School Business Manager

Job description

Buckinghamshire | Onsite | September start | 3-6 month contract

Competitive day rate (umbrella)

Panoramic Associates is supporting an Academy Trust with their search for an experienced Interim School Business Manager to join a special school in Buckinghamshire. This is a key senior operational post, supporting the Principal and leadership team by ensuring the school's business functions run efficiently, compliantly and sustainably.

You'll take day-to-day lead across finance oversight (budget monitoring/forecasting and reporting), HR operations (recruitment/induction/employee relations in liaison with central HR), health & safety / estates and facilities compliance, procurement and contract management, GDPR/data protection, and academy administration systems. You'll also contribute to governance support, including preparing reports and attending relevant meetings as needed.

Please note: the trust has a dedicated CFO and Finance Manager, so you'll be involved in accounts and reporting, but won't hold sole end-to-end finance responsibility.

Key responsibilities:

• Provide operational leadership across the school's business functions and advise the Principal/leadership team
• Budget monitoring, forecasting and reporting (with central finance), plus oversight of day-to-day finance activity
• Lead operational HR processes with central HR support, including safer recruitment and induction
• Own academy-level compliance: SCR / safer recruitment records, GDPR, policies and statutory requirements
• Oversee estates/site, H&S and risk management, including contractors, inspections and record-keeping
• Procurement, contracts and supplier management to secure best value
• Line-manage the school's admin function and coordinate wider support teams via relevant managers

Criteria:

• Proven SBM (or equivalent senior school operations) experience - ideally within an academy
• Strong grounding in budgeting/reporting, HR processes, H&S/compliance, and SCR/KCSIE
• Confident producing clear written reports and working with senior stakeholders/governance
• Calm, pragmatic, and able to stabilise and improve systems quickly in an interim post
• Special school/SEND experience is helpful, but not essential

Contract details

• Start: September 2026 (or as close as possible)
• Length: 3-6 months
• Location: Onsite, Buckinghamshire
• Rate: Competitive day rate (umbrella)
• Interviews: This week

Extra information

Status

Open

Education Level

Secondary School

Location

Buckinghamshire

Type of Contract

Full-time jobs

Published at

05-08-2026

Profession type

Teaching / Instructors / Guides

Full UK/EU driving license preferred

No

Car Preferred

No

Must be eligible to work in the EU

No

Cover Letter Required

No

Languages

English