Operations Manager

Ashwood Spencer Academy, Derby, Derbyshire, DE24 8FT

14 days remaining to apply

• Start date details

  4 January 2027

• Closing date

  24 November 2026 at 11:59pm

• Date listed

  3 November 2026

Job details

• Job role:
  • Administration, HR, data and finance
• Visa sponsorship: Visas cannot be sponsored
• Working pattern: Full time
• Contract type: Permanent
• Full time equivalent salary: £34,236.00 - £37,562.00 Annually (Actual) NJC21-25 - Full Time

Operations Manager job summary

Are you an organised and proactive operational professional who thrives on creating efficient systems, solving problems and supporting others to succeed? Do you enjoy working in a fast-paced environment where you can make a genuine difference to the experience of pupils, staff and families every day?

Ashwood Spencer Academy are seeking an experienced and highly organised Operations Manager. Working closely with the Principal, Senior Leadership Team and central Trust services, you will play a pivotal role in ensuring the smooth and effective operation of the academy. The role is responsible for leading key operational functions including finance, HR, administration, estates and compliance, ensuring the academy provides a safe, compliant and well-managed environment where children can flourish.

As the academy's lead for HR and finance matters, and the main liaison between the school and central Trust teams, you will oversee a diverse range of operational responsibilities. This is an exciting opportunity for someone who enjoys leading people, improving processes and contributing strategically to the success of a school.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the academy's operational functions across finance, HR, administration, estates and compliance, ensuring the smooth day-to-day running of the school.
• Act as the primary link between the academy and Trust central teams, ensuring effective communication and support.
• Support financial management activities including procurement, purchase orders, budgeting, banking, payroll administration and financial compliance.
• Manage HR processes including sickness absence monitoring, payroll changes, recruitment administration, workforce records and maintenance of the Single Central Record.
• Oversee facilities and estates management, maintenance planning, service contracts, compliance testing and health and safety requirements.
• Ensure the academy meets statutory responsibilities relating to safeguarding, health and safety, data protection and operational compliance.
• Line manage the administration team, supporting performance, wellbeing and professional development.
• Provide operational leadership, guidance and specialist advice to senior leaders, governors and other stakeholders.

What We're Looking For

• GCSEs (or equivalent) with a good standard of literacy and numeracy.
• Evidence of ongoing professional development and relevant training.
• Experience within an administrative, business, operations or school business management environment.
• Experience managing a varied workload across multiple operational functions.
• Strong organisational skills with the ability to manage competing priorities and meet deadlines.
• Experience leading, supporting and developing teams.
• Excellent IT skills and confidence working with systems, data and reporting tools.
• Strong communication and relationship-building skills, with the ability to work effectively with colleagues, families and external stakeholders.
• A proactive, solution-focused approach and a commitment to safeguarding and educational excellence.

Ashwood Spencer Academy joined Spencer Academies Trust in November 2018 and has gone from strength to strength each academic year. We have approximately 670 pupils on roll from nursery to year 6 and we are proud of our changing, diverse school community. Ashwood Spencer is at the heart of the community and is committed to improving educational outcomes for all our pupils. In October 2022, we received the IQM Inclusion Quality Mark with Centre of Excellence status and in October 2025, we achieved 'Flagship School Status'. In our Ofsted inspection in February 2023, we were recognised as a ‘good’ school and we want to continue to improve on that status, by making the staff, pupils and community experience at Ashwood a magical one.

We are fully committed to our ethos of ‘Working together to believe and achieve’.

We work hard to make Ashwood a place to DREAM:

Determined risk takers who want to succeed

Resilient and respectful learners

Expressive communicators

Ambitious achievers, unafraid of mistakes

Magic happens when you dream

Early application is strongly encouraged as we reserve the right to interview and close the advert ahead of the closing date.

The Trust and its member academies are committed to promoting equality and diversity in both employment and education provision. We aim to ensure that students, parents, governors, employees, contractors, partners, clients and other stakeholders within the Trust community are treated fairly, and with dignity and respect regardless of Protected Characteristics.

Spencer Academies Trust is a Disability Confident Committed Employer

Further information about the job

The candidate will be required to undergo a full enhanced DBS check and must be eligible to work in the UK.

Visas cannot be sponsored.

If you're interested in teaching or training to teach in England as an international citizen, we can help you understand your next steps.

Commitment to safeguarding

Our organisation is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. We expect all staff, volunteers and trustees to share this commitment.

Our recruitment process follows the keeping children safe in education guidance.

Offers of employment may be subject to the following checks (where relevant):
childcare disqualification
Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS)
medical
online and social media
prohibition from teaching
right to work
satisfactory references
suitability to work with children

You must tell us about any unspent conviction, cautions, reprimands or warnings under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975.

Applying for the job

This school accepts applications through their own website, where you may also find more information about this job.

CVs will not be accepted for this application.

About Ashwood Spencer Academy

• Organisation type: Academy, ages 3 to 11
• Education phase: Primary school
• Size: 659 pupils enrolled
• Age range: 3 to 11
• Ofsted report: View Ofsted report
• Website: Ashwood Spencer Academy website
• See more jobs: teaching-vacancies.service.gov.uk/organisations/ashwood-spencer-academy

Ashwood Spencer Academy part of Spencer Academies Trust
Amber Street, Derby, DE24 8FT.
Ashwood is a friendly primary academy in the Southern Derbyshire community of Osmaston. The Principal is Mrs Baines-Chambers. Children are welcomed from early years through to 11
We are dedicated to providing exemplary teaching and learning for all our children. Our DREAM curriculum ensures creativity is at its heart- encouraging oracy, tolerance and collaboration. Our aim is to develop respectful individuals, who aspire to follow their DREAMs.

Ashwood is a magical place that offers enriching experiences within a loving and stimulating environment. At Ashwood we value our close relationships with our parents, governors and the community; working in partnership to enable our pupils to have the best possible start in their educational journey.

Spencer Academies Trust is an educational charity and academy sponsor, which is committed to ensuring that every child, regardless of background, has access to an outstanding education and real choices in life. We have a successful track record of providing high quality teaching and learning which ensures improved outcomes for children and young people. The Trust mission statement reflects our vision and aim for all Trust schools. Our highly-successful network of 17 schools (8 Secondary and 9 Primary) educates students across Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Nottingham City, Derby City and Leicestershire:

Vision
Spencer Academies Trust is an exceptional Trust, which provides an outstanding education for local children. Our Trust is a model of national excellence. We work collaboratively to achieve the best possible outcomes for all young people, in an environment where partnership is valued and success is celebrated. Our education delivers real life experiences for students, promotes independent enquiry and stimulates intellectual curiosity; whilst developing a strong sense of individual responsibility and a personal belief and confidence. All of our students fulfil their potential and make unparalleled progress. They are fully prepared for the next phase of their education and have unrivalled opportunities to become future leaders.

We Believe:
 All children have a right to a quality education regardless of background or ability, and have an entitlement to the opportunity of a secure progression route in their learning and development.
 Schools are stronger when they work in collaboration with each other, operate within a ‘family’ and are open to a true sense of partnership.
 We grow the effectiveness and sustainability of our schools by developing the people within them, and that through shared and equitable responsibility for quality and outcomes; we achieve more.

School location

Get a job alert when similar jobs are listed

Find more school jobs in Derby and Derbyshire and Derby