In 2025, Outcomes First Group were officially certified as a ‘Great Place to Work’ for the sixth year running.
Job Title: Group Investment Case Lead
Location: Manchester City Centre (Hybrid)
Salary: £45,000 – £60,000 per annum
Contract: Permanent, Full Time
UK applicants only – this role does not offer sponsorship
About us
Outcomes First Group is the largest independent provider of high-quality special needs education and care in the UK. We deliver research-led, personalised education that helps every child thrive.
Our vision is to empower every child with a world-class education that nurtures potential and inspires lifelong learning. Our mission is to unlock that potential through personalised learning and opportunity, and our promise is simple: we listen, work together, and hold each other accountable to make the remarkable happen.
The Role
As an Investment Case Lead, you will be responsible for the end-to-end development, coordination and quality assurance of investment cases submitted for approval. Acting as a central point of coordination, you will ensure all submissions are clear, structured and aligned to agreed frameworks and governance standards.
This is a hands-on, highly organised role that sits at the centre of investment activity, working closely with senior stakeholders to bring together financial, operational and strategic inputs into decision-ready proposals.
What You’ll Be Doing
- Owning the preparation of investment case documents from initial scoping through to final submission
- Producing clear, well-structured, and high-quality papers aligned to agreed templates and investment criteria
- Coordinating inputs from multiple stakeholders including finance, operations, education, estates, legal and risk teams
- Acting as the single point of contact for each investment case, ensuring alignment on timelines and expectations
- Preparing submissions for investment / funding committees, including concept papers and final approval documents
- Incorporating feedback and updates into revised submissions efficiently
- Maintaining and applying standard templates, structures and governance processes
- Tracking the investment pipeline, including upcoming submissions, approvals and dependencies
- Maintaining accurate records to support transparency and auditability of decisions
- Supporting continuous improvement of investment processes and documentation standards
Essential Experience & Skills
- Experience developing or coordinating business cases, investment cases or approval papers
- Strong stakeholder coordination skills, with the ability to manage multiple inputs and deadlines
- Experience working with financial information and assumptions in partnership with finance teams
- Excellent written communication skills, with the ability to produce clear, senior-level documents
- Highly organised, able to manage multiple workstreams simultaneously
- Good commercial and financial awareness
- Comfortable working within structured governance frameworks and processes
Desirable
- Experience working with investment committees, funding approvals or governance forums
- Experience in education, care, healthcare or other regulated environments
- Familiarity with structured templates, documentation standards and approval processes
- Degree in Business, Finance, Economics, Strategy or a related discipline
Why Join Us?
Outcomes First Group is the UK’s largest independent provider of high-quality special needs education, operating across England, Scotland, and Wales.
Our divisional brands include Acorn Education, Options Autism, Blenheim Schools, and Momenta Connect.
By joining our central HR team as an HR Manager, you’ll play a key role in shaping people strategy, strengthening leadership capability, and driving operational excellence across a growing organisation. We value collaboration, professionalism and innovation, and offer the opportunity to make a meaningful impact while staying true to our core values of care, aspiration and inclusion.
Benefits
- Life Assurance
- Pension scheme with flexible contribution options
- “Your Wellbeing Matters” – mental and physical health support
- Family Growth Support, including enhanced maternity and paternity leave
- Flexible benefits via Vista, including discounts, Cycle to Work scheme, Electric Car scheme, critical illness cover, and more
We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. All applicants will be subject to social media checks and successful applicants to a fully enhanced DBS.
We are an Equal Opportunities Employer.
We reserve the right to close the vacancy early if a high volume of suitable applications is received. Outcomes First Group is committed to a fair, thorough, and efficient recruitment process in line with Keeping Children Safe in Education. While we aim to keep applicants informed, we do not accept liability for any loss of earnings or costs incurred due to delays or changes in compliance processes.
All stages are subject to safeguarding checks and statutory requirements, which may affect timescales.