Group Head of Finance
Eltham College Family of Schools | South East London
Salary circa £75,000 + excellent benefits
A rare opportunity to join one of London’s leading independent school groups at a genuinely exciting point of transformation and growth.
The Eltham College Family of Schools — comprising Eltham College Senior School, Eltham College Junior School and Blackheath Prep — is a high-performing, values-led organisation with an outstanding reputation for academic excellence and a rich co-curricular offering. Named London Independent School of the Year 2024 by The Sunday Times, the group continues to thrive despite wider sector challenges.
This is a pivotal appointment.
The newly created Group Head of Finance role offers the chance to step into a business that is not only successful, but evolving — with significant change underway across systems, structure and ways of working. For a commercially minded and hands-on finance leader, this is an opportunity to truly get your teeth stuck into something meaningful.
The opportunity
Reporting to the Bursar and working closely with the Executive Team, you will act as the senior finance professional across the group, providing both strategic leadership and operational oversight.
Crucially, you will join at a time of real momentum:
- A new finance system is being implemented across the group, requiring leadership to embed, optimise and enhance reporting capability
- The finance function is undergoing restructure, offering the opportunity to shape team design, capability and future direction
- There is a clear mandate to modernise processes, strengthen controls and drive efficiencies
- Senior stakeholders are engaged and open to fresh thinking and improvement
This is not a role where you simply maintain — this is a role where you build.
You will lead financial planning, reporting and governance across all three schools, supporting key strategic decisions including investment, estates development and long-term financial sustainability. Alongside this, you will remain close to the detail, ensuring operational excellence across the finance function.
The environment
Set across a stunning 70-acre campus in south-east London, Eltham College combines heritage with ambition. The group benefits from strong financial foundations, high demand, and a clear vision for continued success.
It is a collaborative and values-driven environment, underpinned by a commitment to education, development and community. Staff benefit from excellent facilities, strong leadership, and a culture that genuinely invests in people.
The person
We are looking for a qualified accountant with strong technical grounding and proven experience operating in a senior finance role.
You will bring:
- Experience of leading finance within a complex, multi-entity or multi-site environment
- A track record of improving systems, processes and controls
- The ability to lead through change and bring teams with you
- Strong stakeholder engagement skills, with the credibility to influence at senior level
- A proactive, hands-on approach with the ability to balance strategy and delivery
Experience within education or the independent school sector would be beneficial, but is not essential.
Why join?
This is an opportunity to join a thriving organisation that is not standing still — but actively investing in its future.
You will play a key role in shaping a modern, high-performing finance function, with the autonomy and support to make a real impact. For someone motivated by change, improvement and leadership, this role offers both challenge and reward in equal measure.
If interested do get in touch with Rosemary Pini from Allen Lane who is partnering with Eltham College with this vacancy.
Thank you!
Little Village makes a big difference to families with babies and young children living in poverty across London. Via its network of baby banks and partners such as Family Hubs, community organisations and all of London’s maternity units, the charity passes on pre-loved goods from one family to another – clothes, toys and equipment – so that many more children have the essential things they need to thrive.
Families are supported through welcoming hubs or home deliveries, and connected into a wider network of support in community settings, while Little Village also raises its voice to highlight the realities of child poverty.
Little Village is entering an exciting new phase as it approaches its 10-year milestone and prepares to launch its next strategy. QuarterFive are partneruing with Little Villag to find a Director of Fundraising, Marketing & Communications to play a central role in shaping its future – leading how the organisation grows income, strengthens its brand and amplifies its voice. Sitting on the Senior Leadership Team, you will lead a newly integrated fundraising, marketing and communications department, driving a cohesive, high-performing function and building on strong foundations to deliver a more strategic, scalable and insight-led approach.
With an income base with high potential for growth and particular strength in high-value fundraising, there is significant opportunity to grow and diversify income further, while also increasing visibility and influence at a time when public awareness of child poverty is rising.
We are looking for a strategic and hands-on leader with a track record in delivering income growth. You will be motivated by impact and excited to help drive Little Village’s next phase, strengthening long-term income and increasing its influence.
This role is home-based with regular travel to Little Village hubs across London. Core hours: 09:30-15:00. Weekly or fortnightly team and SLT meetings in London plus other meetings as needed.
As Director of Fundraising, Marketing & Communications, you will:
- Lead and deliver an integrated fundraising, marketing and communications strategy aligned to organisational priorities
- Set and achieve ambitious income targets across multiple streams, including high-value philanthropy and partnerships
- Develop a more structured, data-informed approach to fundraising, including pipelines, forecasting and performance management
- Oversee brand and communications, ensuring a clear, compelling and consistent narrative
- Build and steward relationships with major donors, partners and senior stakeholders
- Act as a senior ambassador, raising Little Village’s profile and influence
- Lead and develop a high-performing, collaborative team
Essential skills and experience:
- A strong track record of developing and delivering successful multi-stream fundraising strategies, weighted towards high value income streams including major donors, corporates, and trusts and foundations
- Proven success in securing significant and multi-year funding
- Experience leading and developing high-performing teams
- Exposure to or interest in mass fundraising
- Strong financial, forecasting and pipeline management skills
- Expertise in working with senior stakeholders/volunteers, ideally including reporting to Committees and Trustee boards
- A successful track record of involvement in launching, managing, and evaluating campaigns
- Strong understanding of brand management, digital engagement, and integrated campaigns across multiple channels
- Understanding of digital transformation, including CRM/data integration, marketing automation, and analytics
- A data-informed approach, with experience using insight and systems to drive performance
- Excellent influencing, relationship-building and storytelling skills
Desirable:
- Experience leading an integrated fundraising and communications function within a frontline charity
- Experience of using Beacon CRM
- Lived or personal experience of the issues faced by the families Little Village supports
Diversity and Inclusion:
Little Village operates in London, one of the most diverse cities in the world. The charity are working towards a goal where their team fully reflects that diversity and difference in lived experiences and strongly encourage applications from under-represented groups including: people from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic backgrounds, LGBTQ+ people, people with disabilities, people with lived experience of poverty either personally or through family, experience of the care system, non-graduates and first-in-family graduates. As part of their commitment to fairer recruitment, all applications will be assessed without names and any protected characteristics.
As part of our commitment to increasing representation of people from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic backgrounds, we are piloting a Guaranteed Interview Scheme (GIS) for this role, as a new approach to make our recruitment more equitable. If you identify as Black, Asian or other Minority Ethnic backgrounds and meet the essential criteria for the role, you can choose to opt in to the GIS. We will be aiming to offer everyone who opts into the scheme and meets the essential criteria a first stage interview/ assessment. See the applicant pack for further details.
Employee benefits include:
- 25 days per year annual leave plus bank holidays (pro rata for those working fewer than 35 hours per week)
- Team members are usually given time off between Christmas and New Year, which doesn’t come off your allowance
- Pension contributions matched by 3%
- A period of sick leave at full pay regardless of length of service
- Enhanced family friendly policies including Maternity, Paternity, Shared Parental Leave and Adoption pay, with a Fertility Policy designed to support employees during fertility investigations and treatment
- Death in Service benefit (x3 annual salary)
- Employee Assistance Programme
- Rewards Gateway and Tickets for Good
To apply, please upload your CV, making sure it reflects the essential skills and experience within the person specification. You can use the notes section to share any additional information. Suitable applicants will be contacted and given full support with the formal application process.
First round interviews (online): Thursday 21st May
Second round interviews (in-person): w/c 1st June
Registered Charity
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To bring about change for children and families through the power of sharing, reusing and connecting
