Chief Executive Officer (CEO)- Ethos Academy Trust

Salary: Competitive (to be reviewed annually)

Contract: Full time, permanent

Location: Yorkshire with travel across the Trust’s Academies

Please note: This role requires significant travel to various school sites and should not be considered office-based. However, aspects of remote work are supported, offering flexibility where possible.

Ethos Academy Trust is seeking an ambitious, visionary, and strategically commercial thinker to lead the Trust as CEO, ensuring both strong educational outcomes for pupils and the sustainable development of the Trust. The Trust comprises five Alternative Provision Academies and a specialist Free School based in Yorkshire.

Our story began in 2018 when our three founding Kirklees schools (Ethos College, Reach Academy and Engage Academy) formed Ethos Academy Trust. Since then, the Trust has doubled the number of Academies, whilst quadrupling pupil numbers. We are a mixed community of Alternative Provisions and a Special School, operating across three Local Authorities within West and South Yorkshire. Our work extends beyond our Academies to add value to the wider system through the offer of support to other schools and associated services.

We celebrate and support the uniqueness of our academies in meeting the needs of their local communities. Our nurturing ethos, underpinned by our clear mission, vision and core values, enables our pupils, their families and our staff teams to thrive. We provide extensive support and educational opportunities for pupils with social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) and wider needs. Trust staff work in partnership with schools, parents/carers and other professionals to support and promote the educational and social inclusion of pupils.

Working closely with the Trust Board, Academy Leaders, key members of the Central Team and the wider Trust community, you will:

• Lead and oversee the efficient, effective and compliant management of the Trust and its Academies;
• Support and drive the Trust Board ambition for growth and expansion;
• Provide strong strategic and organisational leadership towards the Trust’s vision and mission in a way that aligns with the Trust core values;
• Ensure that the Trust performs in a way which provides a high-quality education and service for all its pupils and wider stakeholders through the efficient use of resources and people.

Our ideal candidate will be a dynamic, diligent, articulate, insightful, commercially astute and influential leader, with the ability to build a positive organisational culture, encourage reflection, build teams, strive for continuous improvement and inspire all staff. Dedicated to raising academic standards among young people, you will be a clear advocate and voice for young people and families in the political arena, influencing decision makers and policy setters on behalf of pupils with SEMH and wider SEND.

Your proven experience of successfully leading multidisciplinary organisations, paired with a commercially minded approach and experience of excellent strategic planning and creative delivery will ensure high performance and effectiveness across each aspect of the Trust’s operations, with the ability to provide a positive and sustainable work culture. Committed to talent management and development, you will strive for continuous improvement and act as a catalyst for achieving inclusion at all levels.

The position requires someone able to work with resilience, flexibility, and calmness in response to a changing daily environment, and the ability to operate with integrity and openness combined with a commitment to effective governance. Above all, we seek an inspirational, ambitious, and optimistic leader, who works with pride to achieve excellence and makes those around them want to do the same.

To find out more and register your interest for the role, please visit www.joinethos.co.uk. To arrange an informal, confidential discussion regarding this role, please contact Laura McGunigle at Satis Education on 07931 384683 or email Laura@satiseducation.co.uk.

The closing date for applications is: 3rd July 2026 at 9:00 am. Interviews will take place on: w/c 7th July 2026. Visits to the Trust and our schools are strongly encouraged, and should be arranged via Laura McGunigle using the contact details above.

Safeguarding Statement: Ethos Academy Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, and applicants must be willing to undergo child protection screening appropriate to the post, including an Enhanced DBS check (including Children’s Barred List) and past employment references. Applicants are required, before appointment, to disclose any conviction, caution or binding over including ‘spent convictions’ under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975.