Academy finance and operations manager jobs

WORKING WITH US

The founder and sponsor of the Harris Federation, Lord Harris of Peckham, opened our first school in 1990. We have, over the past thirty years, implemented ideas and initiatives that have transformed the opportunities of pupils from working class and disadvantaged backgrounds. Harris academies are widely recognised as a force for social mobility. We are immensely proud of the role that our alumni are now beginning to play in the world and of what we believe our current generation of pupils will go on to achieve.

We now have over 50 schools educating more than 40,000 young people across London and Essex, and employ over 5,000 staff across our academies and head office. With the majority of our academies located in areas of high socioeconomic disadvantage, a high-quality education is key to the futures of the pupils we serve.

As a provider of employment and education, we value the diversity of our staff and students, and all our staff are equally valued and respected. We are committed to providing a fair, equitable and mutually supportive learning and working environment for our students and staff.

Our work will impact many generations to come, and our staff come from all backgrounds and walks of life, coming together to inspire young minds. We promote an inclusive culture that embraces the valuable and enriching contribution that all of our community make. We continue to be proactive in uplifting and supporting all voices at Harris.

To discover more about our culture, ethos and what it is like to work here, visit the page.

ABOUT THIS OPPORTUNITY

We are seeking an organised, proactive and professional Personal Assistant to provide high-level support to the Director of Secondary Education at the Harris Federation. This 1-year fixed-term maternity cover role is central to ensuring the smooth running of the Director’s day-to-day operations, including diary management, stakeholder communication, meeting coordination and the preparation of key documents.

As part of our Head Office team, you will work closely with senior leaders and colleagues across our secondary academies, playing an important role in supporting the Federation’s mission to deliver an outstanding education for thousands of young people. This is an excellent opportunity for someone who thrives in a fast-paced environment, demonstrates exceptional attention to detail, and enjoys building strong, professional relationships.

MAIN AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY

Your responsibilities will include:

• To present the professional and welcoming face of the Harris Federation and all secondary academies, to all visitors, staff and students, in person and on the telephone.
• To ensure that the Director’s diary is managed efficiently and effectively. This will involve liaising with a variety of external and internal stakeholders.
• To provide a daily/weekly diary and documentation and maintain an overview of approaching deadlines.
• To maintain the Director’s contacts.
• To maintain an exemplary professional environment for the Director at all times.
• To ensure that all visitors are welcomed and catered for in a professional manner, organising refreshments as appropriate.
• To exercise complete discretion when dealing with issues of confidentiality and sensitivity.
• To take all telephone calls, in the first instance, dealing with queries, passing on calls if necessary.
• To keep the Director’s meetings file and retrieve necessary paperwork as and when meetings arise.
• To be responsible for organising meetings and passing on messages between all stakeholders, parents/carers, external agencies and students and the Director.
• To liaise with clerks to Governors to ensure that all relevant paperwork and correspondence is efficiently managed for all the secondary academies.
• To support the Director with the preparation of paperwork and presentations for a range of meetings including interviews, disciplinary hearings, grievances, performance management, presentations, training sessions etc.
• To liaise with Federation admin teams, Data, HR, IT and Finance Business Managers, as well as PAs and Principals across the Federation as appropriate.

For a full list of responsibilities, please download the Job Pack.

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR

We would like to hear from you if you have:

• Appropriate degree or equivalent experience in previous roles
• Trained in the use of a variety of ICT packages
• Knowledge of personal assistant roles and responsibilities
• Training in typing and formatting of a variety of documents including spreadsheets
• Experience of managing staff in relation to the PA role
• Some experience of human resources e.g. recruitment and/or monitoring attendance
• Experience of working to targets and deadlines
• Experience of managing meetings including preparation and circulation of papers, minutes and ensuring information is circulated as required
• Ability to communicate well both orally and in writing
• Ability to work to deadlines
• Ability to be flexible
• Ability to communicate exceptionally well with parents and carers as well as other stakeholders in the academy

For a full job specification, please download the Job Pack.

APPLYING FOR THIS POSITION

If you would like to discuss the opportunity further, or if you have any questions, please contact us via email to arrange a conversation.

Before applying please ensure you download the job pack from our careers website, this will help with completing your application. Please note that we only accept applications submitted online before the closing date.

When applying, you will have the option to import your CV or use a LinkedIn profile which will auto populate the online application.

A reminder to check your junk mail for our email communications and add us to your safe senders list to ensure all future email communication is received.

OUR VISION & VALUES

Our vision, from the start, has been to provide the structure and services needed for our schools to amount to more than the sum of their parts, and to free-up our teachers and leaders to focus on one thing and one thing only: the outstanding education of all their pupils. Our young people and communities are at the heart of everything we do. Our core mission has always been to close the educational gap between young people from disadvantaged backgrounds and their peers. Our ambition is one where every child in London, no matter their background, has equal access to high quality education, giving them the same opportunities and potential to succeed.

