Interim Chief Executive Officer
Cheviot Learning Trust, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE13 9BA24 days remaining to apply
Job start date
1 September 2026
Closing date
9 February 2026 at 12pm (midday)
Date listed
16 January 2026
Job details
Job role
- Other leadership roles
Visa sponsorship
- Visas cannot be sponsored
Working pattern
- Full time: Monday to Friday
Contract type
- Fixed term - 18 months
Full-time equivalent salary
- £140,000 - £155,000
What skills and experience we're looking for
The successful candidate will be an experienced, values-led senior leader who can:
Lead with strategic clarity and emotional intelligence, inspiring confidence across the Trust;
Build on strong foundations and guide the next phase of development with ambition and integrity;
Sustain high standards of education, inclusion and personal development across all schools;
Foster a collaborative and supportive culture in which staff grow and thrive;
Shape sustainable Trust growth, responding intelligently to local needs and opportunities, and developing constructive partnerships across the region and beyond;
Work confidently with Trustees, offering clear strategic advice and sound professional judgement;
Act as an inspirational and credible ambassador for the Trust, building confidence internally and externally with key partners and stakeholders.
Accounting Officer Responsibilities
In accordance with the Academy Trust Handbook 2025, the Interim CEO will also serve as the Trust’s Accounting Officer, with clearly defined personal responsibilities for financial governance and stewardship. As Accounting Officer you will:
- Be personally accountable to Parliament, to the Department for Education’s (DfE) Accounting Officer and to the public for the Trust’s financial resources and financial stewardship;
Assure high standardsof regularity, propriety,feasibilityand value for money (including economy,efficiencyand effectiveness) in the use of public funds;
Maintain oversight of financial systems and controls, ensuring robust governance, transparentreportingand sound risk management;
Complete and sign the annual statement on regularity, propriety and compliancesubmittedwith the audited accounts;
Take personal responsibility foradvisingthe Board in writing where proposed actions conflict with statutory or funding requirements, Trustarticlesor handbook duties, including where these relate to financial governance or ethical compliance;
Promote a culture of accountability, ethical conductand public service values across the Trust.
What the school offers its staff
At Cheviot Learning Trust, we recognise that each individual brings a unique blend of characteristics, backgrounds, and expertise to our schools. We have cultivated an environment we are proud to call a great place to work, where our staff feel valued and empowered to give their best. We have numerous examples of staff who have developed and progressed their careers with the Trust.
As interim CEO, you will be leading an organisation committed to fostering a safe, inclusive, and motivating environment for everyone, understanding that when our staff thrive, so do the students across our schools.
Further information about the job
As our CEO plans to retire and we plan for the next stage of our journey, Cheviot Learning Trust are seeking to appoint an inspiring and influential Chief Executive Officer in an interim role. The Interim CEO will combine strategic clarity with decisive, values-led leadership. Working closely with the Trust Board, Central Teamand the wider Trust community, you will ensure continuity of effective leadership during a period of transition, while strengthening the organisational capacity, systems and culture requiredto support anticipated expansion.
Your core objectives will be to:
- Build shared understanding and engagement with growth options through focused communication and collaboration;
- Shape the organisation to be resilient,scalable and fit for future growth;
- Ensure that the Trust maintainshigh educational and business standards throughout this interim period.
The successful candidate will be an articulate, insightful and credible leader, able to build trust quickly, maintain momentum and make sound judgments in a complex and fast-moving environment. Resilient, adaptable and values-led, you will operate with integrity, openness and a strong commitment to effective governance.
Above all, we seek an interim Chief Executive who is ambitious, nurturing and optimistic—someone who takes pride in achieving excellence, inspires those around them, and leaves the Trust well positioned, confident and ready for its next phase of leadership and growth.
Visits and Application Submission
You are welcome to visit our central office to meet with our Co-Chairs of the Board, CEO and CFOO to discuss the role.
Visits can be arranged on either Thursday 22 January, or Monday 26 January. Please contact Dominique Flint, Lead Business Partner (Workforce) on 0191 232 2777 or email d.flint@cheviotlt.co.uk.
Please include in your application form your reasons for applying for the post, addressing information you have read in the pack, particularly the person specification, and outline any relevant experience and personal qualities you would bring to the role.
Completed application forms are to be submitted to Dominique Flint, Lead Business Partner via email at d.flint@cheviotlt.co.uk.
The closing date for applications is: 12 noon on Monday 9 February, 2026
Interviews to be held: Tuesday 24 February and Wednesday 25 February, 2026
Commitment to safeguarding
We are strongly committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all children and young people and expect all staff to share this commitment. This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. If your application is successful, this self-disclosure information will be checked against information from the Disclosure and Barring Service before your appointment is confirmed. This role will include Regulated Activities and an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) disclosure is required for this post.
Applying for the job
Apply for the job by following the link below.
CVs will not be accepted for this application.
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About Cheviot Learning Trust
- Type
- Multi-academy trust
- Email address
- d.flint@cheviotlt.co.uk
- Phone number
- 0191 232 2777
Cheviot Learning Trust was formed in 2023 through the merger of Tyne Community Learning Trust, and Three Rivers Learning Trust.
We are a charity supported by over 150 governance volunteers who hold us to account in their role as critical friends. We are proud Northumbrians; more than happy to welcome schools to join us from inside or outside Northumberland.
All of the schools have a long and proud history of providing an excellent education service to their local populations. Through our teaching, we aim to equip children with the skills, knowledge and understanding necessary to be able to make informed choices about the important things in their lives. We believe that appropriate teaching and learning experiences help children to lead happy and rewarding lives.
Arranging a visit to Cheviot Learning Trust
To arrange a visit and increase the chance of a successful application email d.flint@cheviotlt.co.uk.
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