Your new company
A well‑established and high‑performing school is seeking an experienced Interim School Operations Manager in Barnsley to provide strong operational leadership during a period of transition. This confidential appointment requires a professional who can quickly step in, stabilise day-to-day operations, and ensure the continued smooth running of the school's support services.
Your new role
This interim position is critical in ensuring continuity, compliance, and operational stability while the school navigates a key transition period. Your leadership will support the school to remain focused on delivering exceptional education for its pupils. The interim operations manager will:
Provide strategic operational leadership as a key member of the Senior Leadership Team, working closely with the Principal and Trust leaders to ensure the smooth, compliant and high quality running of all support services across the school.
Oversee all aspects of premises, estates management and health & safety, ensuring full statutory compliance, robust risk management, and the effective line management of site and facilities staff.
Lead and develop administrative, catering, and wider support staff teams, embedding a culture of continuous improvement and ensuring operational systems, processes and workflows are efficient, compliant and aligned with school priorities.
Manage operational budgets and financial processes in collaboration with central finance colleagues, ensuring value for money, accurate monitoring of expenditure, contract oversight, and timely procurement aligned to school priorities.
Act as the school's operational lead for HR administration and compliance, supporting staff wellbeing, managing safer recruitment processes, ensuring SCR accuracy, and maintaining high standards of data protection and GDPR compliance.
Ensure effective delivery of technical, marketing and transport services, coordinating with central service teams to maintain high quality IT support, compliant transport arrangements, positive school communications, and well-presented school environments.What you'll need to succeed
The ideal candidate will have:
Strong leadership and team management capability, with proven experience motivating, developing and coordinating diverse operational and support staff teams.
Robust understanding of safeguarding, health & safety, statutory compliance and risk management, with the ability to implement and monitor safe, compliant operational practices across the school.
Excellent organisational, planning and problem-solving skills, able to prioritise multiple demands, manage deadlines and maintain high standards under pressure.
High-level communication, numeracy, literacy and ICT skills, with the ability to convey key information clearly to staff, leaders and external partners.
Experience managing facilities, contracts, procurement and budgets, ensuring value for money and effective use of resources in line with school and Trust requirements.
Confident, solutions-focused and discreet professional outlook, demonstrating initiative, confidentiality, strong interpersonal skills and the ability to build positive relationships with pupils, staff, parents and stakeholders.What you'll get in return As well as receiving a competitive rate of pay, this is an excellent opportunity to gain experience in an outstanding school. When you register with Hays, you will be allocated a dedicated consultant who will be on hand to offer career advice and guide you through the registration process. Once you have completed this particular assignment, we will then be in a position to place you in further schools. By registering with Hays Education, you will also be eligible for our Refer a Friend Scheme, where you could receive £250 in vouchers. T&Cs apply.What you need to do now
If you're interested in this role, click 'apply now' to forward an up-to-date copy of your CV, or call us now.
If this job isn't quite right for you, but you are looking for a new position, please contact us for a confidential discussion about your career.
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