School Operations Manager

Jebel Ali School; Dubai; On-site; AED 60,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading British curriculum school in Dubai is seeking a proactive School Operations Manager to lead campus operations. You will oversee procurement, facilities, health & safety, ensure cost-effective service delivery, and support strategic improvement initiatives. Ideal candidates will have a Bachelor’s degree and 3–5 years of operational experience, preferably in education. Join us and contribute to our mission of fostering student success.

Qualifications

• 3–5 years in operational roles, ideally in education, facilities, or service-driven environments.
• NEBOSH and IOSH preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead campus-level operations across procurement, facilities, health & safety, and events.
• Ensure compliance and cost-effective delivery of services.
• Oversee health, safety, and compliance leadership.

Education

Bachelor's degree or relevant operational qualification

Job description

Overview

Jebel Ali School is seeking a proactive and experienced School Operations Manager to lead campus-level operations across procurement, facilities, health & safety, events, ESG, and shared services.

This role is critical to ensuring smooth, compliant, and cost-effective delivery of services, while supporting strategic school improvement initiatives.

Job Purpose

The School Operations Manager oversees all operational services at campus level, ensuring smooth, compliant, and cost-effective delivery. Reporting directly to the Head of Business Operations and working closely with the Principal, the role covers key functions such as procurement, facilities, H&S, events, ESG, and shared services. The role also ensures regulatory readiness and contributes to school improvement plans through cross-functional coordination.

Key Accountabilities

• Staff Management
• Purchasing and Contract Management
• Health and Safety
• Events and excursions
• Facilities Management
• Compliance
• ESG and energy conservation
• Campus Development
• Shared Services
• IT end user support

What We’re Looking For

Education: Bachelor’s degree or relevant operational qualification; NEBOSH and IOSH preferred.

Experience: 3–5 years in operational roles, ideally in education, facilities, or service-driven environments.

Competencies:

• Multi-service operations coordination
• Vendor and contract oversight
• Health, safety, and compliance leadership
• Budget awareness and procurement control
• Cross-functional problem-solving and crisis response

Attributes:

• Calm, organized, and highly accountable
• Clear communicator and team enabler
• Practical, audit-ready, and solutions-focused
• Comfortable in a fast-paced, stakeholder-heavy school environment

About The School

Jebel Ali School is a leading British curriculum school in Dubai for students aged 3-18 years rated ‘Outstanding’ by British Schools Overseas.

Established in 1977, Jebel Ali School has an enviable reputation for being a much-loved community school centred around the ethos that our students never stop believing that better is always possible. Our aim is for everyone to ‘belong, believe and become better than they thought they could’.

Our campus contains state of the art facilities including a standalone Foundation Stage School, Primary and Secondary Schools as well as some of the most impressive sports facilities in the city.

Known and admired as the original Dubai community school, the school currently has 1,950 students on roll representing over 70 different nationalities. Jebel Ali School follows the English National Curriculum to GCSE, BTEC and ‘A’ Levels.

The school is fully inclusive, aspirational for our students academically, emotionally, and socially, with a fantastic student and parent community who take pride in, and, are fully supportive of the school.

Our students leave us with confidence, strong interpersonal skills and with sufficient adaptability, resilience and understanding to be successful in the world of both today and tomorrow.

Taaleem is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. At Taaleem, we hold ourselves to a high standard of effective practices in relation to child protection and we are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. We expect all staff to share this commitment. Successful applicants will be subject to various background checks including, receipt of high quality references, proof of relevant qualifications, identification and police checks, including overseas checks.