School Business Manager
Salary: £42-£45k depending on skills and experience
Position Type: Permanent Full-Time
Location: St Ives, Cambridgeshire
Hours: 40 per week
At Aurora Fairway School, we believe exceptional education is built on exceptional people. We are looking for a dynamic and experienced School Business Manager to join our Senior Leadership Team and play a pivotal role in shaping the future of our school.
This is far more than a traditional business management role. You'll be at the heart of school operations, leading multiple support functions and ensuring our children and young people have a safe, inspiring and well-managed environment where they can thrive. The role has responsibility across finance, HR, administration, facilities, ICT, health & safety, catering and housekeeping, making it ideal for a strategic leader who enjoys variety, challenge and impact.
What you'll be doing:
As a key member of the Senior Leadership Team, you'll:
- Lead and develop a range of support service teams to deliver outstanding operational performance.
- Manage budgets and financial resources, ensuring strong financial control and value for money.
- Oversee HR processes, recruitment, onboarding and compliance, including safeguarding and the Single Central Record.
- Drive continuous improvement across administration, systems and operational processes.
- Take responsibility for facilities, health & safety, data protection and business compliance.
- Contribute to the strategic direction of the school and support the delivery of its long-term objectives.
What we're looking for
We're seeking a confident and proactive leader who can balance strategic thinking with hands-on operational management. You'll be an excellent communicator, able to build strong relationships with staff, parents, external agencies and central support teams.
You'll bring:
- Experience leading multiple teams and functions.
- Strong financial and budget management skills.
- The ability to influence, problem-solve and make informed decisions.
- Excellent organisational and communication skills.
- A commitment to high standards, continuous improvement and safeguarding.
- A management or professional qualification in a relevant area such as business management or finance (desirable).
Ready to make an impact?
If you're an experienced operational leader looking for a rewarding role where your expertise will directly support positive outcomes for children and young people, we'd love to hear from you.
Apply today and become part of Aurora Fairway School's next chapter.
How to apply?
Please complete an online application form in full, remembering to include all employment and education details.
Successful applicants will be subject to pre-employment safeguarding checks including an enhanced disclosure and barring service (DBS) check.
The post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the Aurora Group is therefore permitted to ask job applicants to declare all convictions and cautions (including those which are "spent" unless they are "protected" under the DBS filtering rules) in order to assess their suitability to work with children.
The Aurora Group is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the children and young adults in our care and is a disability confident and equal opportunities employer.
This advert could be taken down at any point in time without prior notice if the position is filled.
Please note that candidates that are shortlisted might be subject to an online search.
Aurora Fairway School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. We particularly welcome applications from under represented groups including ethnicity, gender, transgender, age, disability, sexual orientation or religion.