Chief Finance and Operations Officer

Further Information
Chief Finance and Operations Officer
Permanent, Full-Time
To start: 1st September 2026

Cheviot Learning Trust is seeking to appoint an inspiring and influential Chief Finance and Operations Officer (CFOO) at a pivotal moment in the Trust’s development. This permanent role arises as our longstanding CFOO retires, providing a rare opportunity to help shape the next phase of our journey.

The CFOO will combine strategic clarity with decisive, values-led leadership. Working closely with the CEO, Trust Board, Central Team and wider Trust community, you will ensure strong financial and operational leadership, strengthen organisational capacity, and maintain high standards across our 18 schools.

Your core objectives will be to:

1. To deliver the resources the schools and school leaders require to improve and develop high-quality education, leading to excellent outcomes for all students
2. Building a strong understanding and engagement with Trust growth options through focused communication and cooperation
3. Shaping the organisation to be resilient, scalable and fit for anticipated growth
4. Ensuring that the Trust maintains high business standards

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 a CFOO who is ambitious, nurturing and optimistic, someone who takes pride in achieving excellence, inspires those around them, and ensures the Trust is well-positioned and confident for its next stage of growth.

What we can offer you:
At Cheviot Learning Trust, we recognise that each individual brings a unique blend of expertise and experience to our schools. We have cultivated an environment we are proud to call a great place to work, where our staff feel valued, supported, and empowered to give their best.

As CFOO, you will be a senior executive in an organisation committed to fostering a safe, inclusive, and motivating environment, understanding that when our staff thrive, so do the students across our schools.

Visits and Application Submission
You are welcome to visit our central office (or online) to meet with our CEO and Interim CFOO to discuss the role. Visits can be arranged between 20th and 24th April. Please contact Dominique Flint, Lead Business Partner (Workforce) on 0191 232 2777 or email [email protected] .

Please include in your application form your reasons for applying, addressing information you have read in the recruitment 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 via email [email protected] .

The closing date for applications is: 12 noon on Monday 27th April 2026
Interviews to be held: 5th May 2026

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 you are invited for interview, you will be required to disclose convictions that would not be filtered prior to the date of the interview. Certain spent convictions and cautions will be ‘protected’ and do not need to be disclosed. Full details can be found on the Ministry of Justice website. This role involves Regulated Activities and an enhanced DBS disclosure is required.