Chief Financial Officer in Luton

St Thomas Catholic Academies Trust (STCAT) is seeking a Chief Finance Officer to lead the Trust's financial strategy and ensure long-term sustainability across our family of Catholic schools in Luton, Central Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Slough.

Location: Luton

Salary: £90,000-£110,000. Appointment above the range may be considered in exceptional circumstances, subject to further benchmarking and Board approval.

St Thomas Catholic Academies Trust (STCAT) is a multi‑academy trust serving 17 Catholic schools. We are the southern multi‑academy trust of the Diocese of Northampton, formed in 2020 following the merger of the St Alban and St Peter Catholic Academies Trusts and St Michael’s Catholic School. Our mission, “The glory of God is a human being fully alive,” shapes our work and guides our responsibility to support every child’s development academically, spiritually and personally.

As a Trust, we work across diverse communities and phases, with schools in urban and rural settings and provision from early years to secondary. Our model is built on partnership, with each school retaining its identity while contributing to collective improvement. We hold together our family of schools through shared systems, consistent expectations and collaboration, while respecting subsidiarity and local context.

The Chief Finance Officer will join us at a time of continued growth and sector challenge. The role is central to ensuring that our financial planning, resource allocation and risk management support our mission and enable our schools to remain sustainable, compliant and well‑resourced.

Who we are looking for

We are seeking a professionally qualified finance leader (ACA, ACCA, CIMA or CIPFA) with experience of leading financial strategy, reporting and control in a complex organisation. The successful candidate will bring a strong understanding of financial planning, risk management, compliance and resource allocation, and will be able to apply this across a multi‑site environment.

We are looking for someone who can work with the Chief Executive Officer, executive leadership team and Trust Board to ensure that financial decisions are grounded in accurate information and aligned to our mission. The CFO will need to interpret complex financial data, model scenarios and support leaders across the Trust to understand the financial implications of their decisions.

The role requires experience in leading teams, developing systems and managing change. The CFO will lead the central finance team and will work closely with school business managers, headteachers and local advisory committees. The ability to build strong working relationships, communicate clearly and work collaboratively across a wide range of stakeholders is essential.

We are seeking someone who can contribute to trust‑wide leadership, support organisational development and ensure that financial planning aligns with educational priorities. This includes experience of working with auditors, managing compliance, overseeing procurement and ensuring that financial controls are robust.

The CFO will need to understand the financial context of the education sector or be able to apply experience from another regulated environment. Experience in capital planning, estates finance, reserves strategy and multi‑year forecasting will be important.

While the successful candidate need not be Catholic, they must be able to support the Trust's Catholic ethos and align with our mission and values. This includes understanding the importance of our commitment to human flourishing and the role of our schools within their communities.

We are looking for someone who can bring clarity, rigour and strategic insight to our financial planning, ensuring that our schools are supported today and sustainable for the future.