Chief Operating Officer - Bedfordshire Schools Trust

Chief Operating Officer

Bedfordshire Schools Trust

Salary/COO Scale: 1-7 (£95,000 - £113,434)

Location: BEST House, Bedfordshire

The closing date: Monday 27 th January 2025 at 9:00 am

Start date: Easter 2025

An exceptional opportunity for a dynamic operations leader to join a successful and expanding Trust.

The Bedfordshire Schools Trust (BEST) is a multi-academy trust providing exceptional education across a community of 11 schools and five nurseries in Bedfordshire.

The Bedfordshire Schools Trust is committed to providing our students with an outstanding education. We are looking for an exceptional Chief Operating Officer to provide strategic leadership and deliver BEST's ethos and values.

This is an exciting role for a motivated and inspirational leader with a passion for seeking to grow the best in everyone.

The successful candidate will have a proven track record in leadership, business management and the ability to negotiate with a wide range of stakeholders.

We are looking for someone who can work as part of the wider Trust team and has a high level of communication with strong problem-solving skills to develop new approaches and accelerate improvement.

The Chief Operating Officer will:

• Establish a prominent level of visibility, credibility and professionalism across our community, leading by example and nurturing BEST's ethos and values
• Provide strategic leadership of BEST's Growth Strategy, delivering targets as set in our vision
• Lead on community engagement (including initiatives such as BEST's Sustainability Strategy), growing BEST's reputation and nurturing positive relationships with all stakeholders
• Lead on Governance across BEST, supporting, monitoring and improving the practice of Local Committees of the Board (LCBs) and reporting to the Board of Trustees (Board)
• Deliver high-quality central services, leading BEST's Operational Plan
• Ensure BEST possesses highly effective systems to manage risk and ensure compliance

To find out more and register your interest in the role, please visit

If you have any questions or queries about the role, please do not hesitate to get in touch by contacting Liz Hayden on or

• The closing date for applications is: Monday 27 th January 2025 at 9:00 am
• Interviews will be held on: Wednesday 5 th and Thursday 6 th February 2025

Bedfordshire Schools Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.