Head of Operations - School Cluster Management

Aldar Education; Abu Dhabi Emirate; On-site; AED 28,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

Aldar Education in Abu Dhabi Emirate is seeking a Head of Operations to lead a cluster of schools, driving operational performance, safety, regulatory compliance and financial efficiency across the network.

You will partner with principals, optimise Opex and Capex, implement group policies, oversee procurement and risk management, and introduce AI and digital tools to improve service delivery and customer experience across its expanding education network.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in business or related field required; NEBOSH certification advantageous.
• Minimum 5 years of senior-level experience in operations, preferably in education or service industries.
• Proven ability to manage multi-site operations, budgets, and compliance across a cluster.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic and functional operations leadership across the assigned cluster of schools.
• Direct accountability for operational management of the designated base school in partnership with its Principal.
• Establish consistent operational standards, processes and service expectations across cluster schools.
• Guide Principals on financial management, compliance, safety, sustainability, risk and performance.

Skills

Multi-site operations

Strategic leadership

Budget management

HSE management

Regulatory compliance

AI literacy

Team development

Vendor management

Education operations

Stakeholder management

Education

Bachelor's degree in business

NEBOSH

Job description

Head of Operations - School Cluster Management

Job Snapshot

Role: Head of Operations - School Cluster Management

Location: Abu Dhabi Emirate, United Arab Emirates

Industry: Education Management

Function: Operations-Plant Management

Experience: Minimum 5 years in a senior-level position

Job Type: Full-time

Position Overview

Head of Operations - School Cluster Management in Abu Dhabi Emirate, United Arab Emirates is an Education Management leadership opportunity responsible for operational performance, compliance, safety, financial efficiency and support services across a designated cluster of schools. Aldar Education is hiring an experienced operations leader to partner with school principals, strengthen operational teams, optimise Opex and Capex, oversee regulatory requirements and introduce AI, automation and digital solutions that improve service delivery across its expanding education network.

Job Details

• Country: United Arab Emirates
• City: Abu Dhabi Emirate
• Industry: Education Management
• Function: Operations-Plant Management
• Salary: 28000-40000 Estimated salary range based on similar jobs in the job city; please confirm the final offer with the employer.
• Gender: Any
• Candidate Nationality: Any
• Job Type: Full-time

Role Context

The Head of Operations serves as the senior operational authority for an assigned cluster while retaining direct accountability for day-to-day operations at the designated base school. The position ensures that schools operate through consistent systems for administration, support services, financial control, health and safety, regulatory compliance, risk management and customer experience. This role has a significant commercial and organisational impact. By controlling expenditure, improving resource utilisation, strengthening service models and supporting expansion projects, the Head of Operations contributes to sustainable school performance while protecting the safe environment required for students and staff. The position also acts as a strategic partner to Principals and headquarters functions. Success requires the ability to turn group policies into practical school-level processes, anticipate regulatory requirements and build operational teams capable of maintaining high standards across multiple locations.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide strategic and functional operations leadership across the assigned cluster of schools.
• Take direct accountability for operational management of the designated base school in partnership with its Principal and leadership team.
• Establish consistent operational standards, processes and service expectations across cluster schools.
• Guide Principals and school-based operations leaders on financial management, compliance, safety, sustainability, risk and operational performance.
• Implement group policies, systems and procedures while maintaining appropriate student safeguarding controls.
• Lead operational components of school and cluster business improvement plans and track delivery against agreed objectives.
• Review existing operating practices and introduce proven approaches that improve consistency and efficiency across the wider school network.
• Oversee administration, operations and support service functions and ensure service standards remain effective.
• Evaluate staffing structures and operating models to maintain appropriate resources without compromising financial performance.
• Lead performance management, coaching, appraisal and professional development for operations and support teams.
• Maintain individual development planning that strengthens capability and succession within school operations functions.
• Support Principals and operational leads with preparation and monitoring of operational budgets and expenditure.
• Manage Opex and Capex priorities with emphasis on cost efficiency, service quality and return on investment.
• Identify opportunities to share staff, transportation, services and physical resources across schools.
• Support tender preparation through scopes of work, specifications, purchase requisitions and technical evaluation criteria.
• Work with Procurement and school teams during technical assessment of supplier and tender submissions.
• Maintain compliance with Delegation of Authority requirements and approved procurement procedures.
• Oversee operational requirements for new school developments, major expansions and other capital projects.
• Support pre-operations planning and coordinate with project stakeholders to transfer operational knowledge into new and expanded facilities.
• Ensure cluster schools comply with relevant government regulations, authority requirements and internal policies.
• Manage internal and external audit activities and drive timely closure of findings and corrective actions.
• Conduct operational investigations following incidents and use findings to strengthen procedures and controls.
• Assess changes in government policy, legislation and directives and determine their operational implications for schools.
• Lead a proactive health, safety and environmental culture across the cluster.
• Act as the responsible operational leader for HSE effectiveness and compliance with applicable requirements.
• Ensure HSE inspections and audits are completed in accordance with the Aldar Education safety management system.
• Support schools in establishing measurable health, safety and environmental objectives and monitor their completion.
• Promote effective use of centrally deployed incident and visitor management systems.
• Provide fact-based challenge on operational risk decisions and recommend practical mitigation measures.
• Work with headquarters and school teams to strengthen enrolment, admissions processes and student retention.
• Identify operational gaps that could negatively affect admissions, customer satisfaction or enrolment performance.
• Support a consistent front-of-house experience and use NPS feedback to identify service improvement opportunities.
• Encourage appropriate cross-selling between schools within the cluster to support enrolment objectives.
• Integrate AI, automation and digital tools into operational workflows to simplify processes and improve decision-making.
• Remain available when required outside normal school hours to support critical incidents in accordance with established response protocols.

