Caroline Chisholm School is partnering with Robertson Bell on a retained basis to appoint a Chief Finance Officer on a permanent basis. This is a pivotal leadership role within a high-performing and ambitious organisation, offering the opportunity to shape financial strategy, lead transformation, and support the school’s evolution
Caroline Chisholm School is a high-achieving, values-led all-through school with a strong reputation for academic excellence, staff engagement, and community impact. Already operating at a scale and complexity comparable to a multi-academy trust, the organisation is entering an exciting new phase of growth, with plans to expand into primary provision and formally develop as a MAT.
This is a unique opportunity to join a forward-thinking leadership team and play a central role in driving financial sustainability, operational transformation, and long-term strategic growth.
The role
- Partner with the Principal, Trustees and Senior Leadership Team to develop and deliver a long-term financial strategy, supporting the school’s growth ambitions.
- Lead financial planning, budgeting, forecasting and reporting across a complex and evolving organisation, ensuring strong financial control and sustainability.
- Take ownership of a significant transformation agenda, including digital system implementation (Bromcom), contract optimisation, and operational redesign.
- Support with the operational re-design of financial systems providing strategic oversight of major projects such as introduction of Bromcom for financial processes, ensuring robust due diligence, and stakeholder management.
- Act as a key advisor to Trustees, auditors and external stakeholders including the DfE and Local Authority.
- Drive value for money through effective procurement, contract negotiation and cost optimisation initiatives.
- Lead and develop the finance function, fostering a high-performing, collaborative and forward-thinking team culture.
- Support wider organisational leadership, overseeing linked operational areas including IT and educational visits.
- Identify opportunities for income generation, funding and financial innovation to support future growth.
The organisation
Caroline Chisholm School is a school with a strong ethos centred on kindness, curiosity and integrity. With a highly engaged workforce and a 96% positive staff survey rating, the school offers a collaborative and ambitious working environment.
The organisation has successfully navigated recent financial pressures, delivering significant savings while maintaining educational excellence. With a clear financial sustainability plan in place and strong governance support, the school is now well positioned for its next phase of growth.
Alongside this, a major digital and operational transformation programme is underway, modernising systems and infrastructure to support long-term efficiency and scalability.
Essential criteria
- Fully qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA, CIMA, CIPFA or equivalent)
- Proven experience in a senior financial leadership role within a complex organisation
- Strong track record of leading financial strategy, planning and reporting
- Experience managing multi-million-pound budgets and driving financial sustainability
- Demonstrable experience leading transformation projects (systems, operations or organisational change)
- Strong stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence at Board and executive level
- Commercial mindset, with the ability to identify efficiencies and funding opportunities
- A collaborative and adaptable leadership style, aligned to a values-driven environment
Apply now
If you are a strategic and forward-thinking finance leader looking to make a tangible impact within a high-performing and ambitious organisation, we would love to hear from you. This role requires primarily on-site working during term time, with some flexibility available.
Applications close on the 24th May but will be reviewed on a rolling basis.
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Accommodation-Based Services Manager
We are looking for an Accommodation-Based Services Manager to lead and shape an award-winning service supporting women to live free from abuse.
This is a rare opportunity to take on a senior leadership role within an award-winning, specialist organisation at the forefront of supporting Black and minoritised women and children affected by domestic abuse, including forced marriage and honour based abuse.
Please note that due to the nature of this role, we can only accept female applicants.
Position: Accommodation-Based Services Manager
Location: West Midlands (Birmingham/Walsall)
Hours: Full-time (37.5 hours per week)
Salary: £40,000
Contract: Permanent
Closing Date: 25th May 2026
You will not only manage services, you will shape, strengthen and lead high-quality accommodation-based provision, ensuring it is safe, responsive and impactful. This role is ideal for a confident and values-driven Services Manager who is passionate about delivering excellence and driving meaningful change.
We are committed to equality, diversity and inclusion, ensuring all women are treated with dignity, fairness and respect. Safeguarding is central to everything we do, and this role is critical in embedding safe, high-quality practice across our services
The Role
As Accommodation-Based Services Manager, you will lead the operational delivery of the refuge and accommodation services across the West Midlands.
You will provide strategic and operational leadership, ensuring services are safe, compliant and survivor-centred. You will oversee staff teams, safeguarding practice, housing management, and quality assurance, while contributing to the ongoing development of services.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead and manage accommodation-based services, ensuring safe, high-quality and effective delivery
- Line manage the Senior Support Workers and provide overall leadership across accommodation services, including recruitment, supervision, performance management, training and rota/on-call cover
- Take overall responsibility for safeguarding practice, including oversight of high-risk cases
- Ensure robust risk assessment, safety planning and casework standards
- Oversee referrals, admissions, occupancy and move-on processes
- Ensure effective housing management, including rent systems, housing benefit and arrears monitoring
- Maintain oversight of health and safety, property compliance and refuge security
- Lead on quality assurance, audits, monitoring and continuous improvement
- Ensure accurate reporting to funders, commissioners and senior management
- Manage budgets and monitor expenditure
- Develop strong partnerships with relevant stakeholders, attend multi-agency meetings and represent the organisation externally
About You
You are an experienced and confident leader with a strong track record in managing accommodation-based or refuge services.
You will:
- Have Level 3 qualification in Health & Social Care, Housing, Management (or equivalent experience) plus evidence of continuous professional development
- Bring significant experience of services management within the domestic abuse or VAWG sector, including managing accommodation-based or refuge services
- Have strong expertise in safeguarding and managing high-risk cases
- Be able to lead, motivate and develop teams to deliver high standards
- Have experience managing compliance and complex operations within housing services and knowledge of benefits and refuge processes
- Be confident managing competing priorities and driving service improvement
- Be a strong communicator with the ability to influence and build partnerships
- Be committed to equality, diversity and anti-discriminatory practice
- Have strong organisational, leadership and IT skills (Microsoft Office and case management/ database systems)
- Ability to participate in an on-call rota and work flexibly
Why Work Here
- Be part of an award-winning, specialist “by and for” organisation
- Take on a senior leadership role with real influence and impact
- Lead services that directly change the lives of women and children
- Work within a supportive, experienced and values-driven organisation
- Access ongoing professional development and opportunities to shape services
Important Information
- This post is restricted to women under Schedule 9 of the Equality Act 2010
- Enhanced DBS check required
- The organisation is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults at risk. All staff are expected to share this commitment
You may also have experience in roles such as Housing, Housing Officer, Housing Adviser, Housing and Homelessness Advisor, Housing Support Officer, Housing Support, Refuge Housing, Emergency Housing, Service Manager, Abuse, VAWG, IDVA, Domestic Abuse, Abuse Case Worker. #INDNFP
Please note this role is advertised by the recruitment agency acting for the client – Not For Profit People.
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