Chief Financial & Operations Officer (CFOO)
Salary: Competitive (six-figure package)
Location: Sutton
Orchard Hill College Academy Trust (OHCAT) is a family of specialist academies supporting pupils with special educational needs and disabilities across London, Surrey, Sussex and Berkshire. The Trust operates 13 special schools, alongside integrated support services including therapy and nursing, and a central team covering HR, Finance, IT and Estates.
Orchard Hill College Academy Trust (OHCAT) was established under the sponsorship of Orchard Hill College (OHC), a specialist further education provider with a long-standing reputation for excellence in supporting learners with severe, profound, and complex needs. This founding relationship has shaped the Trust’s development from the outset, embedding a shared commitment to high-quality provision, specialist expertise, and a deep understanding of how to support some of the most vulnerable young people in the education system.
Since its inception, OHCAT has grown into a significant Multi-Academy Trust serving over 2,000 learners with special educational needs and disabilities across London, Surrey, Sussex, and Berkshire. Pupils present with a wide range of needs, including autism, speech, language and communication difficulties, social, emotional and mental health needs, and complex physical and learning disabilities.
As both organisations have matured and expanded, governance and leadership arrangements are evolving to reflect their respective scale and ambitions, with a move toward dedicated executive leadership for each, underpinned by a formal partnership agreement that will sustain the collaboration, shared learning, and mutual support that have defined their relationship.
We are now seeking an outstanding Chief Financial & Operations Officer (CFOO) to join the Executive Senior Leadership Team and play a central part in shaping a resilient, efficient, and future-focused organisation, ensuring that the environments, systems and resources underpinning the Trust enable the very best outcomes for learners with SEND.
The CFOO is the Trust’s most senior leader for finance and operations, with responsibility spanning finance, IT, estates, facilities, procurement, risk, and business continuity.
This is a broad, high-accountability role requiring a qualified accountant with the operational breadth and strategic confidence to lead OHCAT’s infrastructure through a period of significant transformation and governance separation. With a combined turnover of approximately £100m, a portfolio of live capital projects including a Free School development, and a diverse estate ranging from state-of-the-art specialist facilities to sites requiring medium-to-long-term investment, the CFOO must be equally at home in the Board room and on site.
The CFOO will be a trusted advisor to the CEO and Trustees, providing financial rigur, commercial judgement, and operational foresight to support effective decision-making and organisational stewardship.
This is a rare opportunity to take on a strategically critical role in a purpose-driven organisation, where everything you do ultimately supports life-changing education.
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