Deputy Chief Financial Officer
River Learning Trust, Oxford, OX4 4SF33 days remaining to apply
Start date details
As soon as possible
Closing date
5 January 2026 at 11am
Date listed
3 December 2025
Job details
Job role
- Administration, HR, data and finance
Visa sponsorship
- Visas cannot be sponsored
Working pattern
- Part time, full time
Contract type
- Permanent
Full-time equivalent salary
- £80,000.00 - £87,500.00 Annually (FTE) 4 pay point scale
Deputy Chief Financial Officer job summary
The River Learning Trust (RLT) is seeking an exceptional and strategic financial professional to take on the pivotal role of Deputy Chief Finance Officer (DCFO). This is an exciting opportunity to lead on all aspects of operational finance, ensuring consistency, efficiency, and full regulatory compliance across the Trust.
Please see the attached candidate information pack for more details of the job description and person specification
This is a hybrid role working between the RLT central team offices at Rose Hill Primary School, home-working and some school visits when required.
We are seeking a minimum of 30 hours per week up to full time (37) there is also flexibility to work a minimum of term time (plus 4 weeks closure period working) to all year round. Please indicate your preference on your application.
The responsibilities are distributed as follows:
The Chief Financial Officer (CFO) The CFO, who also oversees data and community development, retains more direct responsibility for the finance strategy and resource allocation, the central budget, secondary schools and alternative provision, income generation and the overall Trust reporting.
The Deputy Chief Financial Officer (You) will support the CFO by taking ownership of operational finance for the whole trust, ensuring systems, processes and reporting are effective and compliant. The DCFO will also be involved more closely with the financial oversight of the trust primary schools.
Key responsibilities include:
Operational Leadership: Directing day-to-day financial operations and managing month-end processes.
Process Improvement & Projects: Leading projects to design and implement improved financial management processes, driving consistency and automation across schools, and supporting the implementation and procurement of new finance systems.
Compliance & Audit: Ensuring full adherence to the Academies Trust Handbook, DfE, and statutory requirements. You will maintain a robust internal controls system and act as a key point of contact for external auditors and internal scrutiny providers.
Team Management: Line managing the Head of Primary Finance Business Partnering, Head of Finance systems and some of the central accounting team.
Financial Planning: Supporting the CFO in reviewing school budgets and in supporting schools with their resource allocation with initially a particular focus on primary schools.
Deputise for the CFO as required.
You must possess:
A recognised professional accounting qualification (e.g., CIMA, ACCA, ICAEW, or CIPFA).
Proven experience in leading an effective finance function and building successful teams.
Demonstrable track record of designing and implementing financial management processes and controls.
Excellent strategic planning, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
High-level IT competence and proficiency in data management and reporting.
A positive, energetic, and persuasive leadership style, with the ability to meet deadlines in challenging circumstances.
Education has the power to change lives, communities and society for the better. At RLT we believe that we can achieve more for our pupils, trainees, staff and communities by working together rather than alone. Schools in RLT are united by a common belief in the benefits of working together, and by our commitment to shared principles.
OUR VISION is for our schools and SCITT to improve rapidly, continuously and sustainably: to be better faster together.
OUR ‘WHY?’ is that children and young people ‘only get one go’ in school and therefore as part of RLT we aim to ensure the best possible ‘go’ for our pupils.
OUR ‘HOW?’ is through the highest support and challenge for our schools and each other, underpinned by our principles.
Our employees benefit from a wide variety of support including extensive continuing professional learning and development opportunities, wellbeing and staff networks and access to Defined Benefit Pension Schemes (TPS and LGPS) for all staff. For more information on what it is like to work for the Trust, and the benefits you could access, please see our “Working in RLT” guide.
This role includes regulated activity relevant to children.
RLT reserves the right to consider and interview candidates ahead of the closing date if appropriate. An offer may be made to an exceptional candidate in this instance.
If you would like to have a confidential conversation with Benedicte Yue, Chief Financial Officer, about the role, prior to application, then please email byue@riverlearningtrust.org.
The River Learning Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all children and preventing extremism. The Trust is required to conduct a variety of checks and online searches about you as part of their recruitment process in accordance with Keeping Children Safe in Education guidance. It is an offence to apply for certain roles within schools if you are barred from engaging in regulated activity relevant to children.
Further information about the job
Commitment to safeguarding
The River Learning Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all children and preventing extremism. The Trust is required to conduct a variety of checks and online searches about you as part of their recruitment process in accordance with Keeping Children Safe in Education guidance. It is an offence to apply for certain roles within schools if you are barred from engaging in regulated activity relevant to children.
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 River Learning Trust
- Type
- Multi-academy trust
Education has the power to change lives, communities and society for the better. At RLT we believe that we can achieve more for our pupils, trainees, staff and communities by working together rather than alone. Schools in RLT are united by a common belief in the benefits of working together, and by our commitment to shared principles.
OUR VISION is for our schools and SCITT to improve rapidly, continuously and sustainably: to be better faster together.
OUR ‘WHY?’ is that children and young people ‘only get one go’ in school and therefore as part of RLT we aim to ensure the best possible ‘go’ for our pupils.
OUR ‘HOW?’ is through the highest support and challenge for our schools and each other, underpinned by our principles.
Our employees benefit from a wide variety of support including extensive continuing professional learning and development opportunities, wellbeing and staff networks and access to Defined Benefit Pension Schemes (TPS and LGPS) for all staff. For more information on what it is like to work for the Trust, and the benefits you could access, please see our “Working in RLT” guide on the main advert using the link.
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