Director of Finance
Salary: £80,000–£100,000 depending on experience
Contract: Permanent, full-time, 52 weeks
Location: London-based, with occasional travel to other In Toto Ed sites as required
Hybrid working: Available by agreement, but regular London on-site presence is essential
About In Toto Ed
In Toto Ed is a growing group of independent specialist schools providing creative, personalised education for young people with additional needs.
We currently operate across London, Cambridge and Peterborough, and are entering an important stage of growth, development and independent school registration. We are looking for an experienced Director of Finance / CFO to join the Executive Leadership Team and help shape the next phase of the organisation.
This is a significant leadership appointment. The successful candidate will bring financial rigour, commercial insight, strong controls and clear reporting to a values-led education group with ambitious plans.
The Opportunity
We are seeking a qualified, senior finance leader who can operate at both strategic and practical levels.
You will be the principal financial adviser to the Co-Directors, Advisory Board and Finance & Risk Committee. You will lead financial strategy, budgeting, forecasting, cashflow management, audit, controls, systems, reporting and financial risk across the group.
A key part of the role will be overseeing the implementation of school-level budgets through Spendesk, ensuring effective budget ownership, purchasing controls, approval workflows, reporting and staff training.
This role would suit someone with experience as a Director of Finance, CFO, Head of Finance or senior finance leader in education, charities, independent schools, MATs, colleges, SEND/AP provision, or another regulated multi-site environment.
We are particularly interested in candidates who have improved finance functions, strengthened reporting and controls, supported organisational growth, and worked confidently with boards, governors, trustees or proprietors.
Key Priorities
The Director of Finance will be expected to:
- Build and lead a robust group finance function across In Toto Ed.
- Produce clear monthly management accounts, cashflow forecasts, budgets and board-level reports.
- Lead the implementation of school-level budgets through Spendesk, ensuring effective approval workflows, budget controls, reporting and staff training.
- Strengthen internal controls, reconciliations, purchasing processes and financial governance.
- Support the Co-Directors with business planning, expansion, investment decisions and scenario modelling.
- Lead statutory accounts, audit preparation and external finance relationships.
- Improve finance systems and workflows, including Xero, ApprovalMax, Spendesk and associated reporting tools.
- Provide financial insight into site development, staffing models, fee income, local authority contracts and long-term sustainability.
- Lead, mentor and develop a small finance team.
- Ensure the organisation’s financial systems are inspection-ready, audit-ready and able to support future growth.
Core Responsibilities: Strategic Finance and Governance
- Act as principal financial adviser to the Co-Directors, Advisory Board and Finance & Risk Committee.
- Lead strategic financial planning, forecasting and risk management across the group.
- Prepare and present high-quality financial reports for senior leaders, advisory board members and committees.
- Provide clear advice on financial sustainability, growth, investment, risk and compliance.
- Attend Advisory Board and Finance & Risk Committee meetings as required.
- Lead audit planning, statutory accounts and relationships with auditors, banks, regulators and local authorities.
Financial Management and Controls
- Take overall responsibility for group financial management and reporting.
- Ensure accurate monthly management accounts, budgets, forecasts and cashflow reporting.
- Strengthen financial controls, reconciliations, approval workflows and reporting standards.
- Oversee payroll, pensions, VAT, credit control, invoicing and supplier payments.
- Review and improve finance policies, procedures and systems.
- Ensure the finance function provides timely, accurate and useful information to decision-makers.
- Work with budget holders to embed disciplined purchasing, approval and budget-management practices.
Spendesk, Budgeting and Systems
- Lead the implementation of school-level budgets through Spendesk.
- Ensure budgets are accurately set up, monitored and reported.
- Design and embed purchasing controls, approval routes and budget-holder responsibilities.
- Train and support staff to use Spendesk appropriately and confidently.
- Ensure Spendesk works effectively alongside Xero, ApprovalMax and other finance systems.
- Use finance systems to improve transparency, reduce manual processes and strengthen financial control.
Growth, Systems and Improvement
- Develop financial models to support expansion, new sites, registration, staffing and capital planning.
- Identify opportunities to improve efficiency through automation, systems and process redesign.
- Support the Executive Leadership Team with scenario planning and financial analysis.
- Help build a finance function that is scalable, resilient and fit for a growing education group.
Team Leadership
- Lead and line-manage the Finance Assistant and Finance Apprentice.
- Provide clear direction, supervision, training and professional development.
- Build a culture of accuracy, accountability, service and continuous improvement.
- Improve financial literacy across the wider leadership team where appropriate.