We know there are many challenges facing our young people and the communities we serve, and that’s why we need determined people like you to help us tackle those inequalities. Whilst each of our academies has their own unique cultures and values; as a whole Federation, we have four core values which are central to successfully achieving our vision: Excellence, Collaboration, Support, and Innovation. We are proud of our values because they guide us in how we work allowing us to achieve the best possible outcomes for our young people, communities, and colleagues.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Safeguarding Notice

The Harris Federation and all our academies are committed to ensuring the highest levels of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people, and we expect all our staff and volunteers to share this commitment. All offers of employment are subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, references, an online search, and where applicable, a prohibition from teaching check will be completed.

Equal Opportunities

The Harris Federation is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all suitably qualified candidates. We value the diversity of our staff and students, and everyone at the Harris Federation is equally valued and respected. We aim to be an inclusive employer that reflects the communities we serve. We are committed to providing a fair, equitable and mutually supportive learning and working environment.

WHAT WE CAN OFFER YOU

Harris has a strong culture of collaboration and best practice, with professional development and career planning at its centre. We invest in our staff with support, coaching, mentoring, and a wide range of top-quality training programmes delivered at every level.

You will also have access to a variety of benefits, support programmes and initiatives including:

• Excellent opportunities for continuous professional development and career progression
• Annual performance and loyalty bonus
• Pension scheme (Teachers' Pension Scheme or Local Government Pension Scheme) with generous employer contribution
• 26 days' annual leave (inclusive of our Christmas Eve closure day) plus bank holidays, rising to 27 days after 2 years' service, or equivalent for staff on term time contracts
• Harris Wellbeing Cash Plan including cover for routine and specialist healthcare
• Employee Assistance Programme for free and confidential advice
• Cycle to work salary sacrifice scheme
• Wide range of shopping, leisure, and travel discounts
• 20% off at Tapi Carpets, exclusive to Harris employees
• Interest-free ICT and season ticket loans

For most non-teaching staff based at our Head Office in East Croydon, we also offer lifestyle friendly working arrangements including flexible start and end times, and hybrid working with two days from home and three days on site.

Premises Officer/Maintenance Person – Oasis St Martin’s Village

Fixed Term 1 Year Contract, full-time post, 40 hours per week (1 FTE), inclusive of breaks 

Working Pattern: Some shift work may be required (across 7.30am until 9pm)

Salary:  £30,766 per annum (including London Weighting)

Premises Officer/Maintenance Person – Oasis St Martin’s Village

Oasis’ mission is to build stronger communities. Oasis St Martins Village is a new and exciting project, working in partnership with other organisations in an integrated way, to provide opportunity and pathways for children and young people.

Our vision is to transform the life-chances of children, who are struggling in or not coping with mainstream education, by offering them and their families support and opportunity.

Our work is based around the principle that “it takes a village to raise a child”.

This role will help deliver the Oasis St Martins Village aims and mission by ensuring the provision of an efficient and effective site and facilities service, aligned with the ethos and values of Oasis St Martin’s Village.

What will you do?

This newly formed role will be embedded within the site management team. To be successful in this role, applicants will be required to:

• Assist the Senior Premises Officer with maintenance tasks as required to ensure a safe and effective working environment. Must be able perform basic repairs (plumbing, carpentry, painting, changing locks etc.)
• Assist with water testing, testing of alarms and other routine tasks as directed.
• Set and un-set the site alarm systems when required.
• Assist with the opening and closing, unlocking and locking of the site gates and buildings, including evening and weekend use.
• Be responsible for the security of the site when on duty including the locking of all doors and windows.
• Assist the events manager with delivery of events, particularly during evenings and weekends.
• Assist with the cleaning of the site as and when needed.
• Assist with room setup and moving of furniture safely. This includes preparing spaces to host events and functions, packing down and cleaning afterwards. And to service ongoing regular lettings.

What will you get in return?

• A network of peers and partners all sharing the same vision and an environment set up to ensure everyone is supported and included.
• A package of reward that includes a 7% employer contribution pension scheme, annual leave allowance starting at 25 days (plus Bank Holidays) increasing over time, eligibility to join the Green Commute cycle to work scheme and cash benefit health plan.
• Be part of an international network of Oasis charities offering opportunities to develop your career in new directions and locations.

To apply, please send your CV and a Supporting Statement (no more than two A4 pages) to the email address provided on our website or via Charity Jobs.

Please expand on your CV to tell us about relevant skills, experience and qualifications you have that relate to the job description and person specification.

We will review applications on a rolling basis and reserve the right to close the advert if we identify suitable candidates. To avoid disappointment, please submit your application as soon as possible.

We actively encourage applications from people of all ethnic backgrounds and underrepresented groups. If you require any assistance to overcome potential barriers during the recruitment process, please let us know. 

Oasis is committed to making a difference to the lives of the communities it works in, and as such you must show a willingness to demonstrate commitment to the values and behaviours which flow from the Oasis ethos.  We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. We expect all staff to share this commitment and to undergo appropriate checks, including enhanced DBS checks. 

The successful candidates must have the right to work in the UK.  Oasis cannot assist with sponsorship or visas.

Oasis supports Equal Opportunities.  Registered Charity No. 1026487