Chief Finance & Operations Officer

This is more than a finance role; it's the chance to influence the future direction of the Trust, ensuring resources and people are aligned to strategic objectives. Beyond every spreadsheet and operational decision is a child whose future we are helping to shape, and our new CFOO needs to be committed to that mission. Leading at scale across our trust, you will play a pivotal role in shaping and overseeing the financial sustainability and operational effectiveness of our business services, with a portfolio including finance, estates, HR, IT and data protection. Statutory and regulatory compliance is a key part of this role, requiring in-depth knowledge and rigorous attention to detail. As a fully qualified accountant with a strong track record of strategic and operational leadership at senior level, you will have commercial acumen, sound judgement and embody the JTMAT values. With excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to gain credibility and influence others, you will be a
strategic and creative thinker, whilst also being hands-on to translate that into action. Supported by a reporting line of committed and capable directors of functions, you will be joining a friendly and professional team who work hard. You will be stepping into a role with strong foundations already in place and the opportunity to build on this success. If you're ambitious and looking for the next step in your career and want to make a significant contribution to our future, we would be delighted to receive your application. Location: Rugeley John Taylor School (Hybrid working: Minimum of 3 days per week on site). Please note this role requires attendance at evening meetings throughout the year. This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (2013 and 2020). This means that certain convictions and cautions are considered 'protected' and do not need to be disclosed to employers, and if they are disclosed, employers cannot
take them into account. Guidance about whether a conviction or caution should be disclosed can be found on the Ministry of Justice website: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/new-guidance-on-the-rehabilitation-of-offenders-act-1974 Please note if you are shortlisted, an online search will be carried out before interview which may identify any incidents or issues that have happened, and are publicly available online, which we might want to explore with you at interview. Please review our Privacy Notice for Job Applicants for the lawful basis for processing and retention. John Taylor MAT is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people/vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Pre-employment checks include an enhanced disclosure and barring service check as a requirement of this post. Our Safeguarding Policy is available on our website, and we encourage applicants to review it before
applying. Please review our Recruitment Pack on the school website before submitting your application. John Taylor MAT are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. John Taylor MAT ensure that all our recruitment and selection practices reflect this commitment.

We have a passion for excellence demonstrated by a broad curriculum and high-quality leadership. We work hard to create collaboration across the Trust, and the Central Team reside in one of our schools, to remain grounded in school life. We have a strong track record of governance and health and safety, and our schools and Trust enjoy a healthy and stable financial position; we look to the future with anticipation of further growth and to support those schools already in our family by working together and adding value.

Thank you for your interest in John Taylor MAT - we hope the information here will outline what it means to work with us.

The Trust was founded in 2014, in John Taylor High School - an outstanding secondary school in Barton-Under-Needwood, and the first in Staffordshire to convert to become an Academy. We have grown steadily over time and currently serve 13 infant/primary schools, and 6 secondary schools.

In addition, the Staffordshire Research School and John Taylor Teaching School Hub are also key parts of our Trust, having gained a reputation for delivering outstanding professional development and support for teachers across a wide ranging offer.

The mission for the Trust is "We believe in the power of education to improve lives - and the world." We are driven to ensure our communities can realise their true potential through learning. This is our mission. We provide experiences, resources, structures, and systems to enable all to engage, all to progress, all to achieve.