About You
You will be a qualified accountant and experienced finance leader who combines technical strength with practical judgement.
You will be comfortable working in a growing organisation where systems and processes are still developing. You will be strategic enough to advise at board level, but hands-on enough to ensure the basics are done properly.
You will understand that good finance leadership in a growing education organisation is not just about reporting numbers. It is about building confidence, improving controls, supporting decision-making, protecting the organisation and enabling sustainable growth.
Essential Criteria
Candidates must be able to demonstrate:
- A recognised accountancy qualification: ACA, ACCA, CIMA or equivalent.
- Significant senior finance leadership experience.
- Experience reporting to a board, governors, trustees, proprietors or senior executive team.
- Strong technical knowledge of financial reporting, audit, controls, VAT, payroll, pensions and risk.
- Experience producing high-quality management accounts, budgets, forecasts and cashflow models.
- Experience improving finance systems, processes, reporting and controls.
- Experience leading, developing or restructuring finance teams.
- Strong communication skills, with the ability to explain complex financial information clearly.
- A hands-on, solutions-focused approach.
- Commitment to safeguarding, transparency and ethical leadership.
Highly Desirable
We are especially interested in candidates with experience in one or more of the following:
- Independent schools, MATs, colleges, SEND, SEMH or Alternative Provision.
- Charity, education or regulated-sector finance.
- Multi-site organisations.
- Organisational growth, turnaround or finance function improvement.
- Xero, ApprovalMax, Spendesk, PS Financials, Sage, Pleo, Concur, Lightyear or similar systems.
- Implementing purchasing, budget-control or expense-management systems.
- Local authority income, education contracts, school fee income or public-sector funding.
- Supporting Ofsted, ISI, DfE registration, audit or governance processes.
Please Only Apply If
This is a senior finance leadership role. Please only apply if you:
- are a qualified accountant, or have equivalent senior-level finance credentials;
- have held a Director of Finance, CFO, Head of Finance or equivalent senior finance leadership role;
- can evidence board-level or committee-level reporting;
- have experience improving financial controls, management reporting, budgeting or finance systems;
- are willing to be hands-on as well as strategic;
- can work primarily from London, with occasional travel to other In Toto Ed sites where required;
- are motivated by working in a growing, values-led education organisation.
What We Offer
- Salary of £80,000–£100,000, depending on experience.
- A senior leadership role with direct influence over organisational strategy.
- Hybrid working by agreement, with regular London on-site presence.
- The opportunity to build and shape the finance function of a growing education group.
- Pension and wellbeing benefits.
- CPD and professional development.
- MacBook provided.
- Wellbeing support through Health Assured EAP.
- Cycle to work scheme.
- Free tea and coffee.
- Free eye test.
- Access to gym facilities where available.
- A values-led, creative and ambitious working culture.
- The opportunity to play a defining role in shaping the financial future of a progressive education group.
Safeguarding
In Toto Ed is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. All staff are expected to share this commitment.
The successful applicant will be subject to an enhanced DBS check, references, identity checks, right-to-work checks and full safer recruitment vetting.
Application Screening Questions
Please answer the following questions when applying:
- Are you a qualified accountant? Please state ACA, ACCA, CIMA or equivalent.
- Have you held a Director of Finance, CFO, Head of Finance or equivalent senior finance leadership role?
- What size organisation, turnover and finance team have you previously led?
- Do you have experience in education, charity, independent schools, MATs, SEND/AP or another regulated sector?
- Give one example of a finance function, reporting process or control environment you significantly improved.
- Do you have experience implementing or improving budgeting, purchasing or expense-management systems?
- Are you able to work primarily from London, with occasional travel to Cambridge and Peterborough if required?
- What are your salary expectations?
Job Type: Full-time, Permanent
Work Location: London-based / hybrid by agreement
Salary: £80,000–£100,000 per year, depending on experience
Pay: £80,000.00-£100,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Company pension
- Cycle to work scheme
- Enhanced maternity leave
- Enhanced paternity leave
- Free parking
- On-site gym
- On-site parking
- Store discount
Application question(s):
- What size organisation, turnover and finance team have you previously led?
- Do you have experience in education, charity, independent schools, MATs, SEND/AP or another regulated sector?
- Do you have experience implementing or improving budgeting, purchasing or expense-management systems?
- Are you able to work primarily from London, with occasional travel to Cambridge and Peterborough if required?
- What are your salary expectations?
Education:
Experience:
- Head of Finance : 3 years (required)
Work authorisation:
- United Kingdom (required)
Work Location: In person
