Procurement, Data and Compliance Lead

Ambition Education Trust; St Albans; Hybrid; GBP 45,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

Ambition Education Trust is seeking a Procurement, Data and Compliance Lead to support 11 schools from the central team. The role combines strategic procurement with data-driven reporting, including dashboards, KPI tracking, and contract management, in a hybrid environment at the St Albans hub.

You will lead tenders, maintain a contracts register, and drive efficiency across schools while aligning with public sector frameworks. 1-year fixed term contracts apply, with term-time options available.

Qualifications

• Advanced data management and dashboarding experience.
• Strong communication and collaboration with senior leaders.
• Experience with school or public sector procurement frameworks is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end procurement for central services across 11 schools.
• Maintain central Contracts Register and supplier compliance monitoring.
• Collaborate with IT, Finance, HR, Estates, Marketing to optimise cross-school processes.
• Onboard new academies and integrate them into Trust platforms.
• Design data capture and real-time dashboards for KPIs and financial metrics.

Skills

Data management

Dashboard building

P2P/finance software

Stakeholder collaboration

Self-motivated

Tools

Arbor

Compass

Bromcom

Job description

Procurement, Data and Compliance Lead

Full time / Part time

Term Time Only

Fixed Term (1 year in first instance), starting asap

Salary: H9 depending upon experience

Location: AET Hub, Garden Fields JMI School, St Albans AL3 5RL

The Role

As a core member of the central team reporting to the Chief Finance & Operations Officer, your primary purpose will be to support the delivery of excellent operational and financial services across our 11 schools, directly optimising resources and maximising value to positively influence the educational experiences of our children and young people.

In this hybrid role, you will create value from data, transforming complex information into real-time, user-centric dashboards that streamline process management, drive proactive risk mitigation, and make contract management generative. You will directly lead strategic tenders, build transparent contract registers, and lead operational integration projects as our Trust expands.

Key Responsibilities Include:

• Strategic Procurement & Tender Management: Lead end-to-end competitive tender processes for high-value central services (e.g., Catering, Cleaning, Energy, FM).
• Build and maintain a comprehensive central Contracts Register and vendor compliance monitoring program; conduct regular supplier reviews to ensure accountability against agreed SLAs and KPIs.
• Collaborate with executive leads in IT, Finance, HR, Estates, and Marketing to identify efficiencies across all 11 schools, supporting capital works and streamlining purchase-to-pay (P2P) administrative workflows.
• Act as the operations project lead for onboarding new schools joining the Trust, conducting due diligence, auditing inherited vendor contracts and data systems, and integrating them seamlessly into Trust platforms.
• Design data capture mechanisms and automate real-time visual dashboards and reporting tools (procurement savings, operational KPIs, student/financial metrics), establishing standard data routines that align with school reporting cycles.

About You

• Proven track record running compliant competitive procurement processes, contract negotiations, and vendor management within the UK public sector.
• Experience planning and delivering cross-functional projects, system migrations, or centralising services across multi-disciplinary teams.
• Direct experience working within a Multi-Academy Trust (MAT) or the broader UK education sector and familiarity with Hertfordshire / HfL financial policies or public sector procurement frameworks is advantageous.

Skills & Attributes

• Advanced proficiency in data management, Google Suite, financial/P2P software, and building/maintaining tracking registers or visual dashboards.
• Outstanding communication skills with the confidence to collaborate effectively with Trust Directors, Headteachers, Trustees, site managers, and external vendors.
• Highly self-motivated with the ability to plan and manage your workload independently, paired with a meticulous eye for detail to identify anomalies and ensure compliance.
• Experience with school due diligence, academy conversions, or MIS system management (e.g., Arbor, Compass, Bromcom) is desirable

About Us

Ambition Education Trust is a collaborative education trust made up of 11 schools located in and around St Albans. We are deeply committed to our vision to provide educational excellence for all and work to foster an environment based on community, sustainable progress and partnership to improve educational outcomes for all our pupils.

Why Join Us?

At Ambition Education Trust, we believe in meaningful professional growth and link our CPD closely to our appraisal process, ensuring you are supported to excel in your career.

Key benefits to being an employee of The Ambition Education Trust:

• Friendly working environment with supportive and caring colleagues
• Extensive staff wellbeing programme
• Generous pension benefits
• Excellent facilities with significant recent investment
• All staff encouraged and supported in their professional development
• Desirable location to live or work with great transport links and perfectly located for job seekers from Herts, Beds, Bucks and North and West London

If you are a detail-oriented professional looking to make a visible impact across our schools, we would love to hear from you.

For further details please visit https://www.ambitioneducationtrust.org

Closing Date for applications: 23rd October 2026 - 9am

Interview Date: 27th October 2026

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. This post is subject to an enhanced DBS check.

We are an equal opportunities employer and welcome applications from all suitably qualified candidates. We seek to ensure that all our staff feel valued, supported and enjoy exceptional professional development opportunities. For more information about Ambition Education Trust please visit our website.