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.
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ABOUT THIS OPPORTUNITY
Join the Harris Federation as a Primary Operations Manager and lead on statutory compliance across a group of primary academies. This is a key role ensuring excellence in areas such as health & safety, GDPR, safer recruitment, asset management, and funding compliance.
You’ll support and develop academy staff, drive operational improvements, and work closely with central teams to uphold the highest standards. This role is ideal for a proactive, organised leader with a passion for education and operational excellence.
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MAIN AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY
Your responsibilities will include:
- Ensuring that all academies achieve and maintain full compliance when claiming free school meals (FSM) funding
- Ensuring that each academy has the correct time-based evidence related to each free school meal claim
- Developing academy staff to ensure that each academy has sustainable processes and systems regarding FSM claims
- Leading with the central finance team any independent audit on FSM by any external agencies and to ensure that process and procedures are EFA compliant
- Ensuring and approving that each academy has recorded FSM and PP correctly on their termly census return and have the evidence to support the numbers claimed
- Being the lead across the primary academies on any new statutory developments and ensure that schools fully implement any new guidance
For a full job description, please download the Job Pack.
WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR
We would like to hear from you if you have:
- At least 5 years’ experience working an office environment
- At least 2 years’ experience of managing a team of staff in a variety of different areas
- Secure knowledge of health and safety legislation
- Secure knowledge of human resources legislation
- Good verbal and written communication skills in order to communicate with a wide variety of stakeholders
For a full job specification please download the Job Pack.
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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.
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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.
Non Charity Employer 
More than 1000
Thank you!
Location: Head Office Camden/Hybrid (Mainly WFH)
Salary: £60,819 (Fixed Salary)
Contract: 6 months FTC (with possible extension)
Hours: 37.5 per week
Closing Date: 17 June 2025
Closing Time: 00:00am
Interview Dates: 24 June 2025 / 25 June 2025 (online)
Are you looking for a rewarding role working for an intersectional feminist organisation? If so, we have an incredible opportunity for you to join our team as Interim Head of Finance at Solace.
We exist to end the harm done through gender-based violence. Our aim is to work to prevent violence and abuse, as well as providing services to meet the individual needs of survivors, particularly women and children. Our work is holistic and empowering, working alongside survivors to achieve independent lives, free from abuse.
Our core values reflect our history and were developed in consultation with staff and service users. Feminism and intersectionality are key to our work and we are committed to the principles of being survivor-led, trauma-informed, empowering, diverse, anti-racist and anti-discriminatory.
About the Role
The Head of Finance will work closely with the Management Accountant and Senior Financial Officer to ensure the integrity of the financial controls, policies and procedures of the organisation and timely, accurate reporting to internal and external stakeholders. Within the business they will be a trusted advisor on areas of financial governance and reporting. You will work alongside the Director of Finance and Business Support to facilitate strategic decision making with reference to robust financial evidence.
The Head of Finance will have line management responsibilities for the Management Accountant and the Senior Financial Officer.
About You
We are looking for an experienced leader with an excellent track record of providing financial services in the not for profit sector. You will have an in depth understanding of delivering central/local authority contracts, grants and fundraising. Our ideal candidate will be someone with a qualified and experienced finance professional background, with a strong track record in financial leadership, ideally within the non-profit or charity sector. With excellent strategic and operational finance skills, you’ll be confident in providing high-quality financial insight and analysis to support decision-making. You bring a collaborative and coaching approach to team leadership and are passionate about building financial literacy and cross-functional relationships across an organisation. Aligned with Solace’s feminist values and purpose, you are committed to promoting equality, transparency, and continuous improvement in all aspects of your work.
We understand that you may not have all the knowledge, experience, and skills mentioned in the Job Profile Document. However, your interpersonal skills, passion to have a positive impact, commitment to our purpose, and ability to learn quickly and collaborate effectively will be equally important. We do not accept applications via email.
What we can offer you
We provide a comprehensive benefits package to all our employees, including:
- Flexible working
- Focus on learning and development (internal career progression and training)
- Generous holiday entitlement
- Employer pension contribution
- Family-friendly leave and enhanced maternity pay
- Access to Inclusion Networks
- Daily clinical debriefing
- Employee Assistance Programme providing free 24/7 support and advice
- Employee Benefits Platform offering staff discounts, benefits and savings
- Flow & Restore yoga classes
- Meditation sessions
- Cycle to Work Scheme
How to apply
Please submit your CV and Supporting Statement through the recruitment portal. When applying for this role, kindly highlight in your Supporting Statement how your values, knowledge, transferrable skills, and experience align with each point within the following sections of the Job Profile Document:
· Values, Behaviours & Competencies
· Knowledge, Experience and Skills
Solace Women's Aid values diversity, promotes equity, and challenges discrimination. We encourage and welcome applications from candidates of diverse cultures, abilities, perspectives, and lived experiences. We have policies and processes in place to ensure that all employees are offered an equal opportunity in recruitment and selection, promotion, training, pay, and benefits. Our Inclusion Networks support staff with protected characteristics and offer inclusive spaces to connect.
We are a Disability Confident Employer and committed to an inclusive and accessible recruitment process. We anticipate and provide reasonable adjustments as needed and support employees who acquire a disability or long-term health condition, enabling them to stay in work.
This service is run by women for women and is therefore restricted to female applicants under the Equality Act 2010, Schedule 9, and Part 1. Section 7(2) e of the Sex Discrimination Act 1975 apply. The post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act.
As part of safer recruitment practices, we carry out pre-employment checks including references, Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) and right to work in the UK checks.
No agencies.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.