Location: Central Trust Office (Wimborne/Dorset Area)
Salary: £100,000 - £115,000 per annum
Contract: Full-Time, 37 hours per week, all year round
Reporting to: CEO
Following internal staff changes, we have created a brand new role for a dynamic and experienced Chief Finance and Operations Officer (CFOO) to deliver on our ambitious plans.
This is a key Executive role in an established, high performing Trust with a clear sense of direction and purpose. You will be responsible for leading functions including finance, estates, ICT, compliance and risk, and procurement, ensuring each is forward thinking, responsive and strategically aligned with our Trust's mission and values.
In our Trust, we see our central teams as an extension of our school leadership teams, true partners in the work of school and business improvement. Our role is to empower our heads and their teams to be the very best they can be. We are committed to building capacity through thoughtful, well-designed and proactive support that removes barriers, enabling leaders to focus their energy where it matters most: on teaching and learning and nurturing every child to flourish. For these reasons, we expect you to get to know our schools well so you can help them achieve the very best in financial performance.
You will inherit finance and IT shared services that have recently undergone organisational change. You will help shape the next phase to ensure all functions provide high-quality support, embed excellence, and grow a culture of professional trust.
You will bring strong academy trust experience, alongside a proven ability to lead impactful business operations and build high performing teams. Most importantly, you will share our ambition to be dynamic and forward thinking in all areas of our work, shaping a Trust that is continually learning, developing and delivering for its schools and communities.
If you are excited by this challenge and ready to make a meaningful contribution, we would love to hear from you.
Please refer to the attached recruitment pack & job description for further details about this opportunity and full details about the role and requirements.
To arrange a confidential conversation, please contact [email protected] to speak with the Interim CEO.
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Application Deadline: 14th June 2026 (midnight)
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Shortlisting: 15th June
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Interviews Scheduled: Wednesday 1st July
Initio Learning Trust provides:
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A supportive and welcoming environment with a genuine commitment to professional development.
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A flexible, equal opportunities workplace.
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Access to the local government or teachers pension scheme.
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Employee benefits including a Health Cash Plan and Cycle to Work scheme.
Initio Learning Trust comprises 17 schools across Dorset, with our head office based in Wimborne. Formed in February 2022 from the merger of The Minerva Learning Trust and Wimborne Academy Trust, we offer outstanding education through every stage of schooling, from nursery through to upper sixth form. We believe in enabling every person to thrive within their role, and our core values of Ambition, Collaboration and Respect underpin the pride we take in offering genuine professional development opportunities for all our staff; and in our focus on staff wellbeing.
