IT Operations Manager

This is an exceptional opportunity to work at two of the UK’s leading independent schools. King Edward’s Independent Schools, formed of King Edward’s School (KES) and King Edward VI High School for Girls (KEHS) are seeking to appoint an outstanding IT Operations Manager to join the digital services team located on our Edgbaston campus in Birmingham.

Reporting to the Director of IT, the IT Operations Manager will be a senior escalation point for technical issues, operational support, and service delivery. The role has a strong focus on the day-to-day delivery and operation of digital services, playing a hands-on role in supporting the technology needs of both schools. The postholder will take ownership of operational issues, support users, maintain systems, and ensure technology is secure, reliable, and effective in supporting the day-to-day delivery of education.

The successful candidate will have strong technical expertise across enterprise IT infrastructure, networking, end-user computing, cyber security, and cloud services - alongside excellent interpersonal and stakeholder management skills. They will be confident working independently, resolving complex issues, making informed decisions, and identifying opportunities to improve services and contribute to the development of Digital Services.

Job Purpose

Salary

£46,000 - £50,000 per annum

Reporting to

Director of IT

Start Date

1st March 2027

Working Hours

37 hours per week
8:30am to 4:30pm Monday to Thursday and 8:30am to 4:00pm on Friday*

Type of position

Full time, all year round based on our Edgbaston campus, with on-site attendance required.

Non-contractual Benefits

Generous defined contribution pension scheme, lunch provided during term time, access to sports facilities, and a 60% discount on school fees at King Edward VI High School for Girls or King Edward's School, where a child of a member of staff is offered a place.

*Due to the operational requirements of the role, work outside these hours may be required, including planned maintenance, upgrades and school events. Flexible working arrangements will be available during school holidays to support this.

About Digital Services

Historically, IT systems and services operated independently across the two schools, with separate infrastructure, platforms, and support teams. Over recent years, a significant programme of transformation has brought these environments closer together through shared network infrastructure, standardised systems and services and investment in modern technologies. Both schools have also migrated from Google Workspace to Microsoft 365, in collaboration with the King Edward VI Academy Trust.

The planned retirement of the IT Systems Manager at KES provides an opportunity to build on the strong collaborative working that has developed between the two schools and to formalise this within a unified Digital Services function. This approach will bring together existing expertise, systems and ways of working, while continuing to recognise and support the distinct needs of each school community.

The newly created IT Operations Manager role will play a key part in developing this service for the independent schools, supporting consistent and effective delivery across both schools and helping to ensure that Digital Services remain modern, collaborative and responsive to the schools’ individual priorities and wider strategic ambitions.

Key Responsibilities

IT Operations and Service Delivery

• Lead the day-to-day operational delivery of digital services across both schools, taking an active and hands-on role in ensuring systems, services and support are reliable, responsive and meet the needs of staff and pupils.

• Provide hands-on technical and operational leadership to the digital services team, acting as a senior escalation point for complex incidents and issues whilst supporting the effective resolution of service impacting problems.

• Coordinate and prioritise the digital teams’ day to day activities, ensuring resources are deployed effectively across operational requirements and key school activities, including examinations, events and other critical periods.

• Monitor service performance, incidents and service levels, ensuring issues are proactively progressed and resolved within agreed timescales, with appropriate escalation to the Director of IT where required.

• Identify and address recurring, slow-moving and systemic issues, using service data, fault trends and user feedback to improve the reliability, efficiency and effectiveness of digital services and processes.

• Drive continuous improvement of the end-user IT experience, developing self-service resources, knowledge-base content and service processes, while contributing to the ongoing development of digital services in collaboration with the Director of IT.

• Work in collaboration with the central digital services team at the King Edward VI Academy Trust to ensure shared services are aligned to the requirements of the independent schools.

Infrastructure and Systems

• Maintain and oversee the day-to-day operation of the schools’ core IT infrastructure, systems, networks, devices and services, ensuring they remain secure, reliable, performant and fit for purpose.

• Ensure routine maintenance, monitoring, patching, updates and health checks are undertaken, coordinating and delegating tasks as appropriate and using automation wherever possible. This may include undertaking planned maintenance and updates outside normal school hours where required to minimise disruption.

• Take operational ownership of designated systems, services and infrastructure tasks, ensuring work is proactively progressed, completed to a high standard and appropriately documented.

