Chief Financial Officer (School Business Manager)

Hounsdown School, Southampton, Hampshire, SO40 9FT

18 days remaining to apply

• Closing date

  15 May 2026 at 12pm (midday)

• Date listed

  27 April 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: £65,005.00 - £71,678.00 Annually (FTE) £65,005 to £71,678 fte per annum (starting salary will be dependent on experience and progression through the grade will be based on an annual assessment of work performance)

Chief Financial Officer (School Business Manager) job summary

About the Role

Hounsdown School is seeking a capable, strategic and forward‑thinking Chief Financial Officer (School Business Manager) to join our Senior Leadership Team at an exciting point in the school’s development.

Reporting directly to the Headteacher, you will play a pivotal role in shaping the school’s strategic direction by leading and integrating all key operational functions. This is a highly influential leadership position, combining strategic financial oversight with operational delivery, governance, and long‑term sustainability.

You will take professional leadership responsibility for:

• Finance and Procurement
• HR and Payroll
• Estates and Facilities (including Health & Safety and IT oversight)
• Student Services

The CFO is central to ensuring the school’s resources, financial, physical and human, are deployed efficiently and effectively in support of outstanding educational outcomes.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership & Finance

• Provide strategic financial leadership to support the school’s long‑term vision and development.
• Lead budget setting, financial planning, forecasting and multi‑year financial modelling.
• Ensure robust financial controls, value‑for‑money decision making and statutory compliance.
• Advise the Headteacher and Trustees on financial risk, investment and sustainability.
• Oversee procurement and contract management to maximise efficiency and savings.

Human Resources & Payroll

• Lead all aspects of HR strategy, including staffing structures, workforce planning and policy development.
• Oversee payroll administration and compliance with employment legislation.
• Provide professional HR advice to senior leaders and trustees.
• Support staff wellbeing, performance management and organisational development.

Estates, Health & Safety and IT

• Provide strategic oversight of the school estate, ensuring buildings, grounds and facilities are safe, compliant and well‑maintained.
• Ensure full compliance with Health & Safety legislation and best practice.
• Oversee ICT infrastructure and systems to support learning, administration and safeguarding.
• Lead capital projects, maintenance planning and long‑term site development.

Student Services & Operations

• Oversee student support and operational services to ensure a high‑quality experience for pupils and families.
• Ensure operational systems and processes actively support safeguarding, inclusion and attendance.

Governance & Compliance

• Support the trustee body with high‑quality reports and professional advice.
• Ensure all statutory, regulatory and audit requirements are met.
• Act as a trusted professional advisor within the Senior Leadership Team.

Safeguarding

Hounsdown School is committed to safeguarding and protecting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. The successful candidate will be subject to an Enhanced DBS check along with other relevant pre-employment checks.

Equality and Recruitment

As a school, we welcome and encourage applications from all suitably qualified individuals. We are unable to accept referrals via recruitment agents and therefore unable to contract on their terms and conditions. All candidates will be considered by the school as applying as a direct applicant and not via an agency referral.

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

Hounsdown School is committed to safeguarding and protecting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. The successful candidate will be subject to an Enhanced DBS check, online searches along with other relevant pre-employment checks.

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 Hounsdown School

• School type: Academy, ages 11 to 16
• Education phase: Secondary school
• School size: 1281 pupils enrolled
• Age range: 11 to 16
• Ofsted report: View Ofsted report
• School website: Hounsdown School website
• See more jobs: teaching-vacancies.service.gov.uk/organisations/hounsdown-school-southampton

Hounsdown is an 11-16 Science College which converted to a Single Academy Trust in August 2011. We are a popular, over-subscribed, Outstanding (Ofsted 2017), Hampshire school and a strategic partner for the ETC Teaching School Alliance. Our school has a welcoming ethos with students being courteous and respectful. We are committed to supporting all staff in their career aspirations and growing new leaders. The school motto is ‘Be the best that you can be’.

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