Chief Financial Officer

Unity Schools Partnership, Haverhill, CB9 8QP

26 days remaining to apply

• Start date details

  As soon as possible

• Closing date

  15 June 2026 at 3pm

• Date listed

  20 May 2026

Job details

• Job role:
  • Other leadership roles
  • Other support roles
• Visa sponsorship: Visas cannot be sponsored
• Working pattern: Full time: 37 hours per week / 52 weeks per year
• Contract type: Permanent
• Full-time equivalent salary: Salary based on experience and expertise

What skills and experience we're looking for

Job title: Chief Financial Officer (CFO)

Job reference: RBQPD

Closing date: 5pm on Monday 15 June 2026

Unity Schools Partnership (Unity) is a family of 40 primary, secondary and special schools across East Anglia and north‑east London, united by a shared ambition to transform lives through education. With a new Chief Executive in post and a reshaped Executive Team, this is a pivotal moment for the Trust as it enters its next phase of development. Operating at scale while remaining rooted in local communities, Unity combines strong ethical leadership with evidence‑informed practice and a clear focus on improving outcomes for children and young people, particularly those facing disadvantage.

The Chief Financial Officer (CFO) role sits at the heart of this next chapter, playing a central role in enabling Unity’s educational ambition through strong financial stewardship and strategic leadership. Reporting to the Chief Executive and working closely with the Board and Executive Team, the CFO is responsible for shaping long‑term financial strategy, ensuring sustainability, and guiding investment decisions that balance affordability with impact. The role provides strategic and professional leadership across Finance, Procurement, Estates and IT, ensuring that resources, infrastructure and systems are aligned to educational priorities and support high‑quality provision across the Trust. This is an organisation‑wide role, requiring sound judgement, clear insight and the confidence to support difficult decisions in a complex and evolving context.

The successful candidate will be a highly credible senior financial leader with a strong corporate mindset and experience of leading finance and operational functions within a complex, distributed organisation, ideally in the public or charitable sector. They will bring deep understanding of financial governance, risk management and public accountability, alongside the ability to think beyond technical finance and contribute to wider organisational strategy. Transparent, resilient and intellectually assured, the CFO will be comfortable leading difficult conversations with clarity and fairness, building strong partnerships with school leaders and executives, and developing high‑performing teams across multiple disciplines. Above all, Unity is seeking a collaborative, ethical leader motivated by impact, someone who can free up resources, strengthen capacity and ensure that financial decisions actively support excellent education at scale.

Unity Schools Partnership is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people at all times. You will be responsible for promoting and safeguarding the welfare of all children with whom you come into contact, in accordance with the Trust’s and the schools’ Safeguarding policies. The post holder is required to hold a satisfactory Enhanced Disclosure from the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).

Saxton Bampfylde Ltd is acting as an employment agency advisor to Unity Schools Partnership on this appointment. For further information about the role, including details about how to apply, please visit roles.saxbam.com using reference RBQPD. Alternatively, email Belinda.beck@saxbam.com.

Applications should be received by5pm on Monday 15 June 2026.

What the school offers its staff

Unity Schools Partnership offers a wide range of benefits including:

• Wellbeing
• Training and Development
• Staff Retail Discounts
• Gym Membership Discounts
• Cycle to Work Support networks

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

Unity Schools Partnership is committed to safer recruitment, equal opportunities, safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people, and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. An enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check will be required.

Applying for the job

Apply for the job by following the link below.

CVs will not be accepted for this application.

Additional documents

If you need these documents in an accessible format, please contact the school.

Appointment Brief - USP, CFO.pdf - 1.77 MB (opens in new tab)

About Unity Schools Partnership

• Type: Multi-academy trust
• Website: Unity Schools Partnership website
• Email address: Belinda.beck@saxbam.com
• See more jobs: teaching-vacancies.service.gov.uk/organisations/unity-schools-partnership

Academy Trust

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