Head of Business and Operations

Join TreeHouse School as its new Head of Business and Operations to spearhead continuous operational/business improvements at this thriving, inclusive school.

Location: Muswell Hill, London
Salary: Circa £65,
Type: Permanent, full time (40 hours per week)
Start date for role: January (or earlier if suitable)

About Ambitious about Autism: our story

At Ambitious about Autism, we are unwavering in our commitment to working with autistic children and young people, advocating for their rights and supporting them to achieve their dreams. We firmly believe that every autistic child and young person has the fundamental right to be themselves and to realise their ambitions.

We are ambitious by name and ambitious by nature! Starting with the opening of TreeHouse School by 4 parents, AaA has become a movement for change. Today, we run both schools and colleges that focus on improving the quality of life of pupils and learners to enable them to learn, thrive and achieve. In addition, our national services provide information and practical support to autistic young people, run a youth network, an internship programme and actively campaign for policy change.

About TreeHouse School:

TreeHouse School is a non-maintained special school for pupils aged 4-19 with autism and learning difficulties. There are currently over [number of pupils] on roll supported by approximately [number of staff] consisting of qualified teachers, teaching assistants, allied health professionals, positive behaviour support staff and operational staff.

It is a thriving and inclusive community devoted to the education and well-being of autistic children and young people across each of its three distinct curriculum pathways, which are tailored to meet the diverse needs of our pupils:

1. Pre-formal
2. Semi-formal
3. Formal

Each pathway focuses on promoting well-being, independence, and social participation, with a strong emphasis on personalised learning and positive behaviour support.

About the role:

The school is graded ‘Outstanding' but as we look to maintain our excellence, we are seeking a new Head of Business and Operations to play a crucial role in supporting the Head (2 years in post) to review and drive continuous improvement. While overseeing the financial and operational aspects of the school, your primary focus will be to work collaboratively with the Headteacher on enhancing efficiencies and effectiveness for improved functioning of the school, its infrastructure, and operations — but most importantly for pupil outcomes.

This role does involve line management of two operations managers as well as other office/operations staff within the school. The immediate challenge and priority for this role will be to evaluate the school's operational model, systems, and processes for monitoring areas outlined in the job description and seek ways to streamline these with innovative solutions.

You will work with the Headteacher to alleviate the administrative burdens from them but importantly support change management where identified/agreed.

Who we are looking for:

We are seeking an experienced professional with background experience and proficiencies in business management and operations management — including management of operational performance and reporting for governance and relationship management (internal and external stakeholders). The ideal candidate will be proficient in financial management and strategic planning.

Having the ability to work collaboratively within a school leadership team will be essential, and you should have excellent communication skills to engage with diverse stakeholders and drive positive change at TreeHouse School. We are looking for a leader who is confident to tackle challenges head-on and drive continuous improvement. While familiarity with educational systems and regulations is desirable, it is more important to come with a proactive mindset and a commitment to enhancing operational efficiency.

Applications for this role close at 12am on Monday 26th of August.

Ambitious about Autism is fully committed to equality of opportunity and diversity and we warmly welcome applications from all suitably-qualified candidates. We welcome applications regardless of race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origins, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, marital or civil partner status, pregnancy or maternity, disability, or age. All applications will be considered solely on merit.

Ambitious about Autism is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and successful candidates will be subject to an Enhanced DBS check. As part of our Safer Recruitment checks, an online search may be carried out in line with Keeping Children Safe in Education.

The Safeguarding responsibilities of the post as per the job description and personal specification. Whether the post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act and the amendment to the Exceptions Order. This means that when applying for certain jobs and activities certain spent convictions and cautions are ‘protected', so they do not need to be disclosed to employers, and if they are disclosed, employers cannot take them into account. Further information about filtering offences can be found in the DBS Filter Guidance.