Chief Financial Officer

The Great Schools Trust, Warrington, WA1 4PF

25 days remaining to apply

• Start date details

  Negotiable

• Closing date

  27 September 2026 at 11:59pm

• Date listed

  2 September 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: £103,030.00 - £110,892.00 Annually (Actual) Please see the attached recruitment guide

Chief Financial Officer job summary

Chief Financial OfficerGreat Schools Trust

Contract: Permanent, full-time, 37 hours, all year round
Location: Hybrid, with a minimum of three days per week at King’s Leadership Academy Warrington and regular travel across Trust academies
Salary: £103,030 - £110,892 FTE
Start: Negotiable

This is an important executive appointment for Great Schools Trust.

We are seeking a Chief Financial Officer who can provide strategic, values-led financial leadership across our Trust. This is a demanding full-time role that requires technical excellence, strong professional judgment, and a clear commitment to stewarding public money.

At GST, financial decisions are educational decisions. They shape what we can sustain, where we can invest and how confidently we can plan for the future. We are looking for someone who can help us turn financial information into insight, strengthen financial planning and assurance and support leaders to make wise, evidence-informed decisions.

The successful candidate will work closely with the CEO, Executive Team, trustees, academy leaders and central colleagues. You will lead and develop the finance function, support long-term sustainability and ensure our resources are aligned with the Trust’s mission, values and priorities.

We have taken considerable care to produce a thorough recruitment guide for this role, which gives much fuller detail about the Trust, the context, the culture and the breadth of the CFO position. We ask all prospective candidates to read this carefully before applying. The guide is attached and can also be accessed here: CFO Recruitment Guide

Our current CFO remains in post until the end of December 2026 and would be happy to meet prospective candidates to provide insight into the role and the Trust. Depending on the level of interest, we may also arrange group briefing calls with members of the Executive Team.

For an informal conversation or to arrange a visit, please contact:

Hayley Fenlon at h.fenlon@greatschoolstrust.com

Applications should be submitted via MyNewTerm - we cannot accept CV applications.

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

All offers of employment are subject to a robust set of pre-employment checks, which may include (as applicable):

Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check
Prohibition from teaching check
Childcare disqualification declaration
Verification of right to work in the UK
Medical fitness to work
Online and social media screening
Receipt of two satisfactory references
Suitability to work with children assessment

Applicants are required to declare any unspent convictions, cautions, reprimands or warnings as outlined 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 The Great Schools Trust

• Type: Multi-academy trust
• Website: The Great Schools Trust website
• See more jobs: teaching-vacancies.service.gov.uk/organisations/the-great-schools-trust

At Great Schools Trust, we don’t just build schools, we forge futures. We are a high-performing, values-driven multi-academy trust committed to delivering transformational education for over 4,000 students across our academies in the North West of England. Our vision is simple yet bold: to develop a family of Great Schools where every student, regardless of background or starting point, flourishes, is happy, and achieves their full potential.

GST academies combine the rigour and ambition of independent education with the inclusivity and moral purpose of the state sector. Each school in our trust instils our core ASPIRE values; Aspiration, Self-awareness, Professionalism, Integrity, Respect, and Endeavour into everything we do. These are not just words; they’re the foundations of a culture where excellence becomes a habit.

As a National Behaviour Hub and leader in educational technology, we are proud pioneers in innovation and character education. Our King’s Adventure Programme develops young leaders of tomorrow through robust character-building, leadership experiences and a "King’s CV" that evidences every student’s growth journey. From AI-powered learning platforms to industry-leading CPD, we ensure our staff and students thrive in environments that champion curiosity, resilience and progress.

Our track record speaks volumes. From transforming schools in special measures into oversubscribed centres of excellence to closing the Progress 8 gap for disadvantaged students, GST is a beacon of social mobility and community transformation.

We are not just a trust, we are a movement. A movement powered by belief. *Credo-Credimus.* I believe, we believe.

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