Chief Operating Officer (COO) Part Time

The salary will rise incrementally to L14 (FTE £74,764) following successful completion of a 6-month probationary period, and an annual performance review.

Start date January 2025 or sooner.

We are seeking a dynamic and experienced professional to join our highly successful leadership team at a leading national Sixth Form College located in the historic city of Cambridge. Due to the College’s recent growth and its tradition of innovation and excellence, we are expanding the College’s senior team with a new senior post offering a great opportunity for an ambitious person to deliver at executive level in a part time post. This role will be pivotal as we take the College forward to the next level to achieve its strategic objectives and further expansion.

You will already be an excellent leader with substantial experience in a senior management role, incorporating strategic and operational management skills, with a track record of developing high performing teams. You will be a clear strategic thinker with an entrepreneurial mindset and the ability to maximise opportunities for the College, particularly in relation to addressing the climate emergency with best practice sustainability measures. With appropriate expertise in estates and project management, data control, health and safety, risk and policy management as well as network and IT infrastructure, you will be a strong communicator with a motivational and collaborative approach.

If you think your knowledge, skills and experience match the brief, we want to hear from you. We are flexible about sector background, providing you share our passion for continuous improvement and are committed to the success of the College, its students, staff and wider stakeholders.

For someone with drive, energy and enthusiasm, the College will provide a stimulating, supportive and exciting environment in which to take forward your career.

We offer a wide range of competitive benefits including a generous pension scheme, free use of the College sporting facilities, free on-site parking, cycle to work scheme, as well as discounts on all our Adult Education courses.

Details and an application form for the above post may be obtained from our website https://www.hillsroad.ac.uk/about-us/current-vacancies. The College reserves the right to close the recruitment sooner than stated, therefore you are encouraged to apply early.

If you would like any general information about the application procedure, please speak to the College’s Human Resources partner for this appointment, Josie Ferrante on 01223 278063, or email Josie directly at jferrante@hillsroad.ac.uk.

Closing date: Monday 7th October 2024 at 9:00 am

Interviews: Thursday 17th October 2024

The College is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of its students and staff and expects all members of the College community, volunteers and visitors to share this commitment. The College actively promotes equality and diversity and welcomes applications from all sections of the community.

Information for applicants

Background

Hills Road Sixth Form College is the top-performing state sector Sixth Form College in the country. We offer a forward-thinking, collaborative and supportive working environment, with thoroughly engaged and enthusiastic students and staff.

The Chief Operating Officer plays a key role in the College Strategy Team (CST) contributing in all aspects to the effective and successful leadership of the College with a particular focus on strong operational management. Organisational Structure

The senior team (College Strategy Team) will comprise six posts in total:

• Principal
• Deputy Principal
• Vice Principal, Staff and Student Learning
• Vice Principal, Student Progression and Support
• Chief Operating Officer (3 days part time) – new role
• Chief Financial Officer (3 days part time) – revised role

The CST meet weekly to discuss a range of operational and strategic issues. Staff briefings take place weekly digitally, and there are regular face to face and online staff meetings. During the summer term, two weeks are dedicated to staff development. The post holder is required to attend Corporation and Audit Committee meetings throughout the year, these are usually held in the evening (circa 12 meetings per year).

Job Description

Chief Operating Officer

Purpose: To be responsible for the strategic leadership and management of Estates and Facilities, Sustainability, Information Technology, Data Protection, Audit and Risk, including Business Continuity, Procurement and Contracts, and Health and Safety, ensuring excellence beyond legislative compliance, and to take the lead in the design, development and delivery of appropriate policies, procedures and best practice.

Appointed by: The Board of Governors

Reports to: The Principal

Main Accountabilities

Estates

• Lead on the development of the College’s Estates Strategy and successful implementation of capital projects to realise the College’s educational objectives and strategic aims
• Ensure that the maintenance of the College’s Estate is monitored and that the Planned Maintenance Programme is implemented and updated on a regular basis; and that the Estate and facilities are safe and well maintained in a cost effective and sustainable manner, and in compliance with statutory obligations
• Manage applications of annual CIF bids, project manage the work on site from successful bids, and be accountable for the budget and reporting to the Chief Finance Officer and the Principal
• Actively seek additional funding from grants or other relevant sources
• Appraise options and manage significant estates developments (projects over £1 million) working closely with professional advisors to ensure the delivery of projects on time and within budget
• Be responsible for the procurement process to select and appoint design teams and contractors for significant estates developments.

