School Business Manager | Secondary School in Newham

School Business Manager (January Start)

Location: Newham, East/Inner London

School Type: Secondary School & Sixth Form (Co-educational, Ages 11–18)

Contract: Full-Time, Permanent

Hours: 36 hours per week (All-Year-Round / 52 Weeks)

Start Date: January 2027

A forward-thinking, high-achieving secondary school and Sixth Form in the London Borough of Newham is seeking a strategic, commercially astute, and proactive School Business Manager (SBM) to join their Senior Leadership Team this January. Situated in a dynamic, culturally vibrant East London hub celebrated for educational innovation and community ambition, this January appointment offers an exceptional opportunity for an experienced school operations and finance leader to shape financial sustainability, estate management, and organizational excellence across a flagship school campus.

About the Role

Stepping into a pivotal senior operational leadership position from January, you will work directly alongside the Headteacher and Governing Body to oversee the strategic and day-to-day management of school finances, human resources, premises, health and safety, procurement, and administrative infrastructure. Your leadership will ensure that public funds, capital projects, and operational teams run with maximum efficiency, full statutory compliance, and complete alignment with the school’s educational vision—allowing teaching leaders to focus on delivering outstanding outcomes for young people.

• Environment: A modern, well-resourced Inner London campus featuring state-of-the-art teaching facilities, dedicated senior leadership and finance suites, integrated cloud MIS/accounting systems, and established local authority/trust networks

• Culture: A collaborative, transparent, and mission-driven Senior Leadership Team committed to value-for-money stewardship, staff wellbeing, safeguarding excellence, and continuous operational improvement

Key Responsibilities

• Lead strategic financial planning, annual budget preparation, multi-year forecasting, and monthly management reporting in close partnership with the Headteacher and Finance Committee, ensuring full compliance with ESFA / local authority financial regulations.

• Oversee procurement, tendering, and contract management across key school services (catering, cleaning, IT infrastructure, utilities, and capital maintenance), securing best value and high service-level standards.

• Direct whole-school estate and facilities management—supervising site teams, coordinating preventative maintenance and capital improvement projects, and acting as the school’s lead officer for Health & Safety, fire compliance, and risk management.

• Manage HR administration, safer recruitment compliance, Single Central Record (SCR) audits, payroll liaison, and support staff line management across finance, administration, premises, and technical teams.

• Maximize non-grant revenue streams through proactive grant writing, bid management, and community lettings, while upholding rigorous GDPR data protection and business continuity protocols.

Requirements

• Recognized School Business Management or Finance/Operations qualification (e.g., DSBM, CSBM, ADSBM, CIPFA, ACCA, CIMA, or a relevant degree in Business, Finance, or Management).

• Proven senior-level experience managing budgets, financial reporting, procurement, premises, and multi-disciplinary support teams within a secondary school, academy trust, or public-sector environment.

• Comprehensive working knowledge of school funding frameworks, statutory financial controls, safer recruitment (KCSIE) requirements, Health & Safety legislation, and GDPR compliance.

• Advanced proficiency in school financial and management information systems (e.g., SIMS, Arbor, Bromcom, PS Financials, Sage) and advanced Excel modeling.

• Exceptional strategic judgment, negotiation flair, calm problem-solving ability, and the interpersonal credibility to advise Governors and inspire operational staff.

Salary & Benefits

• Pay Scale: Inner London Senior Support Staff / PO6–PO8 Leadership Scale (commensurate with qualifications and leadership experience).

• Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS), generous annual leave entitlement, dedicated executive continuous professional development (CPD), and comprehensive staff wellbeing benefits.

How to Apply

If you are an accomplished operational and financial leader ready to make a lasting strategic impact in a thriving Newham school community this January, we encourage you to apply promptly. Please send your updated CV and completed application form for consideration.