Business Operations & Compliance Officer in Cheltenham

The role where organisation meets impact, and no two days are ever the same! Are you the kind of person who thrives on variety, loves solving problems, enjoys building relationships, and somehow manages to keep multiple plates spinning without breaking a sweat? Do you believe that compliance isn't about ticking boxes….it's about creating safe, successful environments where people can flourish? If so, we might have just found your next adventure!

Why This Role Matters

At Little Way Catholic Educational Trust, we're on a mission to create exceptional schools where children, staff and communities can thrive. Behind every successful school is a strong operational foundation, and that's where you come in. As our Business Compliance & Operations Officer, you'll be at the heart of the Trust, helping ensure our schools remain safe, compliant and ready for whatever comes next. You’ll work closely with school business leaders, administrators and our Chief Finance Officer, acting as a trusted advisor, problem solver, critical friend and champion of continuous improvement.

This isn't a role for someone who likes every day to look the same. One morning you could be supporting a Headteacher with safeguarding compliance, by lunchtime reviewing website requirements, and by the afternoon coordinating a Trust-wide operational project. The pace is fast, the work is varied, and the impact is real.

What You’ll Be Doing

You’ll become the Trust's compliance champion, helping our schools stay inspection-ready, audit-ready and future-ready. You’ll:

• Be the person who spots issues before they become problems.
• Support schools to navigate complex and ever changing regulatory requirements.
• Build strong relationships across our academies.
• Lead compliance reviews and assurance activities.
• Drive improvements across HR, IT, Estates, and operational systems.
• Coordinate projects that help our Trust grow stronger, smarter and more effective.
• Turn data into meaningful insights that support better decision-making.
• Help create consistency while recognising every school's unique context.
• In short…you'll make things happen.

The Person We’re Looking For

We’re not just looking for school based experience. We’re looking for mindset. Someone who:

• Loves being organised but can think on their feet.
• Enjoys working with people as much as working with processes.
• Can confidently challenge and support in equal measure.
• Sees obstacles as puzzles waiting to be solved.
• Can juggle competing priorities without losing sight of what matters most – our Pupils.
• Has a positive, can‑do attitude and believes “there must be a way” is always better than “it can't be done.”
• Understands that compliance is about protecting people, not paperwork.
• Is comfortable thinking in an operational mindset.

What’s Different About This Role?

This role is what you make it. Yes, you'll be leading the daily compliance assurance across the Trust. But you’ll also have the opportunity to shape projects, influence improvements, develop new systems, build relationships and leave your mark on how we operate. Whether your interests lie in HR, estates, IT, operational leadership, project management, organisational development or Trust growth, there is space here to grow. We’re looking for someone who wants to contribute, innovate and develop, not simply maintain what we currently do and have.

Why Join Us?

Because we know high performance works best when it’s balanced with support, trust and wellbeing. You’ll join a team that:

• Values collaboration over hierarchy.
• Celebrates initiative and fresh ideas.
• Supports professional growth and development.
• Understands that great outcomes come from great relationships.
• Shares a genuine commitment to making a difference for children and schools.

You’ll be trusted, supported and encouraged to bring your whole self to work.

The Bottom Line

This is more than a compliance role. It’s:

• A people role.
• A problem-solving role.
• A relationship‑building role.
• A project role.
• A leadership role.
• A role where you’ll influence, improve, support, challenge and make a difference every single day.

If you’re looking for a career that combines purpose, pace, variety and opportunity, and you’re ready to become the person schools turn to when they need things done well, we’d love to hear from you. Because at Little Way Catholic Educational Trust, compliance isn’t just about meeting standards. Its about little acts, being done with great love, to make a big difference.