Chief Operations Officer

The Education Alliance; North Ferriby; On-site; GBP 101,000 - 116,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Staff discounts

Salary sacrifice car scheme

Cycle to work scheme

Family-friendly policies

East Riding Pension Scheme

Wellbeing program

Job summary

The Education Alliance is seeking a Chief Operations Officer to join the Executive Team. The role leads finance, HR, estates/facilities, IT and health and safety, ensuring a high‑performing Shared Services Team supports 12 schools and a SCITT.

This newly created position offers strategic influence, cross‑school collaboration, and an opportunity to shape operational excellence within TEAL’s expanding multi‑academy trust. A permanent, full‑time role with a generous Leadership Pay Scale is offered.

Qualifications

• Experienced leader with ability to manage complex operations across multiple schools.
• Strong people management and team-building skills.
• Proven track record in improving operational efficiency and safeguarding standards.

Responsibilities

• Lead finance, HR, estates/facilities, IT, and safety within TEAL Shared Services.
• Drive operational excellence and strategic development across 12 schools.
• Shape and implement a scalable executive leadership function in collaboration with stakeholders.

Skills

Leadership

Finance

HR

Estates/Facilities

IT

Health and Safety

Job description

Chief Operations Officer

The Education Alliance, North Ferriby, HU14 3HS

18 days remaining to apply

As soon as possible

21 September 2026 at 9am

1 September 2026

Job details

Job role

• Other leadership role

Visa sponsorship

Visas cannot be sponsored

Working pattern

Full time: up to Full Time

Contract type

Permanent

Pay scale

TEAL's Leadership Pay Scale, points L28 to L34 (£100,540 to £116,456 FTE, pending the outcome of the annual pay award).

What skills and experience we're looking for

We are looking for a confident and motivated leader who thrives in complexity, builds high-performing teams and is dedicated to delivering services that enable our schools to thrive. If you share our commitment to strengthening operations and supporting excellence in education, we would love to hear from you.

What the school offers its staff

Play a key role in the next phase of our strategic development and organisational growth

Shape a newly created executive leadership role with real influence

Make an impact across a trust of 12 schools and SCITT with over 7,000 pupils and 100 trainees

Build on our operational foundations by driving the reinvention of our shared services to deliver operational excellence

In return, we offer a supportive and rewarding working environment, along with:

• Access to our staff benefits platform, including major brand discounts, a salary sacrifice car scheme and a cycle to work scheme
• Family-friendly policies, including enhanced maternity, adoption and neonatal pay
• Membership of the East Riding Pension Scheme with excellent long-term benefits
• A comprehensive wellbeing offer, including discounted gym memberships, free flu vaccinations, prescription support, Employee Assistance Programme and 24/7 access to a Virtual GP

Further information about the job

The candidate will be required to undergo a full enhanced DBS check and must be eligible to work in the UK.

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an exceptional leader to join us in a senior executive role, helping to shape our multi‑academy trust and make a meaningful difference to the young people we serve.

The Education Alliance (TEAL) is seeking to appoint a Chief Operations Officer (COO) to join our Executive Team and lead the continued development of our shared services. The successful candidate will drive operational excellence through proactive, solution-focused and responsive functions. All of this will be co‑designed with our schools as true partners.

This newly created role offers an opportunity to influence how our trust operates at scale. The COO will provide strong leadership across key areas - including finance, HR, estates/facilities, IT and health and safety to ensure our family of 12 schools is supported by an effective and flexible Shared Services Team that helps do the heavy lifting for our schools.

We are looking for a confident and motivated leader who thrives in complexity, builds high-performing teams and is dedicated to delivering services that enable our schools to thrive. If you share our commitment to strengthening operations and supporting excellence in education, we would love to hear from you.

The role is permanent, up to full-time, and will be paid on TEAL's Leadership Pay Scale, points L28 to L34 (£100,540 to £116,456 FTE, pending the outcome of the annual pay award).

If you are interested in working on a part-time basis, we welcome applications from candidates seeking a minimum of 0.8 FTE.

About Us

The Education Alliance brings together a diverse family of seven primary schools, four secondary schools, an alternative provision and a School‑Centred Initial Teacher Training (SCITT) provider.

Together, we are driven by a shared purpose: to make great schools and happier, stronger communities so that people have better lives.

The Applicant Pack provides further details about our values and our emerging strategic goals, alongside the Job Description and Person Specification.

Commitment to safeguarding

The Education Alliance is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. Clearance from the Disclosure and Barring Service will be sought prior to appointment, and we undertake an online check on all shortlisted candidates, in line with the Keeping Children Safe in Education guidance.

The Education Alliance’s Child Protection Policy can be accessed at: https://theeducationalliance.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/Child-Protection-Policy.pdf

About The Education Alliance

The Education Alliance (TEAL) is a family of 12 schools and a SCITT in Yorkshire with a shared purpose: We are here to make great schools and happier, stronger communities so that people have better lives. Our work is grounded in a shared set of values that underpin how we behave, how we lead and how we connect across our schools. We serve with integrity:

• Focussing on young people to inform our decisions
• Prioritising collaboration to do our best work
• Committing to excellence in all that we do

Inclusion runs through the heart of everything we – the employees of The Education Alliance – do. It shapes our practices in and out of the classroom, informs our curriculum, guides our interactions and underpins our relationships. By placing inclusion at the centre of our vision, we aim to ensure that every child feels seen, heard, supported and respected. Inclusion is more than a statement of intent; it is an ongoing commitment to equity and justice. This commitment to inclusion extends to our staff culture. TEAL is a friendly and welcoming place to work. Knowing that we all benefit when everyone feels valued and that they belong, and where our work is rewarding and manageable, leaders do all they can to reduce levels of stress and anxiety in the organisation. We believe people want to do a good job and create a culture where openness, professional trust and kindness are the norm.

Head office location

• Multi‑academy trust
• Melton, North Ferriby, HU14 3HS