Finance Operations Manager
The Great Schools Trust, Warrington, WA1 4PF22 days remaining to apply
Start date details
Negotiable
Closing date
8 August 2026 at 11:59pm
Date listed
17 July 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
- £38,220.00 - £40,777.00 Annually (FTE)
Finance Operations Manager job summary
Permanent | Full-time | All year round
Salary: £38,220-£40,777 FTE
Great Schools Trust is seeking an organised, capable and solutions-focused Finance Operations Manager to join our supportive central Finance team. This is a new role, created to strengthen the day-to-day financial operations that help our academies run smoothly, confidently and efficiently.
Great Schools Trust is a family of eight ambitious academies committed to ensuring that every student, regardless of their starting point, flourishes, is happy and achieves their full potential. Our culture is shaped by our ASPIRE values: Aspiration, Self-awareness, Professionalism, Integrity, Respect and Endeavour. We are proud of our strong record of school improvement, staff satisfaction and values-led education.
About the role
This is a hands-on leadership role for someone who enjoys getting the detail right, improving systems and helping others work with confidence. You will bring clarity, pace and professional judgement to the financial operations that allow our academies to focus on what matters most: delivering an excellent education for every pupil.
You will lead and support day-to-day transactional finance operations across the Trust, including purchase and sales ledgers, supplier payments, reconciliations, VAT returns, contract administration, financial reporting and finance system improvements. You will also supervise finance colleagues, support staff across our academies and help ensure financial processes are accurate, compliant, practical and consistently understood.
The role will involve working closely with academy and central colleagues, including Academy Operations Managers, Principals, budget holders, suppliers, auditors, banks and senior leaders. You will be a key point of support for colleagues using finance systems and procedures, helping to resolve queries promptly, professionally and with a healthy respect for the fact that purchase orders, for reasons unknown to science, do not complete themselves.
Who we're looking for
We are looking for someone with strong experience in finance, accounts or transactional finance, including experience managing or overseeing purchase and sales ledger functions. You will have excellent attention to detail, sound knowledge of financial procedures and internal controls and the ability to organise competing priorities calmly and effectively.
You will also have experience leading or supervising others, with the confidence to give guidance, support colleagues and promote high standards of accuracy, accountability and service. Experience in an education setting, academy trust, school finance environment or complex multi-site organisation would be an advantage.
The successful candidate will be a clear communicator who builds positive working relationships with colleagues at all levels. You will be calm, resilient, curious and solutions-focused, with a strong commitment to confidentiality, professional conduct, value for money and continuous improvement.
What we offer to you
In return, we offer a welcoming and collaborative working environment, excellent professional development, membership of the Local Government Pension Scheme, 30 days’ annual leave plus bank holidays and a comprehensive range of wellbeing benefits.
This is an excellent opportunity for someone who wants to make a meaningful contribution to a growing, values-led Trust. Finance may not always be the part of school life that gets the standing ovation, but when it works brilliantly, schools run better, colleagues feel supported and public money is used carefully and responsibly.
How to apply
Please apply through MyNewTerm.
For an informal conversation about the role or to arrange a visit, please contact: h.fenlon@greatschoolstrust.com
Please read the full Recruitment Guide for the job description, person specification, benefits and further application information.
Safeguarding
Great Schools Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. All staff are expected to share this commitment. The successful applicant will be subject to appropriate pre-employment checks as listed within the recruitment guide.
Further information about the job
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.
View advert on external website (opens in new tab)About The Great Schools Trust
- Type
- Multi-academy 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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