Bedford Girls' School - Head of Finance and Operations

Location: Bedfordshire
School: Bedford Girls' School
Type: Full-time
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Summary

We are seeking a strategic and dynamic Head of Finance and Operations to join our Leadership Team.

Detail

Head of Finance and Operations

Start date: March 2026 (or sooner if able)

Hours: 37 hours per week, full-time. Flexibility required to meet the demands of the role.

About Bedford Girls’ School

We are the region's largest girls’ school. We believe in empowering our students to become confident, compassionate, and accomplished individuals who aspire to change the world around them. We achieve outstanding academic excellence and are dedicated to offering a truly holistic future focused education.

About the Role:
This is a pivotal leadership role for an experienced financial professional who will play a central part in shaping the strategic and operational direction of the School. As Head of Finance and Operations, you will lead on all aspects of financial management — from budgeting and reporting to long-term planning and commercial development — ensuring the School’s continued financial sustainability. You will also oversee key operational areas including estates, IT, catering and compliance, working closely with the Head and Governing Body to deliver the School’s strategic vision.

This position would suit an ambitious qualified accountant or an experienced school finance and operations leader, seeking to take the next step into a larger, more complex organisation. It is also an excellent opportunity for a professional from a financial or commercial background who is motivated by the chance to apply their expertise in a values-driven, educational setting. You will bring strategic insight, strong financial acumen and a collaborative approach to ensure the School continues to thrive both academically and operationally.

Key Responsibilities:
Reporting to the Head and Chair of the School Governing Body, with a dotted line to the Harpur Trust CFO, the Head of Finance and Operations will:

Oversee financial planning, budgeting, and reporting.

Lead and manage Finance, Estates, IT, Catering, and other operational teams.

Ensure compliance with health and safety, data protection, and regulatory standards.

Manage capital development and long-term estate planning.

Support governance and risk management processes and act as Clerk to the Governors.

Why Join Us?
This is an exciting time to join a thriving, stable, forward-looking school that is part of the respected Harpur Trust, offering the stability, collaboration and professional support of a well-established educational group. As a large school within a Trust, we enjoy strong financial foundations and the benefit of shared expertise across finance, estates and governance. Excellent training and support will be available for those without school experience through the Harpur Trust and through collaboration with the other schools.

You will be based on our beautiful, well-maintained site by the river in Bedford, surrounded by a friendly, talented and committed team who share a genuine sense of purpose and pride in their work educating girls to be the creative thinkers, change-makers and problem-solvers of the future. We offer excellent opportunities for professional growth, with access to high-quality training and a culture that values initiative and collaboration. This is a chance to make a real difference in a role that combines professional challenge with the rewards of contributing to a vibrant and successful school community.

We offer a wide range of benefits including, excellent pension scheme, life insurance, hospital surgical treatment insurance, and a cash plan scheme that includes a variety of wellbeing benefits.

Closing date: 3rd November 2025 at Midday

Interview Date: 11th November 2025

If you have any queries regarding this vacancy, please email hr@harpurtrust.org.uk or ring 01234 369500

Applicants are encouraged to apply early as immediate interviews are available for exceptional candidates. We reserve the right to close the vacancy early should we receive sufficient applications.

At Bedford Girls’ School, we are committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive working environment. We welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds, experiences and perspectives. We believe that a diverse team enriches our school community and helps us better meet the needs of our students.

The School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

Applicants will be required to undergo child protection screening appropriate to the post, including checks with past employers and the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS). The School may carry out online searches on shortlisted applicants.

The post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. The School is therefore permitted to ask job applicants to declare all convictions and cautions on a self-declaration form in advance of attending an interview (including those which are "spent" unless they are "protected" under the DBS filtering rules) in order to assess their suitability to work with children.