Senior Operations Manager

Role Purpose

The Senior Operations Manager plays a critical role in driving operational excellence across AISL Harrow Schools, ensuring consistently high standards that enhance community experience, deliver cost efficiency, and strengthen governance and operational control.

Working closely with school leadership teams, Group functions, and service partners, the role provides oversight, assurance, and continuous improvement across core operational services, with a particular emphasis on Catering Quality Assurance and HACCP or equivalent standards, multi-site consistency, and vendor performance.

REPORTING LINE:

Associate Director of Operations

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES:

Operational Excellence, Governance and Control

• Act as a Group-level operational partner to schools, ensuring clear standards, effective controls, and disciplined execution across key operational services.
• Strengthen governance by monitoring performance, identifying risks, and driving timely resolution of issues that impact service quality, compliance, or reputation.
• Enable consistent, scalable operating practices while allowing for appropriate local adaptation.

Catering Quality Assurance and HACCP or equivalent Oversight

• Lead the implementation, monitoring, and continuous improvement of the Group Catering Quality Assurance Framework across all AISL Harrow Schools.
• Provide framework and mechanism to assure that catering operations meet agreed HACCP or equivalent requirements, food safety standards, and Group quality expectations.
• Oversee catering audits, corrective action plans, and trend analysis to address systemic issues and prevent recurrence.
• Partner with schools and catering providers to raise food quality, service experience, and stakeholder confidence.
• Provide clear reporting on catering performance, risks, and improvement outcomes to Group Operations leadership.

Community Experience and Service Quality

• Champion a service-led operational culture that positively shapes the day-to-day experience of students, staff, and families.
• Translate feedback, performance data, and observations into practical improvements that matter to school communities.
• Support schools in embedding consistent, high-quality service delivery aligned with Harrow values.

Vendor Performance and Value for Money

• Drive strong vendor performance through clear expectations, performance monitoring, and constructive challenge.
• Support sourcing, mobilisation, and contract optimisation for key operational and catering services.
• Identify and deliver opportunities for cost efficiency and value enhancement without compromising quality.

Strategic and Project Support

• Support new school openings, expansions, and Group operational \& sustainability initiatives, ensuring readiness, coordination, and disciplined delivery.
• Provide structured tracking of progress, risks, and dependencies, enabling informed decision-making at Group level.

What Success Looks Like

• Consistent application of the Group Catering QA and HACCP or equivalent framework across schools
• Visible improvements in catering quality, service experience, and audit outcomes
• Strong governance with fewer recurring operational escalations
• Improved cost control and demonstrable value-for-money outcomes
• Trusted partnership with school leaders and service providers

Experience and Capability

• Bachelor’s degree in Operations Management, Hospitality Management, Facilities Management, Business Administration, or a related discipline.
• Professional training or certification in Catering Quality Assurance, Food Safety, or HACCP is strongly preferred.
• 6\+ years’ experience in group-level operations roles within schools, hospitality, institutional, or other service-led, multi-site environments.
• Proven expertise in catering operations and catering quality assurance, including HACCP and/or equivalent frameworks.
• Proven track record of driving service quality, consistency, and compliance across multiple locations or sites.
• Strong experience managing outsourced service providers, with the ability to influence performance through governance, KPIs, and constructive challenge.
• Experience supporting or leading operational improvement initiatives, cost-efficiency programmes, or service transformations.
• Significant experience in multi-site operations within schools, hospitality, or complex service-led environments.
• Strong understanding of operational governance, vendor performance management, and cost control.
• Confident communicator with the ability to influence without direct authority.
• Structured, analytical, and improvement-oriented, with a pragmatic approach to problem-solving.