Deputy Chief Executive Officer
Achieve And Learn Trust, Altrincham, WA15 8QW15 days remaining to apply
Start date details
As soon as possible
Closing date
20 November 2026 at 12pm (midday)
Date listed
5 November 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
- £51,953.00 - £55,125.00 Annually (Actual)
Deputy Chief Executive Officer job summary
Reporting to the Chief Finance Officer, the successful candidate will be an integral part of the team, working in collaboration with staff members at each school, whilst managing a team of experienced Finance Officers based at Altrincham College.
The role demands strong organisational and people management skills and an ability to prioritise workloads. The successful candidate must have excellent interpersonal and leadership skills, as well as the ability to maintain a sense of calm in a busy school environment.
We are looking for someone with:
- Management and leadership experience, preferably within an education or local authority setting.
- Experience of educational financial management - preparation of monthly accounts, budget analysis with the ability to provide financial guidance to senior leaders within the schools.
- Experience of financial accounting - monthly reconciliations, payroll checks, managing financial policies, systems and procedures.
- Hold a finance qualification relevant to the role.
- The ability to inspire confidence and think creatively.
- A commitment to always place our students at the centre of all decision making.
This is an exciting opportunity to join a growing trust with fantastic values, who are truly committed to providing the best education to their students. It will be a chance for the right candidate to join a great place of work and take ownership of the role and make it their own, under the leadership of the CFO.
Key Responsibilities include:
To support the Chief Finance Officer in providing financial leadership and professional financial management for the Trust and its schools, in accordance with the Academy Trust Handbook and the Trust’s Financial Procedures.
To have Trust-wide responsibility for comprehensive financial planning, ensuring robust financial systems and controls to safeguard finances and ensure efficiency and value for money.
To work closely with Trustees, Governors and School Leaders to provide tailored reports at various organisational levels.
To assist with the Trust’s long term financial strategy and planning, conducting thorough analyses of current and future income streams, expenditure and trends to inform strategic decision making.
To prepare comprehensive management accounts and present to stakeholders.
To deputise for the Chief Finance Officer as directed by the CEO, CFO or Trust Board.
To line manage the finance team, including their induction, training and appraisal.
Areas of responsibility and key tasks:
Finance and Accounting:
In consultation with the Chief Finance Officer, Headteachers and School Business Managers, assist with preparing the Trust and schools’ budget plans and review and update as necessary.
Establish a high level of credibility and manage strong working relationships with internal and external parties.
Advise Trustees and other stakeholders on the financial implications of government and local authority policies and provide appropriate guidance on financial governance.
Monitor income and expenditure in relation to the Trust approved budgets and produce monthly management reports for the Trust and Headteachers.
Provide budget holders with advice on matters relating to their budgets.
Prepare income and expenditure reports in accordance with financial regulations.
Co-ordinate all the annual external audit (interim and final), liaising with all parties involved, and preparing papers and workings to support the external auditors.
Prepare information as required for the internal assurance reviews, liaising with all parties involved, preparing papers and workings as required.
Maintain and oversee all bank accounts including the charge card(s), completing monthly reconciliations and reporting any anomalies to the Chief Finance Officer.
Ensure that the Trust’s financial procedures manual is reviewed and updated as necessary and that the school resource management self-assessment tool is maintained as per DFE requirements.
Ensure accurate VAT accounting and payment, and that VAT reclaim returns are submitted as required.
Be responsible for cash flow projections and all elements of cash handling including collections and disbursements, banking and security, fundraising and school trips.
Maintain an effective payroll system and ensure compliance with all relevant legislation ensuring all forms including timesheets, new starter/leaver/variation forms and annual returns are submitted within required deadlines.
Monitor the payment of salaries by the school’s payroll provider, liaising with the provider as required.
Be responsible for overseeing the placement of orders, ensuring colleagues follow the required processes and are processed through the Trust’s computerised finance accounting package.
In conjunction with the nominated staff members, scrutinise and attend to the payment of all invoices and statements of account.
Be responsible for ensuring all invoices are issued, following up their prompt payment.
Carry out and keep analyses of costs and other statistical information.
Contribute to the review of financial systems and processes; playing a key role in the planning and implementation of any new or revised systems/processes with the Chief Finance Officer.
Maintain all Trust and school insurances including assessments, claims and administration.
Co-ordinate and maintain a list of approved contractors and suppliers to ensure best value.
Support the Chief Finance Officer and Trust Operations and Safety Manager with the review and monitoring of all contracts, leases and relationships with external contractors.
Assist with monitoring expenditure on capital projects such as any Condition Improvement Funds.
Maximise investment returns and income generation; supporting bids, sales, sponsorship and fundraising as appropriate.
Be responsible for the Trust and schools’ asset registers ensuring that they are maintained and regularly updated.
Ensure that all necessary returns, reports and documentation are completed accurately within time constraints including claims, bids, assist with reports to Trustees, and statistical returns (internal and external).
Personnel:
Oversee arrangements for the induction and training of all new staff within the finance team.
Undertake the appraisal of all staff within the finance team.
Oversee the effective deployment and management of all staff within the finance team
Play an active role in the recruitment of finance staff in accordance with the Trust procedures.
Administration:
Ensure that all administrative duties, checks, documentation, reports and returns (internal and external) are completed accurately and submitted within required deadlines.
Collate information, statistics and prepare reports as required.
Undertake responsibility for all necessary administration relating to finance processes and procedures.
Ensure that all manual and computerised records and filing systems are maintained as required.
Process, input, extract and analyse information from the Trust and schools’ system(s).
Ensure compliance with GDPR regulations.
Deal with correspondence promptly and as required.
Other Duties and Responsibilities
All Trust staff are expected to:
Take appropriate responsibility and action for safeguarding.
Be prepared to provide additional support to the central Trust team and schools of the Trust as required.
Support the vision and values of the Trust and demonstrate a collaborative team working approach to school and Trust improvement.
Promote and act in accordance with the Trust’s Staff Code of Conduct and all key policies.
Maintain high professional standards of attendance, punctuality, appearance, conduct and positive, courteous relations with students, parents/carers, colleagues and visitors.
Work within the Trust’s Equality Objectives to promote equity for all students and staff, both current and prospective.
Work within the Trust’s Health and Safety policy to ensure a safe working environment for staff, students and visitors to our schools.
Attend Trust and school events as required and make a positive contribution during such events.
Participate in training and learning activities and staff appraisal as required.
Be proactive in seeking appropriate advice and guidance where required.
To undertake any other duties commensurate with the grading of the post as directed by the Chief Executive Officer.
Further information about the job
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.
View advert on external website (opens in new tab)About Achieve And Learn Trust
- Type
- Multi-academy trust
Head office location
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