The Deputy Chief Finance Officer (DCFO) plays a pivotal role in supporting the Chief Finance & Operations Officer (CFOO) in the strategic and operational leadership of the Trust’s financial functions. The DCFO is responsible for delivering a high-quality, customer-focused finance service across all schools within the Trust, ensuring compliance with statutory requirements, Trust policies, and best practice standards.
The DCFO will oversee the day-to-day management of the finance team, ensuring robust financial controls, accurate reporting, and effective budget management. Acting as a key liaison between the finance team and the CFOO, the DCFO will drive continuous improvement, foster effective communication across central services, and support the Trust’s strategic objectives.
The DCFO will deputise for the CFOO, if required, to ensure the trust fulfils its statutory responsibilities.
Key Responsibilities & specifications
This section is designed to describe the role in more detail. It cannot cover every eventuality or activity. Other policy documents, such as the trust’s Financial Handbook and Scheme of Delegation also provide information about the roles duties and responsibilities.
Team Leadership:
* Directly line manage Finance Managers, the Procurement Officer, and Senior Finance Officers.
* Oversee the wider finance team, including Finance Assistants, Procurement Assistants, and Finance Apprentices (line managed by Finance Managers).
Financial Management & Compliance:
* Ensure all financial operations comply with the Trust’s Financial Regulations, Scheme of Delegation, and relevant legislation.
* Lead on the preparation and delivery of monthly management accounts for all academies within the Trust.
* Oversee procurement processes, ensuring value for money and adherence to public sector procurement standards.
Budgeting & Reporting:
* Collaborate with academy headteachers and central teams to ensure accurate, timely, and effective budget setting and monitoring, utilising IMP Planner and other central resources.
* Ensure compliance with Trust policies such as completion of budget variation and staffing change requests.
* Lead on the preparation of regular academy-level financial reports, including monthly management reports and assisting with the annual Budget Forecast Return (BFR) for the DfE.
* Support the CFOO in the preparation of Trust-wide spending plans and budgets, providing senior leaders with the financial data needed to achieve strategic goals.
Financial Controls & Audit:
* Maintain and enhance robust financial control systems and processes.
* Support year-end financial procedures, liaising with external auditors to ensure compliance and integrity of financial statements.
Central Services & Collaboration:
* Serve as a member of the Central Services Management Team, working closely with colleagues in ICT, Premises & Compliance, Payroll, Contracts, and Safer Recruitment.
* Attend regular service line manager meetings and as required, senior executive leadership and finance committee meetings to report on financial matters.
Qualifications:
* Significant experience in a senior finance role, ideally within the education or public sector.
* Ideally hold a relevant accountancy qualification (AAT Level 4, ICAEW, ACCA, CIMA, CIPFA) or be working towards such qualification.
Skills & Experience:
* Proven ability to lead and develop finance teams in a multi-site environment.
* Strong technical knowledge of financial management, budgeting, and reporting.
* Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to influence and build relationships at all levels.
* Experience of managing procurement and ensuring value for money.
* High level of integrity, accuracy, and attention to detail.
About SHARE Multi Academy Trust
SHARE Multi Academy Trust comprises Royds Hall, Shelley College, Whitcliffe Mount School, Thornhill Community Academy, Todmorden High School, Woodside Green Primary, Heaton Avenue Primary, Luck Lane Primary, Millbridge Primary and Calderdale and Kirklees Teaching School Hub. A central team provides a number of services including School Improvement, Finance, ICT, HR & Payroll, Premise & Compliance and Governance Services. We are committed to delivering the very best education to our students, and an outstanding service to over 700 of our colleagues, eight schools and our Teaching Hub. We believe in helping all our colleagues to achieve their personal best and are keen to recruit the very best talent to our trust.
We offer a first-class benefits package and competitive salaries. Colleagues within our Trust will benefit from a wealth of excellent personal development opportunities alongside comprehensive induction programmes. This is in addition to training and ongoing support at every stage of their career. For teachers and leaders, we offer fast tracked developmental opportunities led by one of our academies, Shelley College, which is the Teaching School Hub for Kirklees and Calderdale. This includes National Professional Qualifications (NPQs), lead practitioner positions and trainee senior leadership positions, which build upon our middle leadership programmes. Above all, we provide a warm, friendly, supportive environment that helps our colleagues to thrive. All our academies are situated in good commuting distance from Leeds, Huddersfield, and Wakefield.
Please note that CVs will not be accepted.
For further information and to apply, please visit our website via the apply button.
Closing date: Midday on 23rd March 2026.
Interview date: 27th March 2026.