Head of Operations

International School of London Qatar

Strategic Leadership & SLT Contribution

• fostering the values, dispositions, behaviours, attitudes, and attributes of the ISL Qatar guiding statements and the IB learner profile
• serving as a core member of the Senior Leadership Team, providing strategic counsel to the Head of School on all operational planning, resource allocation, and risk mitigation
• developing, implementing, and monitoring the long-term operational strategy, ensuring resource deployment aligns with the school s educational vision and financial sustainability objectives
• developing and articulating clear goals for all operational departments, aligned to the school s strategic plan, and communicating these consistently to operational teams
• actively strengthening the relationship between the academic and operational sides of the school, working jointly with academic leaders to anticipate and deliver the operational support needed for the educational programme
• managing change processes effectively, leading operational teams through transitions and dealing constructively with ambiguity, ensuring continuity of service during periods of change
• designing, developing, implementing, and reviewing various administrative policies, documents, and strategic plans in conjunction with the Head of School
• ensuring alignment with the school s strategic goals and contributing to the development of initiatives that enhance operational efficiency, resource management, and overall school growth
• driving a culture of continuous improvement, efficiency, and innovation across all support services, using data and performance indicators to benchmark service delivery
• employing effective processes for gathering, analysing, and using data to inform operational decision-making, consistent with the school's strategic goals
• identifying, analysing, and resolving operational issues using structured problem-solving approaches, ensuring a positive and productive working environment
• building an environment of trust through transparent communication about decisions, processes, and how they are made, across all operational departments
• ensuring robust governance and compliance frameworks are embedded throughout all operational departments
• contributing to Senior Leadership Team and Whole School Leadership meetings
• maintaining and ensuring confidentiality throughout all processes and communications

Staff Leadership, Learning & Development

• ensuring that purposeful professional learning and development opportunities are offered for culturally diverse non-academic staff, with varied learning needs, aligned with whole-school procedures and policies
• leading the development and implementation of professional development plans that build the proficiency, efficiency, and confidence of the administrative and operational team
• overseeing recruitment best practices for non-academic roles, including the use of structured interview protocols, consistent selection criteria, and approaches that attract high-quality candidates
• implementing staff retention strategies, including regular stay conversations with key operational staff, to understand engagement and respond proactively to retention risks
• maintaining up-to-date knowledge of best practices in recruitment, onboarding, transition, and induction, and applying these to ensure non-academic staff are well supported from day one
• creating a culture of support for new and novice administrative staff, providing opportunities for them to demonstrate their expertise and grow into leadership responsibilities
• fostering a culture of innovation and encouraged risk-taking across all non-academic teams, modelling behaviours others are encouraged to adopt
• convening regular meetings with administrative staff to ensure alignment between departments, creating learning opportunities, and fostering a sense of belonging
• holding regular termly review meetings with admin staff and leaders to evaluate the effectiveness of the administration department
• overseeing and governing the full performance management and professional growth and evaluation cycle for all non-academic operational staff and department heads, ensuring evaluations are conducted consistently, fairly, and in alignment with school-wide HR processes and timelines
• monitoring, developing, and implementing a structured evaluation framework for all non-academic operational staff, using performance data to inform professional development planning and staffing decisions
• reviewing and assessing the reporting systems for non-academic operational staff in collaboration with the Head of School, ensuring alignment with HR processes and structures.

Finance & Budgetary Oversight

• in conjunction with the Head of Finance, overseeing the budget process for administration and school operations, including ordering, maintenance, inventory, record-keeping, and advice on resources, equipment, publications, furniture, hardware, software, and facilities
• overseeing the preparation, management, and monitoring of the annual operational budget (including capital expenditure), ensuring fiscal responsibility and alignment with strategic priorities
• providing leadership and governance for procurement, contract management, and vendor relations, ensuring value for money and adherence to financial policies
• reviewing, developing, and negotiating all administrative employment and operational contracts, ensuring compliance with school policies and Qatari laws
• in conjunction with HR and Finance, overseeing, reviewing, and renewing all school insurance policies, including health and premises insurance, ensuring coverage is adequate and compliant with local regulations

Human Resources

• providing strategic oversight for the HR function, ensuring administrative processes are efficient, compliant with Qatari Labour Law, and support the overall staffing needs of the school
• ensuring HR policies and procedures support a professional, ethical, and compliant working environment, liaising with regulatory bodies as required
• ensuring the human resources and administration sections of the school handbooks are kept current