Chief Finance and Operations Officer; CFOO

Chief Finance and Operations Officer (CFOO)

Job title and organisation: Chief Finance and Operations Officer (CFOO) - Lighthouse Education Trust
Salary: Circa £70,000
Hours: Full Time
Contract: Permanent
Location: Lighthouse Education Trust
Closing Date and Time: Monday 23 February at 9 AM

Lighthouse Education Trust is a new and growing Multi Academy Trust with a clear vision: to deliver excellent educational outcomes through strong leadership, robust systems and sustainable growth. We are seeking an exceptional Chief Financial & Operating Officer (CFOO) to play a pivotal role in shaping the future of our Trust.

As a key member of the Executive Team, the CFOO will provide strategic leadership across finance and operations, building and embedding the infrastructure required to support both immediate priorities and long-term expansion. This is a rare opportunity to help establish a MAT from its early stages and to design systems, processes and governance that will scale effectively as new schools join the Trust.

The Trust is initially formed by our founder school,
Lighthouse Leeds
, with a second school,
Lighthouse Harrogate
, opening in 2026.

The CFOO will:

• Provide expert financial stewardship, ensuring strong budgeting, forecasting, reporting and value for money
• Lead all operational functions, including finance, HR, estates, IT, compliance and risk
• Establish and embed robust governance, policies and procedures aligned with statutory and regulatory requirements
• Develop scalable systems and structures to support sustainable growth
• Work closely with the CEO, Trustees and school leaders to enable excellent educational outcomes
• Ensure the Trust is resilient, efficient, compliant and well-prepared for expansion

We are looking for a strategic, values-driven leader who:

• Has significant senior experience in finance and operations, ideally within education, the public sector or a complex organisation
• Brings strong commercial acumen alongside a commitment to public service and education
• Is confident building systems and structures in a growing organisation
• Has excellent leadership, communication and stakeholder-management skills
• Is motivated by the opportunity to shape and grow a mission-led Trust from an early stage

• A unique opportunity to help shape a new MAT at a formative stage
• The chance to work closely with a committed Executive Team and Trustees
• Meaningful work that directly supports schools and improves life chances for children and young people

Lighthouse School Leeds is a ‘Good’ school with aspirations to be ‘Outstanding’ in the near future. We are a happy and vibrant community, where young autistic people learn, flourish and thrive. Currently, we have 104 students on roll aged 11 to 19 years. Students study a range KS3, Level 1,2, 3 qualifications, including BTECs and GCSEs.

The trust has recently been appointed to open Lighthouse School Harrogate which will accommodate 80 autistic students aged 11-19 years.

This role comes with full training, induction and a range of benefits:

• Salary paid across 12 equal monthly instalments, and an increase each September (subject to Trustee approval and the finances of the school).
• Mental health and wellbeing at the heart of everything we do - our staff say they feel supported by the Senior Leadership Team and our Mental Health First Aider Team.
• Access to a range of free health care services including, Employee Assistance Programme offering free counselling (general/menopause), physiotherapy, 24/7 GP service, stress coaching, nurse support services, financial wellbeing coaching, surgical assistance programme, free flu vaccinations, and eye tests for VDU users. See here for more information.
• Up to date autism specific training
  , including person centred approaches, positive behaviour support strategies and understanding communication from our Speech and Language Therapists and our training and Wellbeing Teams.
• Continuous Professional Development including access to coaching, mentoring and supervision, as well as e-learning and online training courses.

If you’re ready to play a key role in shaping the future of…