Deputy chief financial officer

Overview

Part of Sapientia Education Trust

Location: Sapientia Education Trust, Wymondham College (travel to other sites required)

Email: hr@setrust.co.uk

Website: www.se-trust.org

• Salary: SCP40–48(£51,356– £60,208FTE)
• Permanent
• 37 hrs per week
• All Year Round

At Sapientia Education Trust, our purpose reaches far beyond education. We inspire curiosity, nurture potential, and empower over 8,500 young people across 22 schools to flourish. Behind that success is a dedicated Finance Team who are seeking an aspiring finance leader to join the Trust.

This is an exciting opportunity to join a growing and ambitious Trust at a pivotal point in its development. As Deputy Chief Financial Officer, you will play a central role in ensuring strong financial leadership across 22 schools, enabling them to deliver world‑class education. Working closely with the CFO and Finance Managers, you will lead key financial processes, strengthen controls, and support school leaders with high‑quality financial insight.

This role would be suited to someone looking to move into education either from practice, commercial or other public sectors.

Responsibilities

• Provide advice and support to school staff on financial and budgetary matters, ensuring that they meet legal requirements and represent best practice.
• Lead the Finance Team through monthly management accounts and budget setting cycles, ensuring financial and non‑financial objectives are met.
• Lead the end of year accounts, external audit, and internal scrutiny processes to ensure all matters are resolved successfully in collaboration with the Trust’s external auditors and internal scrutineers.
• Continuously review processes, procedures and practices to ensure the service provided is effective, efficient and compliant with all legal requirements.

Qualifications

If you are a CCAB/CIMA qualified professional with integrity, strong communication and analytical skills with the ability to build relationships across a diverse organisation, we would love to hear from you.

What We Offer

• Mentoring and coaching to support your career aspirations.
• Sodexo benefits account and Blue Light Card with discounts from major retailers.
• Salary sacrifice car scheme from Tusker.
• Hybrid working (one day per week from home after probation).
• 24/7 access to our employee wellbeing platform and resources.
• Local Government Pension scheme.
• Children of staff benefit from increased priority under the admissions policy for their school base after 2 years continuous service.

Application Process

A Job Description is available from attachments.

For this vacancy, if you click the ‘apply for job’ button you will be redirected to complete our online application form.

Closing date: Applications are to be considered upon receipt, so early applications are recommended.

Interview date: TBC

The Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, therefore all applicants must be prepared to undergo a number of checks to confirm their suitability to work with children and young people. The Trust welcomes applications from all sectors of the community. In accordance with the Department of Education’s “Keeping Children Safe in Education”, references will be sought for all short‑listed candidates before interview.

This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act and you will be required to undergo an Enhanced DBS check or Enhanced DBS check with barred list. If you have information to declare it may be protected under the Exceptions Orders and you may not be required to declare it. You will be asked to make a criminal conviction declaration if you are shortlisted for the post. Guidance about whether a conviction or caution should be disclosed can be found on the Ministry of Justice website.