School Operations Manager - Hillbourne Primary School

Job Introduction

ROLE: School Operations Manager

SCHOOL: Hillbourne Primary School

HOURS: 22.5 0.6 FTE (39 weeks + 4 weeks)

SALARY: Grade H SCP 24-27 (£35,412-£38,220) Actual salary (£20,331-£21,943)

CLOSING DATE: Monday 3 November 9am

INTERVIEW DATE: 6 November 2025

START DATE: January 2025

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a School Operations Manager role to join our experienced team at Hillbourne Primary School, part of Hamwic Education Trust (HET).

The successful applicant will be responsible for the line management of the school’s support services and will take a leadership role providing strategic, professional advice and support to the School Leadership Team. 

As a member of the senior leadership team, the successful candidate will lead and manage the business operations across the schools. This includes managing the teams behind administration, Human Resources, Finance, IT and Premises. 

As part of the Hamwic Education Trust (HET), all Operations Managers have direct access to high quality advice, support, systems, and processes through the managed services team within HET. All Operation Managers are provided with regular continued professional development, networking opportunities and Business Conferences. 

JOB/PERSON SUMMARY:

Key Responsibilities:

• To be a member of the Senior Leadership Team; working with and advising the School Leader & SLT on all matters relating to HR, estates, health & safety, IT, financial procedures, administration, and compliance. 
• To ensure that legal and safety requirements with regard to people & property and the financial functions of the school are maintained.
• To be responsible for the school site, its buildings and IT: their maintenance, development and efficient use. 
• To provide leadership and management for associated staff including the administration and site teams. 
• To liaise with all relevant outside agencies and contacts in relation to all aspects of the management of the school.

WE ARE SEEKING A PROFESSIONAL INDIVIDUAL WHO:

• Will promote the highest standards of business ethos within the administrative function of the school and strategically ensure the most cost-effective use of resources in support of the schools’ operation and improvement priorities 
• Can demonstrate excellent leadership and communication skills alongside attention to detail and good operations management experience
• Has strong business acumen, is driven and self-motivated with a proven track record in excellent service delivery and achieving goals and objectives 
• Is an effective leader able to develop staff and lead continuous improvement initiatives in a pragmatic and cost-efficient manner
• Has an understanding of educational management issues 
• Has the ability to lead on matters of estate management, operational finance and human resources 

HET is a large, fast-paced Trust with currently 37 academies across the South Coast. Linked to 6 community-based partnerships, there are 34 primary academies, 2 secondary and 1 hospital school.

Nestled in the heart of Poole, Dorset, Hillbourne Primary School is a vibrant, inclusive community where every child is known, nurtured, and inspired. Serving children aged 4–11, we are proud to be a school that champions equity, celebrates diversity, and places personal development at the core of everything we do.

Our most recent Ofsted inspection praised our strong safeguarding culture, inclusive ethos, and high expectations for all pupils. We are proud to be ‘Good’ with aspects of ‘Outstanding’—a testament to the dedication of our staff, the resilience of our pupils, and the strength of our partnerships with families and governors.

Led by a visionary leadership team, Hillbourne is not just a place of learning—it’s a place of belonging, growth, and joy. We warmly invite you to join us and experience the magic of Hillbourne for yourself.

‘All about the Child’

At HET, we aim to put the child at the centre of everything we do.  We believe that by doing this, it drives our ethos and values to do the best we can for our children.

‘What about Sam’

Sam is the name we have given to the notional Hamwic child.  By asking ourselves ‘What about Sam?’ we ensure that we put our pupils at the heart of our decision making.

WE CAN OFFER YOU:

• Excellent CPD opportunities and Training and Development Programmes
• In-house Teaching School
• An individual induction programme supported by a mentor 
• Networking groups for Teachers, Business Managers, Site Teams and IT staff
• Eligibility to join the Teachers’ Pension Scheme or Local Government Pension Scheme
• Generous holiday entitlement for staff working 52 weeks per year which increases with length of service
• Free eye tests up to the value of £25 for users of VDU equipment and contribution up to the value of £60 towards the purchase of glasses specifically for the use of display screen equipment (where all conditions are met)
• Opportunity to become a school workplace Health and Wellbeing representative, meeting with other schools on a termly basis and feeding into the Health and Wellbeing strategy
• Access to the Trust Health and Wellbeing pages
• Access to a staff benefits portal through Vivup
• Free confidential telephone and face to face counselling for staff and family members

APPLICATION PROCEDURE:

Should you wish to apply for this vacancy, please view the job description and complete the application form which can be found at www.hamwic.org and return to Laura Bennett, Headteacher hr@hillbourne.poole.sch.uk

Where applicable, potential candidates may benefit from a tour of the school.   Please note, any candidates requesting a tour will be asked for their current place of work which will allow the school to verify, where possible, the name and place of work given.   Potential candidates will be asked to bring their current school ID and/or photographic ID as proof when they visit the school for a tour.

Successful candidates will be subject to online searches.

SAFEGUARDING:

All schools within HET are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

We will ensure that all our recruitment and selection practices reflect this commitment. All successful candidates will be subject to Disclosure and Barring Service checks along with other relevant employment checks.

THE HILLARY PARTNERSHIP

The Hillary Partnership is part of an umbrella Trust called the Hamwic Education Trust. At the Hamwic Education Trust we offer unique opportunities for those individuals that excel in education.

We aim to deliver an outstanding education to our pupils and to do so we must employ outstanding people.

We offer a training pathway for all employees including teachers, support staff and our middle and senior leaders.

Our staff have opportunities to work on cross phase projects and to work in other schools within the Trust in order to gain invaluable experience and enhance their skills.