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- Tasks: Lead financial strategy and governance for a network of schools, ensuring sustainability and growth.
- Company: Creative Education Trust, dedicated to transforming lives through education.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, home-based work with travel, and opportunities for professional development.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on education by shaping financial decisions that empower students and communities.
- Qualifications: Extensive financial expertise and leadership experience in multi-site operations.
- Other info: Join a dynamic team committed to equity and excellence in education.
The predicted salary is between 80000 - 100000 ÂŁ per year.
Creative Education Trust invites you to apply for the role of Chief Financial Officer - a pivotal leadership position shaping our trustâwide financial strategy, governance and longâterm sustainability. This is a unique opportunity to lead our financial direction, champion equity and ensure the strong stewardship that enables ambition to thrive for every pupil, colleague and community we serve.
Location: Home-based with significant trustâwide travel
Salary: Competitive, commensurate with experience
Start Date: September 2026
Contract Type: Permanent
Working Pattern: Full-time
Application Closing Date: Monday 20th April 2026
Interview Dates: w.c. 27th April (1st Round at The Wrenn School, Wellingborough and 2nd Round at The Milton Keynes Academy, Milton Keynes)
Role Overview
Creative Education Trust is appointing a bold, strategic and forwardâlooking Chief Financial Officer. As a core member of the Executive Team, the position carries significant influence, shaping decisions that underpin the success and resilience of every Creative Education Trust school. The Chief Financial Officer will be responsible for developing and delivering a confident, futureâfocused multiâyear financial strategy aligned to the Trust's ambitions. The role oversees all financial planning, reporting and compliance, ensuring robust governance and full adherence to statutory and regulatory requirements. It leads the continuous improvement of financial systems and processes, driving digital transformation and embedding strong financial controls across all academies.
This role provides strategic insight and highâquality analysis to inform Executive and Board decisionâmaking. It ensures resources are allocated effectively, risks are wellâmanaged, and the Trust can invest in growth, improvement and longâterm impact. The Chief Financial Officer will set high standards for financial discipline, transparency and accountability, building capability within the finance team and supporting leaders throughout the organisation.
About You
Reporting directly to our CEO, Nicole McCartney, the successful postholder will bring substantial postâqualification, multiâsite experience, deep financial expertise and the authority to lead complex operations with clarity, conviction and purpose. Your strategic judgement and principled stewardship will strengthen the Trust's financial resilience and unlock the capacity to invest where it matters most. Through bold financial leadership, efficient use of resources and an unwavering commitment to excellence, you will empower Creative Education Trust to invest ambitiously in its people, its schools and the students at the centre of its mission. Your leadership will combine analytical precision with strong people management, enabling you to influence with confidence from Board level to inâschool teams, fostering collaboration, trust and a shared drive for continuous improvement across the organisation.
Our Ideal Candidate Will Have
- Strategic financial leadership: Experience leading multiâyear planning, scenario modelling and investment decisions that secure the Trust's longâterm sustainability and resilience.
- Regulatory authority: Bringing deep, authoritative knowledge of the Academy Trust Handbook, Academies Accounts Direction, Companies Act and Charity Commission guidance, ensuring expert direction and full compliance across the trust.
- Executive influence: The ability to communicate complex financial information with clarity and impact, shaping strategic decisions and inspiring confidence at Board, Executive and school level.
- Leadership excellence: Develop highâperforming teams, modelling professionalism, ambition and a culture of continuous improvement and strong financial governance.
- Technical mastery: Combining advanced financial management skills with systems thinking, strengthening controls, driving digital transformation and embedding efficient, dataâled processes across the Trust.
- Insightâdriven decisionâmaking: Utilising data, modelling and financial analysis to guide priorities, monitor performance and enable informed, timely and effective decisionâmaking.
- Championing sustainability and assurance: Ensuring resources are deployed wisely and transparently, advocating for accountability, longâterm value and opportunities that maximise ambition, equity and student impact.
- Proactive risk and assurance leadership: Taking a forwardâthinking approach to risk management, procurement and due diligence, safeguarding the Trust's integrity, resilience and longâterm success.
About the Finance Department
The Finance Department is a collective of over 20 finance professionals and play a pivotal role in strengthening Creative Education Trust's ability to deliver exceptional opportunities for young people. As a strategic partner to schools, central teams and the Executive Board, the department provides the insight, leadership and financial stewardship that ensure resources are used wisely and aligned with the Trust's ambition for improvement and longâterm sustainability. The Team's work enables confident decisionâmaking and ensures every financial choice supports the mission to improve life chances across all communities we serve.
