Head of Finance

Head of Finance Renumeration: £100,000 + BonusLocation: London (Hybrid Working, 3-4 Days Per Week Office)Education and Training Permanent Full-Time PositionMM13742A market-leading, Private Equity-backed Education & Training organisation is looking to appoint a commercially focused Head of Finance to support the next stage of its growth journey.The business has established itself as one of the leading providers within the learning, skills and workforce development market, with a strong track record of both organic expansion and strategic acquisitions. Backed by an ambitious Private Equity investor, the Group is continuing to invest heavily in its platform, people and technology, with a clear objective of accelerating growth and creating significant value over the coming years.This is an outstanding opportunity for a finance leader who enjoys working in a fast-moving environment and wants to move beyond traditional reporting responsibilities into a broader strategic role. Working closely with an experienced CFO, you will become a key member of the senior leadership team, influencing decision-making across the business and helping drive operational and financial performance.The OpportunityAs Head of Finance, you will take responsibility for leading the day-to-day finance function while also playing a central role in financial planning, business performance, acquisitions and growth initiatives.The position offers a unique blend of technical finance leadership and commercial exposure. You will be expected to challenge, support and partner with the wider business while helping to ensure the Group has the infrastructure, reporting and financial insight required to achieve its ambitions.Key Areas of ResponsibilityLeading all aspects of financial control, including management reporting, statutory reporting, audit and compliance.Owning the budgeting, forecasting and long-range planning processes.Producing meaningful analysis and performance insight to support decision-making across the organisation.Partnering with operational and commercial leaders to improve profitability and drive performance.Supporting acquisition activity, including financial evaluation, due diligence and integration planning.Developing reporting frameworks that provide clear visibility of learner, programme, business unit and contract performance.Driving continuous improvement across finance systems, reporting processes and internal controls.Identifying opportunities to leverage technology, automation and AI to improve efficiency and reporting quality.Supporting board reporting, lender reporting and relationships with external investors.Building and developing a scalable finance team capable of supporting continued growth.Providing strategic financial input on investment opportunities, pricing, resource allocation and growth initiatives.Candidate ProfileACA, ACCA, CIMA or equivalent qualification.Experience within Education & Training in a Private Equity backed or fast-paced environment.Strong management reporting, statutory reporting and financial control experience.A track record of leading budgeting, forecasting and business planning activities.Experience supporting M&A transactions, integrations or business transformation projects.Strong systems and process improvement experience, including ERP implementations or optimisation.The ability to communicate financial information clearly to both finance and non-finance stakeholders.Experience managing and developing finance teams.A proactive, hands-on approach combined with strong commercial judgement.Why Join?This is a rare opportunity to join a high-growth Education & Training platform at a pivotal stage in its development.You'll work directly with an experienced CFO, gain exposure to investors and board-level decision-making, and play a meaningful role in shaping the future direction of the business. The organisation has ambitious growth plans, an active acquisition strategy and a clear pathway towards a future exit event, creating significant development opportunities for the right individual.For someone aspiring to progress towards a future Finance Director or CFO position, this role offers the chance to gain first-hand experience of scaling a PE-backed education business while making a genuine impact on the organisation's success.