Chief Operating Officer

CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER (COO) – STAMFORD PARK TRUST – Ashton-u-Lyne, Greater Manchester.

Permanent, full-time

Start: Negotiable, as soon as possible

Salary: c £75,000 plus membership of the Local Government Pension Scheme. 

Relocation: A generous relocation allowance may be available where the employee’s new home is reasonably close to the workplace and the former home is not.

This is a vital appointment for our growing, but local, Greater Manchester-based Multi-Academy Trust. Reporting to the CEO, and the Trustees, the Chief Operating Officer has the primary responsibility for the financial management of the Trust and its three Academies, and for supporting the Chief Executive Officer in the strategic development and operation of the MAT, while providing high quality strategic leadership and professional line management of the Finance, HR, Estates, and IT teams as well as our central services staff. As a critical member of our small Executive Team, the postholder will enjoy ample opportunity both to incrementally improve and to transform our systems. The successful candidate will help shape our strategy, informing our decisions with sound financial acumen.

Stamford Park Trust is a Multi-Academy Trust founded by Ashton Sixth Form College, an Outstanding 16-19 College in Tameside, Greater Manchester. In June 2020, the transfer to the Trust of two local 11-16 High Schools, Longdendale and Rayner Stephens, was approved by the Regional School Commissioner, and the two schools are now integrated into the MAT and firmly established on their improvement trajectories.

We are looking for a qualified accountant, ideally with experience in education OR the charitable sector OR the public sector; someone with high levels of technical competence and the personal skills to communicate complexity clearly. The Trust’s finances are robust, and we are seeking a capable Operations Director/ Manager to provide the professional direction and leadership of our non-teaching functions such as finance, risk management, procurement, facilities, estates, ICT, HR and health & safety.

Stamford Park Trust and our Academies are situated in Tameside, close to the M67, with a direct commute from much of the North West, Manchester, Bolton, Bury, Stockport, Oldham, Warrington, Rochdale, Merseyside and the towns and cities of North Derbyshire, South and West Yorkshire. 

The role will suit:

• A qualified accountant (with a recognised accountancy qualification such as ACA, ACCA, CIPFA or CIMA) who has a thorough understanding of financial policies and procedures.
• Someone with a good track record of working at a senior level in Finance, ideally (but not essentially) in Education, OR a similar sector e.g., Charity, Local Authority, the NHS, the Prison Service, Private Hospitals, Hotels etc.
• Someone with excellent communication skills.

We would like the successful applicant to take up post as soon as possible, but we understand that we will need to be flexible, to meet your notice requirements.

There is, of course, no requirement that you are a teacher.

Potential candidates are very welcome to contact our advisers ASDTi on 07736 775776 to arrange a visit to the Trust.

Stamford Park Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. This post is subject to an enhanced Disclosure & Barring Service check.

Further details and a full application pack are available from our advisers ASDTi by visiting and downloading from www.sptcoo.co.uk by e-mailing gm@asdti.eu or by call ing 07736 775776. Please note, however, that (in common with most UK Schools and Colleges) we do not accept CVs.

ASDTi are available, on our behalf, during evenings and weekends as well and would be pleased to discuss your application, career or relocation expectations.

Closing date for applications: 30th June 2022, at 8pm, by e-mail to gm@asdti.eu 

Interviews will most likely be held during week commencing 4th July 2022.