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About Us

We are a pioneering education charity, and one of the leading multi-academy trusts in the country. We have a track record of taking on some of the most challenging schools in London, turning them into places where every young person can access a high-quality education and have opportunities to succeed.

Educating 1 in 41 young people in London, we now have 59 primary and secondary academies transforming the life chances and opportunities of pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds.

The Harris Federation has a track record of accomplishment in achieving success through rapid school improvement and has built an unrivalled reputation for running outstanding academies in London.

Our central team comprises a dedicated, driven group of departments working centrally to provide support across the Federation and all of our academies. Across a multitude of key departments, we maintain expertise all integral to supporting central and academies in areas such as Finance, HR, Data, Estates Management, Talent and many more.

Summary

We are seeking an experienced Oracle Programme Director to lead the next phase of our ERP transformation and unify our programme delivery and BAU support functions under a single, expert technical authority.

This is a fixed-term appointment (12-18 months) reporting directly to the Shared Services Director. The role will stabilise, optimise, and future-proof our Oracle Fusion platform across Finance, HR, Payroll, Procurement, and wider Shared Services.

The Oracle Programme Director will play a pivotal role in delivering the Shared Services strategy, strengthening operational excellence, and ensuring our ERP platform becomes a robust, scalable, and value-driven asset for the Federation.

In-person interviews for this role will take place on Monday 19th October.

Main Areas of Responsibility

Reporting to the Shared Services Director, you will act as a trusted advisor to the CEO, Executive Team, Trustees and Governors on all matters relating to Oracle implementation, service delivery and support.

You will lead the Oracle team, spanning Programme Implementation and Operational Support, internally along with delivery workstreams and external systems integrators and technical SMEs (both internal and external).

You will work closely with a broad group of key stakeholders including CEO, Shared Services Director, Finance Director, HR Director, Director of Digital and Data, and Education Directors.

You will provide senior technical leadership, Programme governance, and BAU uplift for the Federation’s Oracle Fusion ERP. You will:

• Lead the delivery, optimisation, and enhancement of Oracle Fusion across all functional areas.
• Integrate the ERP Programme Team and the Oracle Support Team into a single, high-performing function.
• Act as the Federation’s authoritative Oracle expert, reducing reliance on external partners.
• Strengthen governance, risk management, and benefits realisation across the ERP portfolio.
• Ensure the platform supports compliant, efficient, and future-focused Shared Services operations.
• Provide leadership maternity leave cover for the Oracle Support team

Qualifications & Experience

We would like to hear from you if you have:

• Significant leadership experience delivering Oracle Fusion ERP programmes in complex organisations
• Expertise across Finance, HCM, Payroll, Procurement, and integration architecture
• Proven ability to lead multi-disciplinary teams and uplift BAU capability
• Experience managing vendors and reducing reliance on external technical partners
• Strong background in programme governance, risk management, and benefits realisation
• Deep Oracle Fusion technical knowledge
• Strong leadership, influencing, and stakeholder management skills
• Ability to operate at pace, with clarity and decisiveness
• Excellent communication and the ability to translate technical complexity into business clarity

Experience within education, public sector or not-for-profit organisations, and an understanding of multi-academy trust operations and education sector norms, would be an advantage.

Professional Development & Benefits

Our people are at the heart of our success. We have developed 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.

In addition to the opportunities for career development and progression, we also offer a competitive rewards and benefits package which includes an AnnualLoyalty Bonus, Pension Scheme with generous employer contributions, a Wellbeing Cash Plan, electric car scheme, 26 days' annual leave (plus bank holidays) for staff who work across the full year, and many other benefits.

We offer lifestyle friendly working arrangements including flexible start and end times, and hybrid working with 2 days from home and 3 days either with the team at our office in East Croydon or visiting one of our academies.

Learn more about on our website.

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.

Next Steps

If you have any questions about this opportunity, please contact Jennifer Elliott on to arrange a confidential conversation.

Before applying, please download the Job Pack for full details on the job responsibilities and person specification. This will be helpful for you when completing your application, and throughout the recruitment process.

We encourage you to apply as soon as possible as we may interview and offer to a candidate before the closing date. Please note that we only accept applications submitted before the closing date via our careers website.