• Contract type: Permanent
• Full-time equivalent salary: £80,655.00 - £93,424.00 Annually (FTE)

Chief Finance Officer job summary

The Orchard Learning Alliance is a 10 school multi-academy trust (MAT) based in Berkshire. We are a family of schools and work in partnership to co-design and co-construct our Trust for our community. Our mission is to achieve excellence and social justice through exceptional schools.

The Trust holds responsibility for the life chances and education of close to 5,000 young people; it employs approximately 700 people and has an annual revenue of c£34m. We fully formed as a 10 school Trust from November 2025 and are now seeking to appoint a new Chief Financial Officer. This is a perfect opportunity for a suitably qualified accountant who has education sector experience. The ideal candidate will have experience as a Director of Finance or CFO in a multi-academy trust and will already be familiar with the way MATs operate.

The successful candidate, working with the CEO, executive team and Trust board, will lead a refreshed strategy and business plan to support the Trust deliver its vision.

The Chief Financial Officer will be an integral part of a leadership team, alongside the CEO, and central function leads working together on the long-term strategic development of the Trust; stabilising and embedding the schools and considering opportunities for future growth, and delivering an operational service to ensure exceptional education and development outcomes and inclusion and social justice for our communities.

Please contact the People and Talent team on at: hr@orchardlearningalliance.com, if you have any questions or to arrange a visit.

Closing date for applications is Monday 22nd March 2026

Interviews will be held on 25th March 2026

Further information about the job

The candidate will be required to undergo a full enhanced DBS check and must be eligible to work in the UK.

Visas cannot be sponsored.

If you're interested in teaching or training to teach in England as an international citizen, we can help you understand your next steps.

Commitment to safeguarding

Our organisation is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. We expect all staff, volunteers and trustees to share this commitment.

Our recruitment process follows the keeping children safe in education guidance.

Offers of employment may be subject to the following checks (where relevant):
childcare disqualification
Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS)
medical
online and social media
prohibition from teaching
right to work
satisfactory references
suitability to work with children

You must tell us about any unspent conviction, cautions, reprimands or warnings under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975.

Applying for the job

This school accepts applications through their own website, where you may also find more information about this job.

CVs will not be accepted for this application.

About Orchard Learning Alliance

• Type: Multi-academy trust
• Website: Orchard Learning Alliance website
• See more jobs: teaching-vacancies.service.gov.uk/organisations/waingels-academies-trust

The Orchard Learning Alliance is a family of schools dedicated to providing the best possible educational experience and serving our communities through exceptional schools. We believe that education has the power to transform lives and that by working together, as a family of schools, we will enhance the life chances of all our children by equipping them with the knowledge, skills and confidence to thrive.

Head office location

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