CEO - Ambition Education Trust in Hertford

Required January 2027

Competitive salary package

Full Time

Location: Trust Hub at Garden Fields JMI School, St Albans, Herts AL3 5RL

We are seeking an exceptional and inspirational Chief Executive Officer (CEO) to lead our vibrant, ambitious and successful Multi-Academy Trust. This is a defining opportunity to lead the whole Trust strategy for the Ambition Education Trust (AET), driving sustainable improvement, innovation and leadership development at scale. In this role you will shape the future of our schools and the quality of education for thousands of pupils. As CEO, you will have the freedom to shape the next phase of the Trust’s development, while being part of a network that thrives on collaboration and shared ambition.

The Opportunity

As our new CEO, you will be responsible for implementing the agreed strategic direction as determined by the Trust Board into impactful reality, ensuring exceptional educational outcomes, sustainable growth, and robust financial health. You will oversee all aspects of the Trust’s performance, including educational standards, people leadership, financial management, and external partnerships. This is a unique opportunity to lead Trust-wide school improvement across both primary and secondary phases, while shaping and refining the Trust’s overarching approach to teaching, curriculum innovation, and inclusion. In this role, you will cultivate a highly collaborative, supportive, and empowered network of school leaders, building leadership capacity and embedding a culture of high quality, continuous professional learning as you influence and navigate the future direction of the Trust.

The Role

The AET CEO is responsible for the education of all the young people in the Trust’s Academies. Leading our dedicated executive team, you will ensure that all schools are successful over time in a sustainable way. You will provide high level strategic leadership and management across all aspects of the Trust's activities ensuring high quality education for all its pupils through the effective and efficient use of resources and people. As a system leader, the CEO, together with a wide range of stakeholders and partners, enables its civic and moral responsibilities. Acting as the Accounting Officer, you will ensure that all statutory, financial, and legal requirements are met.

The role encompasses:

• Strategic Governance & Ethical Leadership: Securing robust oversight, legal accountability, educational excellence, and an inspirational, safeguarding-first culture.
• High Quality Inclusive Education: Driving ambitious curriculum design, inclusive excellence, exemplary teaching standards, targeted support, and statutory compliance.
• Finance, Risk & Compliance: Upholding rigorous financial accountability, strategic budgeting, risk mitigation, and the long-term sustainability of the Trust.
• Communications & Reputational Leadership: Enhancing the Trust's profile through proactive community engagement, board advisory, and transparent executive reporting.
• People & Culture: Fostering a collaborative workforce, pioneering talent management, championing professional development, and embedding inclusive staff practices.
• Public Benefit & Civic Duty: Acting as an ambassadorial leader who builds collaborative external partnerships and champions ethical standards within the wider education landscape.
• Strategic Growth: Leading managed growth, partnership building, academy conversions, and successful project oversight.

The Person

We are seeking a leader with credibility, expertise and ambition who is passionate about improving education at scale. You will likely bring:

• Significant senior leadership experience within schools or a multi-academy trust
• A proven track record of leading successful school improvement strategies and raising standards
• Experience working collaboratively across multiple schools or phases
• The ability to inspire, mentor and develop current and aspiring school leaders
• A deep commitment to inclusion, equity and improving outcomes for all pupils

If you are a visionary leader with the passion, integrity and expertise to inspire others and shape the future of our Trust, we would be delighted to hear from you.

Closing Date for applications: Monday 15 June at 9.00am

Interview Date: Wednesday 8 July (and Thursday 16 July for successful applicants)

Applications must be submitted via MyNewTerm. For further information please see our candidate information pack.

AET is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Appointment to a post with AET is subject to a satisfactory enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check, as well as other pre-appointment checks including an online check, as outlined in Keeping Children Safe in Education.

Our aim is to build on our proven track records of maintaining exceptional standards and driving continuous school improvement. We are building a collaborative partnership of schools which will provide an exceptional educational experience, both within and outside the classroom, by promoting excellence and stretching challenge.

We are committed to the aim of ensuring that everyone who applies to work for us receives fair treatment and we positively encourage applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates regardless of age, disability, race, sex, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, religion or belief, marriage and civil partnership and caring status. We expect all our staff to demonstrate a commitment to advancing equality of opportunity and fostering good relations.