School Business Manager

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:

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

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

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