Director of Finance/ Chief Financial Officer

About The Quill C of E Trust The Quill C of E Trust is a family of primary schools serving communities across Bolton. Guided by our vision of enlightening, empowering, and evolving generations through education, we are committed to improving the life chances of every child through exceptional education, strong relationships, and a culture of continuous improvement. Our values of Excellence, Leadership, Evolution, Family, Love and Resilience are at the heart of everything we do. As a fully centralised Trust, we have created strong systems and high-quality support services that allow school leaders to focus on what matters most: children. We are proud of our collaborative culture where schools work together, expertise is shared and people are genuinely supported to succeed. We are ambitious for our future, but equally proud of the positive and supportive environment we have created today. Our Trust combines professional challenge with a strong commitment to wellbeing, work-life balance, and family-friendly working practices. We believe that people perform at their best when they feel supported, trusted and valued. Whilst we are ambitious for our schools and communities, we are equally committed to creating a healthy and sustainable working culture. Flexible and hybrid working arrangements are already established within our central team, and we actively promote a positive work-life balance. We are proud of a culture where high performance is achieved through collaboration, effective systems and mutual support, rather than an expectation of long working hours. A Strong Foundation for the Future Our Trust is proud of its strong financial foundations. Through effective financial leadership and careful strategic planning, the Trust has maintained a healthy financial position and reserves that are significantly stronger than many organisations of a similar size. This provides a secure platform from which the successful candidate can help shape future investment decisions and drive the next phase of the Trust's development. About the role Are you an ambitious and strategic finance leader who wants to make a genuine difference while helping shape the future of a successful and values-led organisation? Due to the retirement of our highly respected and long-serving Director of Finance, an exciting opportunity has arisen to join The Quill C of E Trust as a key member of our Executive Team. Following many years of dedicated service, our current Director of Finance leaves behind a strong, well-established finance function and an experienced central team. This provides an exceptional platform for the successful candidate to build upon, bringing fresh ideas and strategic leadership while helping to shape the next chapter of the Trust's journey. This is much more than a traditional finance leadership role. As Director of Finance, you will play a pivotal role in shaping the strategic direction of the Trust, influencing decision-making at the highest level, and ensuring our long-term financial sustainability. As we continue to strengthen and develop our organisation, you will work closely with the Chief Executive Officer, Trustees and senior leaders, providing expert financial leadership and contributing to the future success of the Trust. Unlike many larger organisations, this role offers genuine visibility, influence, and collaboration. You will have a respected voice around the Executive Team table, helping to shape strategic priorities and ensuring resources are used effectively to maximise opportunities and outcomes for children. Leading an established and experienced central finance team, you will oversee all aspects of financial management including strategic financial planning, budgeting, forecasting, statutory reporting, audit, treasury management, and regulatory compliance. You will also play a key role in identifying opportunities for innovation, efficiency, and continuous improvement across the Trust. The Quill C of E Trust offers a unique opportunity: we are large enough to provide stability, high-quality systems, and professional challenge, yet small enough for your expertise, ideas, and leadership to have a visible and lasting impact on our future direction. What we are looking for We are seeking an exceptional finance leader who combines strong technical expertise with strategic vision and a commitment to making a difference. We are seeking a qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA, CIMA, CIPFA or equivalent) with significant senior leadership experience and a proven track record of delivering organisational improvement through effective financial management, governance and strategic leadership. We welcome applications from talented finance professionals across education, the public sector, industry, and professional practice. We recognise that outstanding strategic leadership, commercial acumen, and financial expertise can be developed in a variety of settings. You may already be working as a Chief Finance Officer, Director of Finance, Deputy CFO, Head of Finance or senior finance leader within education, the public sector, charity sector, professional practice or industry. You will bring a strong strategic mindset, excellent analytical and financial planning skills and significant experience in governance, audit, risk management, and regulatory compliance. You will be an exceptional communicator, able to build trusted relationships with Trustees, senior leaders, and external stakeholders, translating complex financial information into clear, practical, and actionable insights. Importantly, you will be an inspirational leader who values people as much as processes. You will be committed to developing others, fostering a positive team culture, and ensuring our central team members feel valued, supported and empowered to contribute to the continued success of the Trust. This is an outstanding opportunity to join a successful Trust with strong financial foundations, influence strategic decision-making at the highest level and play a central role in shaping the future of The Quill C of E Trust. Why Join Our Trust? We know that exceptional people have choices. We believe The Quill C of E Trust offers something genuinely distinctive: A rare opportunity to influence the future direction of a successful and ambitious Trust. A strategic executive leadership role with a direct impact on organisational decision-making. The opportunity to work alongside an experienced CEO, who is also a qualified accountant and understands the critical role finance plays in delivering organisational success. A highly collaborative Executive Team including Education, Operations and HR leaders who share a commitment to excellence and continuous improvement. A fully centralised operating model, providing strong foundations and allowing strategic leaders to focus on development rather than operational issues. A supportive, values-led culture where relationships matter and people are genuinely cared for. A strong commitment to employee wellbeing, work-life balance, and sustainable leadership. Family-friendly employment practices that recognise the importance of balancing professional and personal commitments. Flexible and hybrid working arrangements supported by a culture of trust, accountability and professional autonomy A healthy and sustainable approach to leadership where long working hours are not viewed as a measure of commitment or successAccess to the Local Government Pension SchemeOccupational sick pay scheme, providing enhanced sickness entitlement above statutory requirements.Access to discounted childcare through our partnership with our sister childcare charity. Excellent professional development opportunities and the chance to shape your own future career pathway. The opportunity to make a meaningful difference to the lives of children, families, and communities across Bolton. A culture where your expertise will be listened to, your contribution valued and your leadership genuinely influential. This is more than a finance role. It is an opportunity to become a key strategic leader within a Trust that combines ambition with compassion, professional excellence with strong values and organisational success with a relentless focus on improving children's lives. At The Quill C of E Trust, we believe great organisations are built by great people. If you are looking for a role where you can make a significant impact, help shape the future of a successful Trust and work alongside a talented, supportive, and committed team, we would be delighted to hear from you.To arrange an informal discussion, please contact the HR team at vacancies@thequillcofetrust.org.