Chief Financial Officer

St Thomas Catholic Academies Trust is a family of Catholic schools serving communities across Luton, Central Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Slough. Our mission is clear: ‘The glory of God is a human being fully alive.’ We are committed to ensuring that every child flourishes — academically, spiritually and personally — through high-quality education rooted in faith, hope and love. The Chief Financial Officer is a key member of the Trust’s Executive Leadership Team and will work closely with the Chief Executive Officer to secure the financial strength and sustainability of the Trust. This role carries significant responsibility for the strategic leadership of financial planning, resource allocation, risk management across the Trust and managing the Central Finance Team, while ensuring that our schools are well-supported today, and sustainable and thriving for the future. Given the sector challenges we face this role is critical to maintaining our core purpose — delivering excellent Catholic education and ensuring that our schools are places of choice for the communities we serve. This is an exciting opportunity for a high-calibre professional to join a growing, ambitious and high performing multi-academy trust. We are seeking someone who is: A values-driven, professionally qualified finance leader with a strong commitment to our mission An experienced strategic thinker, with a proven track record of leading significant financial planning, reporting and control Able to translate complex financial information into clear, purposeful decision-making A collaborative and collegiate leader, able to work effectively across a wide range of stakeholders A confident communicator, with the ability to influence and build strong relationships Whilst the successful candidate need not be Catholic, they must show a commitment to supporting the Catholic ethos of the trust. For more information about this attractive role, or for an informal discussion, please contact our retained consultants at Peridot Partners: Eddie Caviezel Cox, Mobile:07951 920 768; or Kellie Gordon, Mobile: 07506 742 056. If it would assist you in your decision making, informal discussions with the Trust Chair, George Brzyski and/or the CEO, Mark McLaughlin, may also be arranged by Maxine Gilmartin, telephone 01582 361601/mgilmartin@stcat.co.uk Closing date for application: Wednesday 10 June 2026, 5 pm Longlisting date: Monday 15 June 2026 Interview dates: Monday 22 and Tuesday 23 June 2026 To apply for this role, please contact: Eddie Caviezel Cox - Email: eddiec@peridotpartners.co.uk - Mobile 07951 920 768; or Kellie Gordon - Email: kellie@peridotpartners.co.uk - Mobile 07506 742 056 Application Instructions All candidates are encouraged to review the candidate information pack which contains the Job Description and Person Specification for this role. Please complete the online application form, including a personal statement (maximum two sides o