Ideal Profile

Candidates should hold a bachelor 's degree in a business-related discipline together with NEBOSH, or possess an appropriate graduate-level industry qualification relevant to the operational responsibilities of the position. At least 5 years of senior-level experience within education or another service-oriented industry is required. Experience overseeing multiple sites, schools or operational business units will be especially relevant to the cluster structure of this role. The position requires strong commercial judgement. Candidates should be comfortable managing operational expenditure, capital requirements, procurement activities, resource allocation and opportunities for shared services while protecting service quality. A thorough understanding of compliance, HSE, audit management and operational risk is important. Forward planning is particularly valuable when dealing with government approvals, regulatory deadlines and requirements that could affect uninterrupted school operations. Strong supervisory capability is required to develop high-performing operations, administration and support teams. The successful candidate should be able to influence senior stakeholders, work constructively with school Principals and communicate effectively across culturally diverse environments. Fluent written and spoken English is required. AI and digital literacy are also increasingly important, with the ability to identify practical applications for automation and emerging technologies in school operations.

Skills Set

• Multi-site school operations
• Cluster operations management
• Operational strategy
• Education operations
• Opex management
• Capex management
• Budget monitoring
• Commercial management
• Cost optimization
• Resource planning
• Procurement coordination
• Tender evaluation
• Delegation of Authority
• Vendor and service management
• HSE management
• NEBOSH
• Operational risk management
• Regulatory compliance
• Audit management
• Incident investigation
• Safety management systems
• Sustainability
• Business continuity
• Critical incident response
• School support services
• Facilities coordination
• Operational performance management
• Team development
• Stakeholder management
• Enrolment support
• Admissions operations
• Customer experience
• NPS
• AI literacy
• Process automation
• Digital operations
• Operational dashboards
• Process improvement
• New school pre-operations
• Expansion project support

Why Join Us

Managing operations across a growing education network provides broader responsibility than a traditional single-site position. This Abu Dhabi role combines school operations, commercial performance, HSE, compliance, customer experience and expansion support, giving an experienced leader the opportunity to influence how multiple schools operate and develop. Aldar Education 's continued growth creates sustained demand for strong operational leadership and increasingly sophisticated digital processes. The position offers scope to develop multi-site leadership experience, introduce technology-driven improvements and contribute to safe, efficient and financially responsible education delivery while building toward broader executive operations responsibilities.

About the Company

Aldar Education is a UAE education provider with more than 25 owned and managed premium and super-premium schools and academies. Established in 2007, the group now serves more than 38000 students supported by approximately 5000 educators from over 100 nationalities, delivering educational pathways from nursery through K12 while contributing to Abu Dhabi and the UAE 's knowledge-based economy.