School Business Manager Job Vacancy

School Business Manager
Required to start January 2010
Salary: Negotiable

A school located in prime area of Nairobi and neighbouring three other well established schools is seeking to appoint a School Business Manager to manage, advise and oversee the work of the marketing, finance, administrative, premises and human resource functions of the school. This is a strategic and managerial role and the post holder will play key role in the increase of student enrolment and the continued development of the school.

The school is a co-educational high school offering both the Kenya’s 8-4-4 system of education and the UK’s I.G.C.S.E system of education. We believe that achievement in all areas of school life should be rewarded and celebrated. We challenge our students to excel in academic, cultural and sporting activities and we are committed to providing an excellent standard of education and every possible opportunity for our young people to thrive and develop.

The closing date for application is Tuesday 9th December 2009 and interviews will take place on 16th December 2009. If you do not receive an invitation to interview within 3 days of the closing date please assume that you have not been short-listed.

Job Description

The School Business Manager has primary responsibility for the marketing of the school, management of the school’s financial resources and for the management of administrative matters and aspects of personnel and premises management. The School Business Manager will be a member of the Senior Leadership Team with collective responsibility for the success of the School.

Duties and Responsibilities

Management and Accountability

The School Business Manager is managed by and directly accountable to the Headteacher. Effective and diplomatic liaison and a team approach are crucial to the successful performance of the School Business Manager’s duties. The Job Description offers an indication of the main areas of responsibility of the post, but the successful candidate will be expected to perform any such duties and activities relating to the finances, general administration, staffing and premises as the Headteacher and Directors may reasonably request.

The School Business Manager has overall responsibility for all support staff in the school and direct line management responsibility for the support staff team leaders. As line manager, the School Business Manager, will liaise on a daily basis with the school’s Administrative staff, Premises staff and as necessary with other support staff in liaison with the Deputy Headteacher and Team Leaders.

A. Financial Management

The School Business Manager will have day-to-day responsibility for the financial affairs of the school. He or she, in full co-operation with the Headteacher, will play a leading role in initially preparing the budget. He or she will monitor and manage the school budget set by the Directors, ensuring that spending is rigorously monitored, controlled and reported and that systems are in place to facilitate the proper recording of all financial matters.

Specifically, he or she will:

• Manage the computer-based system to operate and account for the school’s budget.
• Annually prepare and continuously review the school’s budget for income and expenditure, in accordance with recognised accounting standards and practices and priorities set by the Headteacher and Governors.
• On a monthly basis, prepare and present to the Headteacher, statements of the school’s financial position, including estimates and projections to year-end and prepare the termly budget monitoring report for Directors.
• Advise the Headteacher and Directors of the financial consequences of decisions and options open to them, including the presentation of proposals for the most effective use of the school’s resources.
• Ensure that adequate systems and procedures are devised, operated and maintained to properly manage all the school’s financial affairs.
• Ensure the operation of effective purchasing and procurement systems and procedures across the school.
• Ensure the safe custody of all cash and bank balances held by the school.
• Liaise with the appropriate school personnel and appropriated outside agencies over the preparation of Service Level Agreements and of tenders for service contracts and advise on their financial consequences.

B. Administrative Management

The School Business Manager will have direct responsibility for the management of the school’s administrative staff, ensuring their effective deployment and performance of duties and making proper arrangements for their appraisal, professional development, training and discipline.

The School Business Manager will also have responsibility for managing personnel and staffing functions for all support staff and where appropriate for teaching staff.

Specifically he or she will:

• Ensure at all times that he/she and his/her team provides all the administrative services, appropriate support, information and action required by the Headteacher to effectively discharge her/his duties.
• Ensure the provision of office and reception services, including typing, secretarial and photocopy services and the establishment and monitoring of performance management indicators.
• Ensure that the Directors Board and Committee Meetings are fully serviced.
• Manage the collection, collation and distribution of all statutory returns.
• Co-ordinate the provision of personnel and staff services for all types of staff, including assisting in the arrangements for the appointment of staff, maintenance of appropriate personnel records.
• Liaise with appropriate school staff over Health and Safety matters concerning all buildings, grounds, vehicles and equipment and the condition, maintenance, development and letting of the school’s facilities.

C. Premises Management

In support of the Headteacher, the School Business Manager will have the following responsibilities:

• Oversight the management of the security and the maintenance of the school site, buildings and grounds and the efficient operation of facilities on the property. To prepare annual maintenance schedules and have oversight of the annual maintenance programme.
• Monitoring the overall cleanliness and general appearance of the building and ensure the school is warm and welcoming at all times.
• Liaison with outside agencies involved in building and maintenance work at the school.
• The dissemination of Health and Safety information to all staff and to arrange staff training on pertinent Health and Safety issues including First Aid.

D. Personnel Management

• Absence monitoring for all staff. Conducting absence/disciplinary interviews where necessary.
• Line manage all non- teaching staff in addition to all administrative staff.

E. School Management

• Ensure that all classes are covered by appropriate teaching staff.
• Respond to requests from teaching staff appropriately.
• Responsible for engaging agency teaching staff when required having due regard to teaching workloads and budget constraints.
• Project manage the smooth transition to new management information system. Ensuring at all times that school information on timetabling, pupil data and staff data is up-to-date.
• Arrange staff training on the use of the new management information system both in-house and off-site.
• Liaise with appropriate staff on the production of the timetable.
• Responsible for timetabling issues and the implementation of the timetable on the new management information system.
• Assist with the setting up of a whole school assessment programme on the management information system.
• Responsible for ensuring that administrative staffing levels are adequate and that staff are adequately trained to meet the demand placed upon them.
• Responsible for keeping the school diary to ensure all events are brought to the attention of the appropriate staff.
• Oversight of the production of the Weekly/Monthly or Termly Bulletin.
• Liaise with appropriate staff to forward plan for school events and to prevent unnecessary clashes of events.

E. Marketing the School

• Develop and implement school marketing plan to immediately increase student population and sustain necessary enrolment levels according to plan.

The actual tasks that will be undertaken or managed by the School Business Manager are stated in the Job Description, but the School Business Manager will also be expected to develop other areas of activities to enhance the post and to fully contribute towards the overall operation of the school.

Personal Specification

• E: Essential
• D: Desirable

Qualifications:

• Degree or equivalent D
• Professional accountancy qualification, such CPA(K) E
• HR/Management qualification D
• Professional marketing qualification. D

Experience:

• Senior Management experience E
• At least Three years’ experience in financial management, including managing budgets D
• Premises management experience D
• Experience working with a range of internal and external partners E
• Experience working in a school D
• Experience of developing effective marketing strategies, administrative systems and procedures E

Management and leadership skills:

• Ability to motivate and lead a multi-disciplinary team E
• Ability to plan collectively. E
• Ability to build good relationships with staff and external contacts E
• Ability to contribute to the raising of achievement and care of students E

Professional knowledge and understanding:

• Sound knowledge of policy regarding financial management, health & safety and human resources E
• Working knowledge of employment law D
• Working knowledge of developing and implementing marketing strategies E

Skills, abilities and personal qualities:

• Strong organisational and planning skills E
• Excellent communication skills, verbal and written E
• Ability to persuade, motivate, negotiate and influence E
• Ability to adapt in a changing role E
• Ability to prioritise and manage conflicting demands E
• Ability and skills to manage change E
• Evidence of a commitment to equal opportunities policies and an understanding of their effective operation within schools. E

How to apply

E Mail: john_omari2009@yahoo.com

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