School Business Manager – Outstanding Secondary School – Reading

Write a short description of your company, a boilerplate of the business, service or product that you offer. Include your business idea and the target audience. This text is primarily supposed to be descriptive, not selling.

School Business Manager – Outstanding Secondary School – Reading
Start Date: As soon as possible
Contract: Full-time, Permanent
Salary: Paid to scale School Information

This Outstanding 11–18 secondary school in Reading is recognised for its exceptional leadership, excellent behaviour, and commitment to operational excellence. The school operates a large, modern campus with extensive facilities including sports halls, science labs, performance spaces, and newly upgraded ICT infrastructure.

The support staff and operations teams are highly valued, and the Business Manager plays a critical role in ensuring the school runs efficiently, safely, and strategically. Staff benefit from strong leadership, transparent communication, and a culture that values high standards, accountability, and collaboration.
Role Information

The school is seeking a dynamic, experienced, and strategic School Business Manager (SBM) to oversee finance, HR, site operations, health & safety, and compliance.

Key responsibilities include:

Leading and managing all non-teaching operations across the school

Strategic financial planning, budget management, forecasting, and financial reporting

Line managing administrative, HR, finance, and site teams

Ensuring compliance with statutory regulations, safeguarding policies, and audit requirements

Overseeing procurement, contracts, and value-for-money strategies

Managing payroll oversight and HR compliance in collaboration with HR leads

Leading on health & safety, risk assessments, and emergency planning

Supporting lettings, revenue generation, and community partnerships

Providing operational leadership to SLT and attending governor meetings

Ensuring the school’s resources, buildings, and financial systems are safe, efficient, and effective

This is a senior leadership-level operational role requiring strategic insight and strong leadership.
Requirements

Previous experience as an SBM or senior operations lead in a school

Strong financial background (CSBM, DSBM or finance qualification desirable)

Excellent leadership, communication, and organisational skills

Strong understanding of HR, health & safety, and safeguarding compliance

Experience managing budgets, teams, and complex operations

Ability to prioritise, delegate, and work proactively

High degree of professionalism, integrity, and confidentiality
Application

To apply, please send your CV as soon as possible.