School Operations Manager

Co-op Academy Medlock, Manchester, Greater Manchester, M13 9UJ

14 days remaining to apply

• Start date details

  ASAP

• Closing date

  30 September 2026 at 12am (midnight)

• Date listed

  16 September 2026

Job details

• Job role:
  • Administration, HR, data and finance
  • Other support role
• Visa sponsorship: Visas cannot be sponsored
• Working pattern: Full time
• Contract type: Permanent
• Full time equivalent salary: £35,570 - £39,481 (NJC Scale 23–27)

School Operations Manager job summary

Your Role

Are you a rigorous operational professional or school business manager ready to drive excellence across two vibrant Manchester primary academies?

We are seeking a proactive and detail-oriented School Operations Manager to lead and oversee daily operations, health & safety compliance, building management, and localised HR/finance administration across Co-op Academy Medlock and Co-op Academy New Islington. Serving over 800 pupils across two busy inner-city sites, from early years through to Year 6, this role is the operational backbone of our schools.

Working as a vital liaison between school leadership teams and central Trust specialists, you will ensure high standards, robust compliance, and seamless day-to-day facilities management so our teaching staff can focus on what matters most, our pupils.

Key Responsibilities

Estates & Health & Safety Leadership: Take lead responsibility for site H&S compliance across both academy sites. Oversee risk assessments (RAs), statutory reporting, planned preventative maintenance (PPMs), fire/lockdown drills, and site supervisor line management.

Contractors & Capital Projects: Supervise premises maintenance, manage third-party contractors, monitor cleaning/catering SLAs, and support capital project planning (SCA funding) alongside central Trust Estates teams.

Operations & MIS Administration: Manage school reception, safeguarding protocols, MIS data integrity, policy dissemination, admissions processing, and local LA survey returns.

Localised HR & Finance Support: Handle local HR administration (SAM People compliance, SCR maintenance, sickness thresholds, stage 1 return-to-works, and recruitment setup). Support central Finance with petty cash, purchase requisitions, Early Years funding applications, and local procurement.

Central Trust Collaboration: Work closely in a supportive matrix structure with central Trust teams across Finance, HR, Estates, and Procurement.

What We Are Looking For

Proven Experience: Successful track record in school/academy administration, office management, or multi-site operational coordination.

H&S & Estates Expertise: Practical experience managing health & safety compliance, risk assessments, contractor management, and facilities/premises checks.

Technical & Organisational Proficiency: Strong familiarity with school MIS systems, local HR/finance administration, and regulatory frameworks.Communication & Resilience: Ability to manage conflicting priorities calmly across two sites while building positive working relationships with staff, parents, and central teams.

Qualifications: Minimum NVQ Level 3 (or equivalent experience) plus GCSE Maths & English (Grade 4–9/A–C). CSBM or School Business Management qualifications are desirable.

Why Join Us?

At Co-op Academies Trust, you are never on an island. While you lead operational delivery locally, you are backed by specialist central teams in Finance, Estates, HR, and Procurement.

Impact: Direct operational responsibility across two thriving, multicultural city-centre primary academies.

Growth: Dedicated continuous professional development (CPD) and clear pathways for career progression within the Trust.

Co-op Benefits: City-centre location with excellent transport links/parking, Co-op colleague discounts, gym membership schemes, Credit Union access, and generous LGPS pension provisions.

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 Co-op Academy Medlock

• Organisation type: Academy, ages 2 to 11
• Education phase: Primary school
• Size: 357 pupils enrolled
• Age range: 2 to 11
• Ofsted report: View Ofsted report
• Website: Co-op Academy Medlock website
• See more jobs: teaching-vacancies.service.gov.uk/organisations/medlock-primary-school-manchester

It is Co-op Academy Medlock's ambition for all our children to fulfil their highest potential.

We inspire our children to become confident, independent and engaged learners. Everything we do is to provide our children with the best start in life and encourage them to take pride in their achievements. Medlock serves a vibrant and diverse community. It is a place where differences are recognised and celebrated through our curriculum as well as through pastoral channels. Our children, families and staff are caring, respectful and responsible. We work in partnership with our families and community.

At Medlock we are passionate about providing every child with the skills they need to be lifelong learners. We believe that school life should give our children the ambition to be the best they can be. Learning is fun, purposeful and challenging and at the end of their time at Medlock, our children are confident young global citizens who understand British Values and are ready for the next stage of their educational journey.

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