Operational Excellence Lead

St James; Bulkington; Hybrid; GBP 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working

LGPS Pension Scheme

Professional development

Employee Assistance Programme

Cycle to Work Scheme

Employee Benefits Scheme

Job summary

St James in the United Kingdom is seeking an Operational Excellence Lead to provide essential leadership within the Operations & Compliance function. You will translate Trust-wide standards into practical day-to-day practice, supporting academies to meet statutory requirements and driving continuous improvement in compliance, health and safety, and procurement oversight.

You will act as a trusted partner to Headteachers, Academy Business Partners and central teams, offering guidance, challenge

Qualifications

• -

Responsibilities

• Translate Trust-wide operational standards into effective day-to-day practice across academies.
• Support academies to meet statutory requirements and drive compliance, health and safety, and procurement oversight.
• Lead improvement projects, ensuring processes are efficient, consistent and supportive of busy school environments.
• Act as a trusted partner to Headteachers, Academy Business Partners and central teams, offering guidance and practical support.

Job description

This role provides vital additional leadership capacity within the Operations & Compliance function, ensuring that our systems, processes and expectations are consistently understood, implemented and embedded across the Trust. Working closely with the Head of Operations & Compliance, the Operational Excellence Lead will play a key role in translating Trust-wide operational standards into effective day-to-day practice, supporting academies to meet statutory requirements, and driving continuous improvement in compliance, health and safety, procurement oversight, policy implementation and operational assurance. The postholder will act as a trusted partner to Headteachers, Academy Business Partners and central teams, offering guidance, challenge and practical support while appreciating the varied demands of busy school environments. This role will support the leadership of core operational areas and ensure processes are efficient, consistent and responsive to the needs of our academies, contributing to the development of a strong operational culture and the effective use of Trust systems and tools. The successful applicant will be an organised, credible and proactive operational leader, able to build strong relationships, coordinate cross-Trust activity and support the delivery of improvement projects. They will bring a solution-focused mindset, excellent communication skills and the ability to work collaboratively across multiple teams and sites. This is an exciting opportunity for someone who is motivated by school improvement, committed to high standards, and ready to make a meaningful contribution to the Trust's operational strength and future growth.

• A highly competitive salary commensurate with the responsibilities of the post
• Hybrid working with a combination of remote (UK) and on-site working to suit the demands of the role
• Eligibility to join the LGPS Pension Scheme
• A supportive network of professional colleagues
• A strong culture of professional development, including access to apprenticeship levy development
• The opportunity to be part of an aspirational organization and contribute to its development and growth
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Cycle to Work Scheme
• Employee Benefits Scheme