Job ID: S-U-4752 - Head of Finance Business Partnering

Drive financial strategy. Enable better outcomes. Join Creative Education Trust as our Head of Finance Business Partnering and work at the heart of decision-making – leading financial planning, analysis, and business partnering across our schools while supporting the Chief Financial Officer to shape the Trust’s future. Job Title: Head of Finance Business PartneringLocation: Home based, with regular trust-wide travel with occasional overnight stays as required.Salary: CompetitiveStart Date: ASAPContract Type: PermanentWorking Pattern: Full timeApplication Closing Date: Wednesday 24th June 2026Interview Date: Week Commencing 29th June 2026 About You:Creative Education Trust is seeking an exceptional Head of Finance Business Partnering to lead the delivery and continuous development of a high-quality, insight-driven finance function across the Trust. In this pivotal role, you will work in close partnership with the Chief Financial Officer to shape and deliver financial strategy – leading on management accounts, financial planning, budgeting, forecasting, and the evolution of Integrated Curriculum and Financial Planning (ICFP). With a clear focus on enabling the Trust’s strategic priorities, you will ensure financial processes, systems, and analysis drive efficiency, innovation, and impact across our schools.Through expert financial analysis and business partnering, you will empower the Executive Team and school leaders to make informed, data-driven decisions, while leading and developing a team of Senior Finance Business Partners. You will play a key role in strengthening financial management, improving reporting and benchmarking, and embedding best practice across the Trust – fostering a culture of continuous improvement and high performance. This is a career-defining opportunity to combine strategic leadership with operational excellence, delivering meaningful impact for our schools and the communities they serve. Our Ideal candidate will have:Professional Expertise: Professionally qualified accountant (ACCA, CIMA, ICAEW, CIPFA or equivalent) with substantial post‑qualification experience and a track record of delivering high-quality financial leadership.Complex Financial Reporting: Proven experience producing and presenting consolidated management accounts within complex, multi-site or decentralised organisations.Insight-Driven Decision Making: Strong background in developing clear, actionable financial analysis that supports stakeholder outcomes and strategic decision-making.People Leadership: Experienced in leading, motivating, and developing high-performing teams – building capability through coaching, training, and support.Sector Knowledge: Solid understanding of academy financial regulations, with a strong grasp of how multi-academy trusts and schools operate.Service Excellence: A customer-focused mindset, with a demonstrable ability to improve services, streamline processes, and add value across an organisation.Strategic Communication: An excellent communicator, able to translate complex financial data into clear, meaningful insights for a wide range of stakeholders.Relationship Building: Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to build trusted, collaborative relationships across senior leaders and school teams.Continuous Improvement: A proactive mindset with a passion for refining processes, driving efficiencies, and embedding best practice across a finance function. About the Finance Department:The Finance Department is a collective of over 20 finance professionals and play a pivotal role in strengthening Creative Education Trust’s ability to deliver exceptional opportunities for young people. As a strategic partner to schools, central teams and the Executive Board, the department provides the insight, leadership and financial stewardship that ensure resources are used wisely and aligned with