Chief Operating Officer

Ebor Academy Trust is a forward-thinking, ambitious and inclusive multi-academy trust of 22 schools, soon to be 24. It is a diverse mix of schools providing a quality education provision for over 5000 children and young people from 2 through to 16 years old across Yorkshire and the East Riding. The Trust has been through a period of significant growth since being established in December 2013 and is now recruiting for a new role of Chief Operations Officer (COO). This is an exciting and rare opportunity to have a positive impact on a significant number of young people’s lives by providing the strategic leadership that will sustain, develop and grow the Trust.

Ebor Academy Trust is a values-based organisation focussed on providing great outcomes for pupils, staff and the wider leadership team, including governance. Ebor itself stands for Excellence, Belonging, Opportunity and Respect. The new COO must share and live these values.

The COO will work closely with the CEO to provide the Trust with the clarity of leadership that will take it forward to the next phase of its growth.  They will have responsibility for the strategic leadership and management of all non-academic aspects of the Trust including Finance, HR, Estates and Facilities, ICT, Marketing and leading on projects including the expansion of the Trust. At all times the key driver must be to support the achievement of outstanding educational outcomes for the students by ensuring the provision of effective and efficient operational support. 

If you are an ambitious leader with the ability to plan strategically and translate that into effective operational practice, then this is an outstanding opportunity to challenge yourself in a new setting.  Previous experience in education is not essential. You will have particular strengths in finance and estates with responsibility for ensuring financial compliance with statutory and legal requirements; as well as being responsible for financial management and reporting across the schools. This will include developing optimum budgets for each Academy and the Trust and a strategic forward financial plan.

You must have a high level of commercial acumen alongside experience of working at a strategic level as part of a senior management team implementing service improvement. You will be a highly motivated individual with a positive, can-do attitude and the ability to engage and motivate a diverse and multi-disciplined team of professionals. You will have the creativity and vision to inspire and lead change together with the focus to ensure successful outcomes are reached. Importantly, you must be committed to the educational vision and values of the Trust.

To find out more about this exceptional opportunity please visit:

hays.co.uk/jobs/ebor-academy-trust

For a confidential discussion about the role or to make an application, please contact Martin Blair at Hays Leadership Appointments.

Recruitment timeline

Closing date – 8am, 27^th May

First interviews – 3^rd to 6^th June

Shortlisting – 10^th June

Final Interviews – 17^th and 18^th June