COO - Special Schools

Reports to: Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

Responsible for: Growth Strategy, Commissioning, Finance, HR, Estates, IT, Compliance, and Operations Teams

Purpose of the Role:

The Chief Operating Officer (COO) will be a key member of the Executive Leadership Team (ELT), responsible for ensuring the effective and efficient operational management of the organisation. You will lead the establishment and expansion of a new group of schools catering for students with SEN.

The COO will oversee non-educational functions including finance, human resources, estates management, compliance, ICT, health & safety, and risk management, enabling the CEO, Headteachers, and education leaders to focus on delivering outstanding education and care for children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).

The role requires a strategic leader with the ability to deliver operational excellence, support growth, and maintain compliance with statutory frameworks relevant to SEND education in the UK.

Responsibilities will include (but are not limited to):

• Establish and expand new SEND schools
• Provide strategic leadership to the schools
• Oversee operational management
• Ensure systems are in place for Ofsted compliance
• Operations and compliance
• Strategic leadership
• People and culture
• Technology and innovation

Person Specification:

• Demonstrable success in managing multi-site operations at COO, or equivalent senior
• Experience in establishing and growing SEND schools, including operational project management of new school openings.
• Strong understanding of SEND education context, legislation, and regulatory requirements in the UK.
• Proven ability to lead multidisciplinary teams and deliver organisational change.
• Demonstrable financial acumen with experience managing multi-million-pound budgets.
• Excellent communication, negotiation, and stakeholder management skills.
• Commitment to inclusion, safeguarding, and improving outcomes for children and young people with SEND.
• Extensive knowledge of commissioning processes and local authority funding agreements.

To explore this role further, please get in touch with Abbey from Panoramic Associates.

We are an equal opportunities employer and welcome applications from all suitably qualified candidates.