Information Technology and Network Infrastructure

• Act with the Director of Digital Strategy to ensure that the College’s network infrastructure is resilient and robust meeting 100% up time targets
• Ensure that the College is planning and investing ahead in relation to its virtual and physical network with a four-year financial and implementation plan for server and switch replacement
• Optimise the annual physical hardware refresh cycle by seeking best value and sustainability goals through each procurement process
• Ensure that the IT Services Team sustains a level of customer service excellence in relation to internal and external customer expectations and sector best practice
• Produce and maintain KPIs in relation to IT service provision across the College seeking continual improvements in line with the Colleges strategic goals.

Sustainability

• Deliver on our commitment to reduce our carbon footprint by 50% (against 2018-19 levels) by 2030
• Develop robust data systems for measuring and addressing emissions, including Scope 3, in order to contribute to the 50% reduction by 2030
• Continue to invest in our site infrastructure to ensure it is as green and energy efficient as possible
• Find creative ways to develop the biodiversity of our campus through innovative use of outdoor space
• Develop a food and waste strategy and drive improvements on energy reduction
• Implement measures that enable staff and students to make greener travel choices more readily.

Health and Safety

• Lead on ensuring policies are legislatively current, fit for purpose and fully compliant including Health and Safety, critical incidents, environmental health and safeguarding the welfare of staff and students.
• Oversee Health and Safety procedures
• Oversee the development and implementation of a College Environmental Strategy including creation of an action plan to meet climate goal targets by 2030 and 2050
• Chair and oversee the work of the Health and Safety committee, including taking responsibility for its agenda, papers and cycle of business.

Legislative Compliance

• Ensure that policies, procedures and training are reviewed annually and consistently applied in line with the College’s statutory obligations, including compliance with Health and Safety legislation and best practice
• Ensure that Trips and Visits processes and First Aid arrangements are effective and that they comply with Health and Safety requirements, liaising with the Deputy Principal and all relevant colleagues to deliver best practice in this regard
• Ensure the College is prepared to meet or exceed any other emerging or newly introduced legislative requirements.

Risk Management and Audit

• Ensure that appropriate strategic and operational policies, procedures and practices are in place at all levels of the organisation to ensure best practice risk management and business continuity
• Ensure appropriate insurance is in place and tendered in a timely and compliant manner, including reporting annually on arrangements to Audit Committee
• Take the lead in the co-ordination and production of the termly review of the College’s Risk Register and Board Assurance Framework
• Lead on the planning of Internal Auditors’ appointments and audit programmes
• Manage the process of Internal Audit with the College Auditors, the Clerk to the Corporation and College staff as appropriate, to co-ordinate management responses to their reports and ensure timely follow up of accepted recommendations.

Data Protection

• To provide strategic management for Data Protection and to ensure compliance with statutory obligations
• Ensure that staff receive regular Data Protection training on induction and periodically thereafter in line with internal policy
• Be aware of and comply with responsibilities under the Data Protection Act (2018) for the security, accuracy and significance of personal data held on paper or electronic systems.

Other duties

• Ensure clear and effective lines of communication throughout the College
• Ensure effective leadership of the work of relevant groups relating to finance and operations
• Take the lead, in the post-holder’s areas of specific responsibility for elements of the Strategic Plan, Self-Assessment Report and Quality Improvement Plan.

Line Management

• Take day-to-day responsibility for the management and appraisal of the work of the:

o Director of Estates and Facilities

o Director of Digital Strategy

o Sustainability Lead.

Other:

• Undertake any other duties which may arise and are within the scope of the post.
• Promote equality of opportunity in accordance with the College’s Equality and Diversity Scheme.
• Ensure compliance with all College policies and procedures, this includes those where each member of staff has an individual duty to act and for which the College can be held vicariously responsible for the actions of its employees: Equality and diversity, Safeguarding the welfare of young people, Health and safety.

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