Head of Finance

The Opportunity - Head of Finance

St George’s School is seeking a dynamic and agile individual to lead and manage the delivery of our financial operations. This is an exciting opportunity for a candidate to join an amazing school and accelerate our financial transformation.

As we progress through the delivery of our strategic priorities for 2025-2030, it is the perfect time to join us and help drive the next stage of our school’s development. Our current focus is the development of improved financial management information and forecasting, the implementation of new finance systems and use of technology, and the simplification of processes to streamline our business operations.

Reporting to the Chief Operating Officer (COO), and working closely with senior leaders across the school, the role requires someone with a proven track record in finance management and the delivery of new systems. The role may suit someone with direct school experience seeking a new environment, or a skilled professional from another sector motivated to bring their expertise to our specific context. This is a key post on the school’s Operations Leadership Team, with overall accountability for the effective and efficient operation of the finance team.

We are looking for someone who enjoys working with multiple stakeholders and is excited by the opportunity to help a hard-working team grow and develop. You will therefore need core skills across budgeting, forecasting, reporting, systems, compliance, and decision support. All underpinned with a leadership approach that inspires confidence, builds team capability, and fosters support with challenge.

St George’s is a successful school, with supportive staff and an ethos to bring the best. This role offers the chance to have a direct impact on the lives of young people within a fantastic school community. We bring commercial thinking to how we go about things, and recognise a great finance team is at the core of that. If you want to work in an environment that values new ideas, and are ready to lead on the development and roll-out of new ways of working, we strongly encourage you to apply to join our team.

Overall Purpose

To lead and manage the operational delivery of the school’s financial operations, delivering accurate, reliable and timely financial information to underpin delivery of the school’s overall strategic priorities. The role includes the financial operations of both the Academy Trust and the Foundation Company.

The role will partner with the Chief Operating Officer (who is the school’s Chief Financial Officer) and members of the Operations Leadership Team and wider teaching staff to develop financial strategies to ensure the school’s continued financial health and sustainability.

A key part of the role will be the procurement and implementation of new finance systems, alongside process simplification, to modernise and enhance the school’s financial reporting, cost control, forecasting, budgeting, and ways of working across teams.

The role will directly line manage the Finance Manager and holds overall accountability for the operational performance, development and structure of the wider finance team.

About the Role

Contract: Permanent, Full-time

Grade: M3

Salary: Full-time Equivalent Salary from £53,051 to £56,293 per annum, plus annual outer fringe allowance of £753

Hours: 37 hours per week, 52 weeks per year

Start Date: As soon as possible - subject to satisfactory pre-employment checks

Work Location: Fully on site at St George’s School, Harpenden, AL5 4TD

This is a permanent, full-time position. However, the school is open to considering alternative working arrangements, including part-time hours or annualised hours arrangements, for the right candidate. Consideration may also be given to a fixed term appointment in exceptional circumstances, subject to operational requirements and agreement.

If you would like to discuss the flexibility of the role or explore alternative working arrangements, please contact the Recruitment team at recruitment@stgeorges.herts.sch.uk to arrange a confidential conversation with the COO.

Please refer to the enclosed Application Pack and Job Description for details of the role. In addition, please read the Working at St George's School document carefully, as it contains important information about the application and recruitment process.

Selection Process

• Application deadline: 7 December 2026 at 8:00 am
• Shortlisted candidates will be contacted for interview arrangement before 18 December 2026
• Interview Dates: Early January 2027

Applications will be shortlisted throughout the process and we may interview and close the advert early if we are in a position to recruit a suitable candidate. We therefore encourage interested candidates to apply early.

Shortlisted candidates will be invited to attend a face-to-face interview in our school: St George’s School, Sun Lane, Harpenden, Hertfordshire, AL5 4TD. In addition, candidates will be required to complete other tasks specific to the job role.

We can offer

• Additional training and support
• Ongoing professional development
• Free Lunch on working days
• Free parking on school site
• Generous pension scheme
• Use of the school’s fitness suite/Gym
• Staff Wellbeing Programme
• Employee Assistance Programme
• As a permanent member of staff you benefit from the application being favourably ranked if you apply for a day admission place for your child at St George’s school, subject to meeting the requirements of our published Admissions Criteria and Policy

Why St George's?

Established in 1907, St. George’s is a non-selective day and boarding school, judged Outstanding in all 5 areas.

St George’s is a unique place to work. It is the perfect blend of high quality, innovative teaching and a community that cares.

We have a highly supportive pastoral system, as well as a residential state boarding community. Our school is dedicated to its Christian principles and strong commitment to the values of mutual respect, endeavour and community. We hold on to our traditions and embrace the future with equal relish.

St George’s is a consistently high-performing school and rated Outstanding by Ofsted. We are driven by our passion to provide the best learning and life experiences we can for the pupils entrusted to our care.

Our Committment to Safeguarding

At St George’s, we are committed to safeguarding to ensure that all of our students are safe and are well cared for. Safeguarding includes our commitment to safe recruitment of staff, security around the building, child protection, anti-bullying, online safety, equality, PREVENT Duty and many other areas. We make sure all policies under the safeguarding umbrella are reviewed regularly. The school’s child protection procedures are in accordance with the Hertfordshire Child Protection Policy and can be found in the School Website: ‘Statutory Information’ section.

Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Check

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expects all staff and visitors to share this commitment. This post is classed as having a high degree of contact with children or vulnerable adults and is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. The postholder will be involved in regulated activity. A Full Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Check with children’s barred list information will be required, as part of the school’s pre-employment checks.

Criminal-record self-declaration

Shortlisted candidates will be asked to complete a criminal-record self-declaration, limited to information the school is lawfully entitled to request, prior to attending the interview.

Identity and Right to work in UK

Shortlisted candidates will be asked to provide proof of their identity on the day of interview. In addition, we require you to provide evidence of your right to work in the UK in accordance with the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006. Please note that we are unfortunately unable to provide sponsorships.

Online Searches

As part of our selection and appointment process, we conduct online searches regarding shortlisted candidates in accordance with Keeping Children Safe in Education guidance, in order to identify any incidents or concerns which are publicly available online. By submitting and signing your application, you acknowledge that such searches will be conducted as part of the recruitment process.