Chief Finance & Operations Officer
This is a Permanent, Full Time vacancy that will close in {x} days at {xx:xx} BST.
About this Role
Location: Central Trust Office (Wimborne/Dorset Area)
Salary: £100,000 - £115,000 per annum
Contract: Full-Time, 37 hours per week, all year round
Reporting to: CEO
Following internal staff changes, we have created a brand new role for a dynamic and experienced Chief Finance and Operations Officer (CFOO) to deliver on our ambitious plans.
This is a key Executive role in an established, high performing Trust with a clear sense of direction and purpose. You will be responsible for leading functions including finance, estates, ICT, compliance and risk, and procurement, ensuring each is forward thinking, responsive and strategically aligned with our Trust's mission and values.
In our Trust, we see our central teams as an extension of our school leadership teams, true partners in the work of school and business improvement. Our role is to empower our heads and their teams to be the very best they can be. We are committed to building capacity through thoughtful, well-designed and proactive support that removes barriers, enabling leaders to focus their energy where it matters most: on teaching and learning and nurturing every child to flourish. For these reasons, we expect you to get to know our schools well so you can help them achieve the very best in financial performance.
You will inherit finance and IT shared services that have recently undergone organisational change. You will help shape the next phase to ensure all functions provide high-quality support, embed excellence, and grow a culture of professional trust.
You will bring strong academy trust experience, alongside a proven ability to lead impactful business operations and build high performing teams. Most importantly, you will share our ambition to be dynamic and forward thinking in all areas of our work, shaping a Trust that is continually learning, developing and delivering for its schools and communities.
If you are excited by this challenge and ready to make a meaningful contribution, we would love to hear from you.
Please refer to the attached recruitment pack & job description for further details about this opportunity and full details about the role and requirements.
To arrange a confidential conversation, please contact info@initiolearning.org to speak with the Interim CEO.
- Application Deadline: 14th June 2026 (midnight)
- Shortlisting: 15th June
- Interviews Scheduled: Tuesday 30th June
Initio Learning Trust provides:
- A supportive and welcoming environment with a genuine commitment to professional development.
- A flexible, equal opportunities workplace.
- Access to the local government or teachers pension scheme.
- Employee benefits including a Health Cash Plan and Cycle to Work scheme.
About Initio Learning Trust
Initio Learning Trust comprises 19 schools across Dorset, with our head office based in Wimborne. Formed in February 2023 from the merger of The Minerva Learning Trust and Wimborne Academy Trust, we offer outstanding education through every stage of schooling, from nursery through to upper sixth form. We believe in enabling every person to thrive within their role, and our core values of Ambition, Collaboration and Respect underpin the pride we take in offering genuine professional development opportunities for all our staff; and in our focus on staff wellbeing.
Working for Us
Initio Learning Trust is a Disability Confident Committed Employer and aims to provide an inclusive, barrier-free recruitment process. If you would like to discuss any changes or support you may need as part of this process, please call or email the recruiting manager (see contact details above).
Initio Learning Trust values and respects the diversity of our workforce, and encourages employees to be their unique selves. Having a diverse and inclusive workforce underpins our core values of collaboration, ambition and respect, and we welcome applications from all sectors of the community regardless of age, gender, race, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, social background, religion or belief. Applicant shortlisting is done without reference to any personal data including your name.
Applying for a job with us - other things you need to know
This role is UK based and your Right to Work will need to be verified.
Initio Learning Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.
In line with current safer recruitment guidance, we may collect further information for applicants who are shortlisted for interview including criminal record and social media checks, references and verification of qualifications.
All offers of employment are subject to an Enhanced DBS check, and, where applicable, a prohibition from teaching check will be completed for all applicants.
We are covered by the ‘Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975’, which means that we are allowed to ask all candidates to disclose both spent and unspent cautions and criminal convictions to us when applying for a vacancy (except for those which are considered ‘protected’ under the Act).
Anyone who is barred from engaging in regulated activity with children should not apply for any of our vacancies, as doing so may be an offence—which we will report to the Police.
If shortlisted for an interview you will be required to disclose cautions and criminal convictions (except for those which are considered ‘protected’ under the Act).
Please refer to this Caution and Conviction checker for guidance on what needs to be disclosed:
Caution or conviction - Check when to disclose cautions or convictions - GOV.UK
Further information can be found on the Ministry of Justice website:
Guidance on the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the Exceptions Order 1975 - GOV.UK
Fluency in English is required for all student and public-facing roles, in accordance with the “fluency duty” (Immigration Act 2016). Please refer to the Job Description for further details.
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