Operations Manager

Are you an organised and proactive operational professional who thrives on creating efficient systems, solving problems and supporting others to succeed? Do you enjoy working in a fast-paced environment where you can make a genuine difference to the experience of pupils, staff and families every day?

Ashwood Spencer Academy are seeking an experienced and highly organised Operations Manager. Working closely with the Principal, Senior Leadership Team and central Trust services, you will play a pivotal role in ensuring the smooth and effective operation of the academy. The role is responsible for leading key operational functions including finance, HR, administration, estates and compliance, ensuring the academy provides a safe, compliant and well-managed environment where children can flourish.

As the academy's lead for HR and finance matters, and the main liaison between the school and central Trust teams, you will oversee a diverse range of operational responsibilities. This is an exciting opportunity for someone who enjoys leading people, improving processes and contributing strategically to the success of a school.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the academy's operational functions across finance, HR, administration, estates and compliance, ensuring the smooth day-to-day running of the school.
• Act as the primary link between the academy and Trust central teams, ensuring effective communication and support.
• Support financial management activities including procurement, purchase orders, budgeting, banking, payroll administration and financial compliance.
• Manage HR processes including sickness absence monitoring, payroll changes, recruitment administration, workforce records and maintenance of the Single Central Record.
• Oversee facilities and estates management, maintenance planning, service contracts, compliance testing and health and safety requirements.
• Ensure the academy meets statutory responsibilities relating to safeguarding, health and safety, data protection and operational compliance.
• Line manage the administration team, supporting performance, wellbeing and professional development.
• Provide operational leadership, guidance and specialist advice to senior leaders, governors and other stakeholders.

What We're Looking For

• GCSEs (or equivalent) with a good standard of literacy and numeracy.
• Evidence of ongoing professional development and relevant training.
• Experience within an administrative, business, operations or school business management environment.
• Experience managing a varied workload across multiple operational functions.
• Strong organisational skills with the ability to manage competing priorities and meet deadlines.
• Experience leading, supporting and developing teams.
• Excellent IT skills and confidence working with systems, data and reporting tools.
• Strong communication and relationship-building skills, with the ability to work effectively with colleagues, families and external stakeholders.
• A proactive, solution-focused approach and a commitment to safeguarding and educational excellence.

Ashwood Spencer Academy joined Spencer Academies Trust in November 2018 and has gone from strength to strength each academic year. We have approximately 670 pupils on roll from nursery to year 6 and we are proud of our changing, diverse school community. Ashwood Spencer is at the heart of the community and is committed to improving educational outcomes for all our pupils. In October 2022, we received the IQM Inclusion Quality Mark with Centre of Excellence status and in October 2025, we achieved 'Flagship School Status'. In our Ofsted inspection in February 2023, we were recognised as a ‘good’ school and we want to continue to improve on that status, by making the staff, pupils and community experience at Ashwood a magical one.

We are fully committed to our ethos of ‘Working together to believe and achieve’.

We work hard to make Ashwood a place to DREAM:

Determined risk takers who want to succeed

Resilient and respectful learners

Expressive communicators

Ambitious achievers, unafraid of mistakes

Magic happens when you dream

Early application is strongly encouraged as we reserve the right to interview and close the advert ahead of the closing date.

The Trust and its member academies are committed to promoting equality and diversity in both employment and education provision. We aim to ensure that students, parents, governors, employees, contractors, partners, clients and other stakeholders within the Trust community are treated fairly, and with dignity and respect regardless of Protected Characteristics.

Spencer Academies Trust is a Disability Confident Committed Employer