Ambitious about Autism
Head of Business and Operations
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Head of Business and Operations at TreeHouse School
Location: TreeHouse School, Woodside Ave, N10 3JA
Salary: £59,000 to £63,000 per annum (depending on skills and experience)
Start date: January 2027 (scope to start earlier)
About TreeHouse School:
TreeHouse School, part of Ambitious about Autism, is an Ofsted Outstanding specialist school supporting children and young people aged 4–19 with autism and complex learning needs. We are committed to providing an exceptional learning environment where every pupil can thrive and achieve their full potential.
The Opportunity:
We are looking for an experienced and dynamic Head of Business & Operations to join our Senior Leadership Team. This is a unique opportunity to play a central role in the leadership of the school, ensuring our operational services enable outstanding education and the very best outcomes for our pupils. Reporting directly to the Headteacher, you will provide strategic leadership across the school's business functions, leading operational teams and ensuring the effective delivery of services that support pupils, staff and families.
Your areas of responsibility will include:
- Finance – leading budget planning, financial monitoring, resource allocation, and financial oversight to ensure value for money and support school priorities.
- Property & Facilities – leading the school's estate, health & safety, compliance, and facilities management, ensuring a safe and effective learning environment.
- Operations & Administration – leading the school's operational support functions, including the Office Manager, reception/front desk, senior administration and wider operations team, ensuring effective systems, processes and service delivery.
- HR & Employee Relations – working alongside Ambitious about Autism's central People Team to support recruitment, employee relations, workforce planning, and staff development whilst providing advice and support to managers.
- Strategic Projects – driving operational improvements, developing systems, and supporting the future growth and development of the school.
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As a member of the Senior Leadership Team, you'll contribute to the strategic direction of the school while leading and developing high-performing operational teams. Every operational decision ultimately supports our pupils. We are looking for a leader who shares our commitment to enabling autistic children and young people to thrive and achieve their full potential.
What We Are Looking For:
We are looking for somebody who:
- Has strong financial and operational leadership experience.
- Is a strategic and commercially minded leader who can balance operational excellence with long-term planning.
- Is confident leading, motivating and developing teams.
- Can make difficult decisions and have challenging conversations with empathy and professionalism.
- Is emotionally intelligent, approachable, and resilient.
- Remains calm under pressure and thinks clearly when faced with unexpected challenges.
- Enjoys improving systems, solving problems, and making a genuine impact.
- Shares our commitment to delivering exceptional outcomes for autistic children and young people.
Working in a specialist autism school means you'll be part of a fast-paced, varied and incredibly rewarding environment. The role requires someone who is adaptable, solutions-focused, and comfortable leading in a setting where operational challenges can arise unexpectedly.
Why Join Us?
- Be part of an Ofsted Outstanding specialist autism school.
- Join an ambitious, collaborative and values driven leadership team.
- Play a key role in shaping the future of one of the UK's leading specialist education settings.
- Access professional development opportunities through Ambitious about Autism.
- Make a tangible difference to the lives and outcomes of autistic children and young people.
Recruitment Process:
The selection process will include a formal interview and a range of work related exercises designed to assess leadership, strategic thinking, and operational expertise.
Closing date for the role: Wednesday 2nd of September at 12am
Shortlisting for the role: Thursday 3rd of September
Outcome of your application: Thursday 3rd/Friday 4th of September
Interview dates: Tuesday 8th and Wednesday 9th of September
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Ambitious About Autism is committed to fostering equity, diversity, and inclusion at every level of our organisation. We warmly welcome applications from all qualified candidates, valuing the diverse backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives they bring. We encourage applications from individuals regardless of race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origins, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital or civil partnership status, pregnancy or parental status, disability, or age.
Our recruitment process promotes equal opportunities, and we are committed to providing reasonable adjustments for candidates with disabilities or additional needs throughout the recruitment process. Please contact our Recruitment Team for accommodations. We recognise disability as a physical or mental impairment that significantly and long-term affects a person's ability to perform day-to-day activities, as defined by the UK Equality Act 2010. All applications will be considered solely on merit, aligned with our mission to support autistic children and young people.
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 are as per the job description and person specification.
Whether the post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the amendments to the Exceptions Order 1975, 2013 and 2021. 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.
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