About this role - A message from the CEO, Esther Brooks

The creation of Helix Learning Trust marks a transformative milestone as we merge the expertise of Auriga Academy Trust and Coombe Academy Trust across the boroughs of Kingston, and Richmond. We are building a unified organisation responsible for 3,800 pupils across eight schools, blending mainstream excellence with specialist SEND provision.

Our vision for Helix is to drive exceptional educational outcomes and provide sector-leading professional development, while pioneering greater SEND inclusion across all our schools. By integrating specialist expertise with mainstream excellence, we are directly answering the DfE’s call for inclusive Trust growth. Helix is ideally positioned to lead the sector, turning the evolving social and financial challenges of modern education into opportunities for innovation.

To achieve this, we are seeking a Chief Operations and Finance Officer who will serve as a strategic partner to myself and the Board. Beyond oversight; we are looking for a leader to drive a comprehensive 24-month integration programme, embedding best practices across Finance, HR, Estates, and IT.

This is a pivotal appointment for Helix Learning Trust, requiring a leader who will serve as a high-level executive partner and 'co-pilot' throughout this transformative period. Beyond functional oversight, the successful candidate will be a senior architect of our future, leading the intricate sequencing and optimisation of our combined enabling functions. We are seeking a strategic operator with proven experience in organisational design and large-scale integration-someone capable of managing the complexities of a live merger to create the operational headroom necessary for our schools to thrive. This role demands a senior executive perspective to ensure that as we grow, our central systems are not just consolidated, but are fundamentally designed to be resilient, innovative, and best-in-class.

Safeguarding Statement

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

The successful applicant will be required to undertake an Enhanced DBS Disclosure. We are fully committed to protecting our pupils and staff and therefore have a rigorous and robust recruitment process that gathers evidence about a candidate’s suitability to work with children and have proactive safeguarding procedures in place.