• Monitor system performance and identify potential issues or improvements, taking proactive action to prevent disruption and ensure the continued reliability and effectiveness of digital services.

• Work closely with the Director of IT on the ongoing development of infrastructure and systems, contributing operational insight, technical expertise and recommendations to support the schools’ longer-term digital strategy.

• Ensure changes to IT systems and infrastructure are appropriately planned, tested, documented and communicated, minimising disruption and maintaining a clear record of the environment.

Security and Compliance

• Support the Director of IT in maintaining a secure, resilient and compliant IT environment across both schools, ensuring cybersecurity controls, policies and procedures are effectively implemented and followed.

• Undertake regular security and compliance reviews across the IT estate, including access permissions, endpoint security, backup integrity, system configuration and policy compliance, identifying and addressing areas of risk.

• Ensure effective identity and access management processes are maintained, including the timely provisioning, review, modification and removal of user access rights.

• Monitor security alerts, vulnerabilities and emerging threats, coordinating appropriate remediation activities and escalating significant risks or incidents where necessary.

• Contribute to the development of IT policies, procedures and controls, working with the Director of IT to ensure these reflect current best practice in line with the latest sector guidance.

• Support the ongoing development and testing of the schools’ cybersecurity, disaster recovery and business continuity arrangements, working with the Director of IT and wider school community to identify improvements and strengthen organisational resilience.

• Monitor and report on cybersecurity training compliance, proactively following up with staff and escalating outstanding training to the Director of IT where appropriate.

Continuous Improvement & Innovation

• Work closely with the Director of IT to plan and deliver IT projects, taking operational ownership of designated projects or workstreams from planning and design through to implementation and completion, including coordinating third-party suppliers where required.

• Contribute to the development and delivery of the schools’ Digital Strategy, ensuring digital and technology considerations are embedded from the outset of wider school projects and initiatives, and providing practical operational and technical insight to support effective delivery.

• Identify and implement opportunities for continuous improvement, automation and AI driven solutions, improving processes, systems and ways of working to enhance service delivery, increase efficiency and improve the end-user experience.

Assets, Procurement & Budget Management

• Support the Director of IT with IT procurement and budget administration, including obtaining quotations, raising purchase orders, managing equipment and consumable orders, monitoring expenditure and ensuring value for money and compliance with purchasing procedures.

• Maintain accurate IT asset records, ensuring equipment is appropriately tagged, recorded and managed throughout its lifecycle. Coordinate the device replacement programme, ensuring the timely refresh, deployment and disposal of IT equipment.

People and Relationships

• Be approachable, collaborative and customer-focused, with the ability to build strong professional relationships across the schools, earning trust and credibility through a responsive, supportive and professional approach while delivering a high standard of service to staff, students and colleagues.

Training

• Deliver training for digital systems as required.

• Work with the HR team to coordinate the digital induction and training for new staff, ensuring they are equipped to use the schools’ systems, services and digital resources effectively and securely.

Other Duties

• Undertake any other duties reasonably requested by the Chief Master & Principal, Director of Finance and Operations and/or Director of IT, consistent with the responsibilities and level of the role.

How to apply

To apply, please submit a completed application form and covering letter to Jenny Butterworth, Director of Finance & Operations, by email to recruitment@keschools.org.uk explaining why you are interested in the role and how your skills, experience and personal qualities make you a strong candidate.

We recognise that AI tools can be useful for structuring and refining applications. However, we are interested in hearing your own experiences, achievements and motivations. Your application form and covering letter should be an authentic reflection of you, your communication style, and the qualities you would bring to the role.

If you have any questions about the role, or would like to discuss in more detail, please contact David Wilson, Director of IT: d.wilson@keschools.org.uk

The deadline for applications is 8 am on Thursday 12th November 2026, however, applications will be reviewed on receipt, and so early applications are encouraged. We reserve the right to bring forward the closing date and interview date if sufficient applications have been received.

Interviews are provisionally scheduled for the 20th November 2026.

King Edward’s School and King Edward VI High School for Girls are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Applicants invited to interview will be required to provide proof of identity, preferably a birth certificate, although where this is not available, we will accept other forms of ID. Online searches will also be carried out for all shortlisted candidates, as required by Keeping Children Safe in Education. Successful candidates will be required to undergo an enhanced DBS check and other pre-employment checks. A copy of the School’s Recruitment, Selection and Disclosure Policy is available on the websites.