Chief Operating Officer (COO) Vacancy

The Chief Operating Officer (COO) is a key member of the Executive Leadership Team, reporting directly to the Chief Executive, Principal & Artistic Director (CEPAD). The role provides strategic leadership across the School’s finance, operations, corporate and charitable governance functions, ensuring the organisation is financially sustainable, operationally effective and governed to the highest standards in support of its academic, artistic and commercial ambitions.

The COO has executive responsibility for Finance, Human Resources, Corporate and Charity Governance, Buildings and Estates, Development and Communications, Participation and Outreach, IT, and organisational infrastructure. Managing the Heads of these departments, the postholder ensures that the School’s people, resources, systems and professional services are aligned to deliver organisational priorities, enable innovation and support long-term resilience and growth.

As executive lead for finance, risk, and charity and corporate governance and compliance, and serving as Company Secretary, the COO is responsible for maintaining robust financial management, effective internal controls, statutory, charitable and regulatory compliance, and organisational accountability. Working closely with the Board of Trustees, Executive Leadership Team and external stakeholders, the postholder plays a central role in strategic planning, risk management and the delivery of sustainable organisational performance.

We are looking for a leader with a broad range of skills and experience who can provide executive leadership across the professional services at the heart of our School, including finance, governance, human resources, estates, IT and digital infrastructure, development and communications, participation and outreach. You will bring these functions together around a shared purpose, building confidence, encouraging collaboration and supporting colleagues to do their best work, while ensuring that our communications and brand reflect Rambert School’s distinctive voice and ambitions.

You do not need to come from a dance background, but you will need to understand what makes a small, specialist and creative institution different. We value excellence, innovation, community and learning, and we believe that excellence comes in many forms. I am looking for someone who shares those values: someone thoughtful and strategic, commercially alert, willing to be hands-on and genuinely excited by what operational excellence can make possible.