At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead financial planning, analysis, and business partnering across schools while supporting the CFO.
- Company: Join Creative Education Trust, focused on delivering high-quality education through effective financial management.
- Benefits: Career-defining opportunity to impact schools and communities with a focus on continuous improvement.
- Other info: Experience in multi-site organisations and understanding of academy financial regulations is essential.
- Why this job: Shape financial strategy and empower decision-making at the heart of educational leadership.
- Qualifications: Professionally qualified accountant with substantial post-qualification experience in financial leadership.
The predicted salary is between 60000 - 70089 £ per year.
Drive financial strategy. Enable better outcomes. Join Creative Education Trust as our Head of Finance Business Partnering and work at the heart of decision‑making - leading financial planning, analysis, and business partnering across our schools while supporting the Chief Financial Officer to shape the Trust’s future.
About You
Creative Education Trust is seeking an exceptional Head of Finance Business Partnering to lead the delivery and continuous development of a high‑quality, insight‑driven finance function across the Trust. In this pivotal role, you will work in close partnership with the Chief Financial Officer to shape and deliver financial strategy - leading on management accounts, financial planning, budgeting, forecasting, and the evolution of Integrated Curriculum and Financial Planning (ICFP). With a clear focus on enabling the Trust’s strategic priorities, you will ensure financial processes, systems, and analysis drive efficiency, innovation, and impact across our schools.
Through expert financial analysis and business partnering, you will empower the Executive Team and school leaders to make informed, data‑driven decisions, while leading and developing a team of Senior Finance Business Partners. You will play a key role in strengthening financial management, improving reporting and benchmarking, and embedding best practice across the Trust - fostering a culture of continuous improvement and high performance. This is a career‑defining opportunity to combine strategic leadership with operational excellence, delivering meaningful impact for our schools and the communities they serve.
Our Ideal Candidate Will Have
- Professional Expertise: Professionally qualified accountant (ACCA, CIMA, ICAEW, CIPFA or equivalent) with substantial post‑qualification experience and a track record of delivering high‑quality financial leadership.
- Complex Financial Reporting: Proven experience producing and presenting consolidated management accounts within complex, multi‑site or decentralised organisations.
- Insight‑Driven Decision Making: Strong background in developing clear, actionable financial analysis that supports stakeholder outcomes and strategic decision‑making.
- People Leadership: Experienced in leading, motivating, and developing high‑performing teams - building capability through coaching, training, and support.
- Sector Knowledge: Solid understanding of academy financial regulations, with a strong grasp of how multi‑academy trusts and schools operate.
- Service Excellence: A customer‑focused mindset, with a demonstrable ability to improve services, streamline processes, and add value across an organisation.
- Strategic Communication: An excellent communicator, able to translate complex financial data into clear, meaningful insights for a wide range of stakeholders.
- Relationship Building: Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to build trusted, collaborative relationships across senior leaders and school teams.
- Continuous Improvement: A proactive mindset with a passion for refining processes, driving efficiencies, and embedding best practice across a finance function.
Head of Finance Business Partnering in City of Westminster employer: Creative Education Trust
Creative Education Trust is dedicated to enhancing educational outcomes through strategic financial management. Located in the UK, the Trust fosters a culture of continuous improvement and high performance. Join a team committed to empowering school leaders with actionable financial insights.
