Additional role information

Chief Financial & Operating Officer

Salary: Highly competitive for a suitably qualified and experienced candidate

Location: Worcestershire - but with travel around various academies

Job type: Permanent

Start Date: March 2023 or earlier

About us:

The Four Stones Multi Academy Trust is a family of like-minded schools based in the West Midlands. We have come a long way in a short time and are now home to three schools, over 3,500 students, a Teaching School Hub and a SCITT (School Centred Initial Teaching Training) all with differing contexts and serving different communities.

We are dedicated to improving standards and are driven to achieve excellence by living and breathing our core values of Ambition, Commitment, Creativity and Integrity. We are determined to make a positive difference to the future of our students and their families, the careers of our staff, as well as contributing to the wider community. The core purpose of the MAT is to provide excellence and opportunity for all, enabling lives to be transformed. We want all our students to access university or a high-powered alternative.

We are aware of the tasks ahead for MATs and we are hugely proud that we have the capacity- financial, operational and reputational- to grow in a successful fashion, in a way that enhances rather than detracts from, our current schools. We unapologetically spread our vision and values and also our belief in the power of an outstanding curriculum that can often transform students’ lives.

Who we are looking for:

It is a really exciting time for the MAT and this role is a unique and exciting opportunity to shape and grow a fairly new MAT that is hugely successful with the opportunity of potential for improvement, to the next level and beyond!

We are therefore seeking to recruit a highly ambitious, inspired and enthusiastic professional who will demonstrate innovation, creativity and will have an eye for success to join us in this newly created role.

The role will work closely with our CEO, and will be part of our strong, forward looking executive team and will make a significant contribution in setting the direction of strategic development across the MAT.

Our CFOO will have overall accountability for the MAT Support Teams and be responsible for all aspects of the business side of the organisation including finance, IT and premises and will ensure a cohesive approach to all strategic and operational business matters working closely with the CEO.

 You will be/have:

• A substantial and successful record in a progressive finance/business related leadership role- this might have been gained in the education or non-education sector.
• A sound demonstrable understanding of public financial requirements such as funding, compliance, legislative matters and budget planning
• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to motivate, influence and negotiate effectively.
• Demonstrable experience in being strategically influential with the ability to translate vision into success.
• Detailed knowledge of public finances, procedures, practice and regulations.
• Experience of leading successful teams preferably across multi-site organisations with a proven track record of making and implementing essential change.
• Commercially astute and have exceptional analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to make decisions based on accurate and appropriate analysis.
• ACCA, CIMA, CIPFA qualified or equivalent is desirable

Your Application:

The Four Stones MAT is fully committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff to share this commitment. As part of our requirements under Keeping Children Safe in Education pre-employment checks we will undertake. This role will involve undertaking regulated activity and therefore this position is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and an enhanced DBS will be required for the successful candidate.