Operations Manager

Permanent, Full-time, Full Year Contract

Salary: Competitive

About Whitgift School

Whitgift is one of Britain’s leading independent boarding and day schools for boys aged between 10 and 18 years, with approximately 1500 pupils and over one hundred boarding pupils. It is set in an attractive 48-acre parkland site in South Croydon enjoying excellent links to London, Surrey and the south coast.

Key Responsibilities

Reporting to the Director of Estates & Facilities, the Operations Manager will play a key role in overseeing the day-to-day operational management of the school site, ensuring that facilities, services and events are delivered to the highest standard. This includes responsibility for logistics and coordination across facilities, catering, cleaning, security and health and safety. The successful candidate will lead on the planning and delivery of a busy year-round programme of school events, managing all associated logistics, stakeholders and resources. They will also oversee compliance and maintenance programmes, manage key service contracts, and ensure the effective operation of all estates-related services. This is a varied and high-impact role involving leadership of operational teams, oversight of contractors and suppliers, and contribution to budget planning and service improvement initiatives.

Opportunity Overview

This is an exciting opportunity for a highly organised and adaptable professional to make a significant contribution to the operational excellence of a leading independent school.

Application Process

We invite interested candidates to apply as soon as possible as applications will be reviewed on a daily basis, and interviews may take place at any time. This vacancy may close earlier than the stated deadline if sufficient applications are received, so early submission is encouraged.

Commitment to Diversity

We welcome applications from all parts of our community as we aspire to attract staff that match the social and cultural diversity of our student intake.

Child Protection and Safeguarding

Whitgift School (part of the John Whitgift Foundation) is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Where applicable, applicants must be willing to undergo child protection screening including checks with past employers and the Disclosure and Barring Service and online media checks. It is an offence to apply for a role at the school if you know that you are barred from regulated activity with children. All roles within the school involve contact with children and are therefore classed as regulated activity. Child protection and safeguarding are the responsibility of everyone who works or volunteers in our school. All staff must be committed to providing a safe environment for children and supporting the school’s safeguarding ethos.

Rehabilitation of Offenders Act Exemption

The post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. Applicants are required to declare all convictions and cautions, even those that are “spent” unless they are “protected” under the DBS filtering rules, to assess suitability to work with children. Shortlisted candidates will be asked to disclose information relevant to safeguarding prior to interview.