School Business Manager (Director of Operations & Finance)

Location: Dagenham (London Borough of Barking & Dagenham)

Ofsted Rating: Outstanding

School Type: Secondary School & Sixth Form (Co-educational)

Contract: Full-Time, Permanent (36 hours per week, Full Year)

An Ofsted-rated ‘Outstanding’ secondary school and Sixth Form in the London Borough of Barking & Dagenham is seeking a visionary, commercially astute, and strategically minded School Business Manager to join their Senior Leadership Team. This is a pivotal executive position for a seasoned operations leader, whether an experienced school business manager or a corporate/public sector operations director, to lead the non-pedagogical strategy and commercial health of a flagship East London institution.

About the Role

As the School Business Manager, you will serve as the strategic driving force behind the school’s fiscal sustainability, estates development, operational efficiency, and legal compliance. Working in close partnership with the Headteacher and Governing Body, you will exercise executive oversight across five essential domains: Financial Stewardship & Commercial Strategy, HR & Personnel, Estates & Facilities Management, Health & Safety, and Central Support Services.

• Start Date: Immediate or upcoming term

• Environment: A high-performing East London secondary school celebrated for academic ambition, exceptional pupil progress, and state-of-the-art educational facilities

• Culture: A forward-thinking, collaborative executive environment where operational innovation, resource management, and team leadership directly support educational excellence

Key Responsibilities

• Strategic Financial Governance: Formulate, manage, and monitor multi-million-pound revenue and capital budgets; execute robust multi-year forecasting, financial risk management, and statutory audit compliance (ESFA/LA standards).

• Estates, Premises & Capital Projects: Lead the facilities management team in maintaining a safe, sustainable learning campus; oversee capital development projects, contractor procurement, maintenance contracts, and environmental initiatives.

• Commercial Growth & Income Generation: Drive commercial lettings, identify external grant funding opportunities, and maximize income generation to reinvest directly into student resources and facilities.

• HR, Payroll & Operational Leadership: Direct non-teaching support operations, ensuring rigorous HR procedures, safer recruitment compliance, payroll oversight, contract management, and staff performance management.

• Governance & Regulatory Compliance: Deliver comprehensive financial reports and risk updates to the Board of Governors; ensure full compliance with health and safety legislation, data protection (GDPR), and statutory educational frameworks.

Requirements

• Professional qualification in business, finance, or operations management (e.g., CSBM/DSBM, CIPFA, ACCA, CIMA, or a relevant Degree/Master’s in Business Administration).

• Proven track record of senior operational leadership and fiscal control, ideally within an educational setting, academy trust, local authority, or complex public/private organization.

• In-depth knowledge of public sector financial management, procurement law, contract negotiation, and estate management.

• Outstanding leadership and people-management capabilities, with a proven ability to lead multi-disciplinary support teams with clarity, empathy, and high standards.

• Exceptional negotiation, strategic thinking, and analytical skills, with the ability to articulate complex financial models clearly to governors, auditors, and school leaders.

Salary & Benefits

• Pay Scale: Outer London Support Staff Leadership Scale (commensurate with executive experience and qualifications).

• Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS), generous annual leave allowance, continuous executive CPD funding, and access to comprehensive employee health and wellbeing programs.

How to Apply

If you are an accomplished operational leader ready to shape the business strategy of an Outstanding secondary school in Dagenham, we would love to hear from you. Please submit your application as soon as possible for consideration.