Alongside its strategic leadership, the department maintains the robust financial operations that underpin the Trust's resilience and effectiveness. From planning and reporting to the vital Accounts Payable and Receivable functions, the team ensures highâquality, timely and transparent processes that uphold strong financial governance and support colleagues and partners with professionalism and reliability. Together, this purposeful approach empowers Creative Education Trust to operate with clarity, integrity and ambition - ensuring resources reach the classrooms and students where they make the greatest difference.
About Creative Education Trust
Creative Education Trust is a growing network of 17 schools, educating over 13,500 children and young people across England. Since 2010, we've worked in partnership with communities to deliver an education that inspires ambition, promotes equity, and unlocks opportunity for every learner. We believe every child has talent, every community has strength, and every school can be a place where excellence thrives. Our curriculum is rich, broad, and inclusive - designed to build knowledge, nurture creativity, and prepare students for the future. We are united by a shared purpose: to transform lives through education. Our schools are places where students feel safe, supported, and empowered to lead their own lives with confidence. Through collaboration, high expectations, and purposeful leadership, we ensure that success is both expected and achieved - together.
Commitments
Creative Education Trust (CET) is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of our children and young people by keeping them safe, and we expect all our colleagues to share in this responsibility. All shortlisted candidates are subject to online checks prior to interview. The CET Recruitment Policy follows the guidance set out by Keeping Children Safe in Education, where all offers of employment are subject to an Enhanced DBS Check, separate Barred List Check, References and where appropriate a Prohibition from teaching search. This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (ROA) 1974. CET is committed to developing, maintaining, and supporting an inclusive culture and environment for the benefit of its employees and the communities it serves.
Chief Financial Officer in Milton Keynes employer: Creative Education Trust
Contact Detail:
Creative Education Trust Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice đ¤Ť
We think this is how you could land Chief Financial Officer in Milton Keynes
â¨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to your connections in the education sector and let them know you're on the hunt for a CFO role. You never know who might have the inside scoop on opportunities or can put in a good word for you.
â¨Tip Number 2
Prepare for those interviews! Research Creative Education Trust thoroughly, understand their financial strategies, and be ready to discuss how your experience aligns with their goals. Show them youâre not just another candidate, but the one they need.
â¨Tip Number 3
Practice your pitch! Youâll want to communicate your financial expertise clearly and confidently. Think about how you can convey complex information simply, as this will resonate well with the Board and Executive team.
â¨Tip Number 4
Donât forget to apply through our website! Itâs the best way to ensure your application gets noticed. Plus, it shows youâre genuinely interested in being part of the Creative Education Trust family.
We think you need these skills to ace Chief Financial Officer in Milton Keynes
Some tips for your application đŤĄ
Show Your Strategic Side: When writing your application, make sure to highlight your experience in strategic financial leadership. We want to see how you've successfully led multi-year planning and investment decisions that align with long-term sustainability.
Be Clear and Impactful: Communicate your financial expertise clearly. Use straightforward language to explain complex financial concepts, as this will demonstrate your ability to influence decisions at all levels, from the Board to school teams.
Emphasise Compliance Knowledge: Donât forget to showcase your deep understanding of regulatory frameworks like the Academy Trust Handbook and Companies Act. This is crucial for ensuring compliance across the Trust, so let us know how youâve navigated these areas in your past roles.
Tailor Your Application: Make your application personal and relevant to Creative Education Trust. Research our mission and values, and reflect them in your writing. Remember, applying through our website is the best way to ensure your application gets noticed!
How to prepare for a job interview at Creative Education Trust
â¨Know Your Numbers
As a Chief Financial Officer, youâll need to demonstrate your deep financial expertise. Brush up on key financial metrics and be ready to discuss how you've used data to drive strategic decisions in previous roles. This will show your analytical precision and ability to influence at the executive level.
â¨Master the Regulations
Familiarise yourself with the Academy Trust Handbook and other relevant regulations. Be prepared to discuss how youâve ensured compliance in past positions. This will highlight your regulatory authority and commitment to strong governance, which is crucial for the role.
â¨Showcase Leadership Skills
Think of examples where youâve developed high-performing teams or fostered a culture of continuous improvement. Be ready to share how youâve influenced others and built trust within your organisation. This will demonstrate your leadership excellence and ability to inspire confidence.
â¨Prepare Insightful Questions
Come equipped with thoughtful questions about the Trustâs financial strategy and future goals. This shows your genuine interest in the role and helps you assess if the Trust aligns with your values. It also reflects your proactive approach to risk management and assurance leadership.