Chief Operating Officer – Shrewsbury School

Founded by Royal Charter in 1552, Shrewsbury is a leading independent co-educational boarding and day school with a growing family of overseas schools and a world-class reputation for all-round excellence.

Situated on a beautiful 110-acre site in the heart of Shrewsbury, Shropshire, the School provides a highly distinctive whole person education for some 840 pupils aged 13-18. In 2019, Packwood a leading co-educational day and boarding prep school for pupils aged 4-13 became part of the Shrewsbury family of Schools. An ambitious £21M programme of new build and refurbishment over the last 5 years means that facilities are outstanding. With nearly 1,100 pupils across the two schools employing over 500 staff and a turnover of £38M, Shrewsbury is a substantial, complex and thriving organisation set on further growth.

The Governors and Headmaster seek to appoint a highly motivated, financially astute and commercially driven Chief Operating Officer (COO). Building upon Shrewsbury’s recent successful growth, the candidate will play a pivotal role in its strategic development, shaping and delivering the financial strategy to ensure both schools’ long-term success. With responsibility for finance, estates, operations and trading activities, candidates will be able to demonstrate proven ability in executive leadership and financial control, strategic planning and operational delivery within large complex organisations.

Reporting to the Headmaster, the COO will lead a team of 175 staff. As a critical member of the Leadership Team, they will deliver and manage change to ensure Shrewsbury’s financial and commercial success. They will be a collaborative senior leader, a strategic and creative thinker with strong financial and commercial acumen, first-rate analytical and business skills and finely tuned risk antennae. An outstanding communicator, the COO will inspire, motivate and operate at pace.

Prior experience in the education sector is not a prerequisite and applications are encouraged from candidates with commercial, charitable, private-sector and public-sector backgrounds. The successful candidate must be able to demonstrate empathy with independent education and commitment to Shrewsbury’s ethos and educational philosophy.

A sector-leading remuneration package, including accommodation and fee remission, will be available for the successful candidate.

Interested candidates are invited to contact RSAcademics to arrange an informal and confidential discussion about the role: 

Nina Lambert, Head of Commercial Appointments: ninalambert@rsacademics.com

The closing date for applications is 10.00am on Monday 23 September 2024. 

Applications should be made electronically to RSAcademics. To submit your application, please click on “Apply Now” on the right side of this webpage and upload your documents according to the instructions provided.

You should submit:

• A completed application form.
• A covering letter addressed to the Headmaster, Mr Leo Winkley. The letter should be a maximum of two pages and should explain your reasons for applying and outline your suitability for the role.

If you have any questions about uploading your documents please contact Laura Beacon, Project Coordinator (Appointments), at applications@rsacademics.com. Laura can also be reached by calling our Head Office on +44 (0)1858 383163.

Shrewsbury School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the amendments to the Exceptions Order 1975, 2013 and 2020. 

The safeguarding responsibilities of the role are indicated in the candidate information. 

RSAcademics is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and to promoting diversity and inclusion in schools.