Ambitious College, part of Ambitious about Autism, is looking for a skilled and motivated Head of Business & Operations to join our senior leadership team. This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced operations professional to play a central role in the effective running and future growth of our specialist college provision.

In this role, you will lead on all aspects of business and operational delivery across Ambitious College sites. This includes finance, HR and people operations, premises and facilities, IT, GDPR, data management, health & safety, administration and service development. Working closely with the Operations Manager and central charity teams, you will ensure that our support services enable outstanding education and outcomes for our learners.

As a member of the Ambitious College Leadership Team and the wider Senior Management Team, you will contribute to organisational strategy, operational planning and quality improvement. You will support the development and delivery of the College Self-Assessment Report (SAR) and Quality Improvement Plan (QIP), ensuring policies, procedures and systems are robust, compliant and consistently applied across all sites.

You will also play a key role in financial planning and management, including budget setting and monitoring, workforce planning, payroll oversight and supporting statutory and external reporting. Alongside this, you will lead and develop high-performing operations and administration teams, fostering a positive, collaborative culture focused on continuous improvement and professional development.

The role includes responsibility for health and safety, property and IT projects, and working with service development colleagues to support the growth of Ambitious College, including new settings and services. You will act as a senior ambassador for the organisation, building strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders.

About you
You will be an approachable and confident leader with strong business and financial acumen, excellent people management skills and experience working in complex or multi-site organisations. You will be highly organised, values-driven and committed to inclusive practice, with a genuine passion for supporting autistic young people to reach their full potential.

Why join Ambitious College?
This is a rewarding opportunity to make a real difference in a forward-thinking, mission-led organisation. You will be part of a supportive leadership team, helping to shape and strengthen specialist education provision while contributing to meaningful social impact.

If you have any questions about the role or would like to have a confidential chat, please contact Stephen Vickers on 020 8815 5439 - svickers@ambitiousaboutautism.org.uk

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 maybe carried out in line with Keeping Children Safe in Education.

The Safeguarding responsibilities of the post as per the job description and personal specification.
Whether the post is exempt from the rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the amendment 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.