Shiplake College is a thriving independent co-educational boarding and day school for pupils aged 11–18. The College occupies a beautiful 63-acre rural site overlooking the River Thames, located just outside Henley-on-Thames in South Oxfordshire. Shiplake has expanded steadily in recent years, growing from 470 pupils in 2019 to 540 at present and has aspirations to grow further to 600. Co-educational in the Sixth Form since 1998, the College started taking girls in Year 7 in September 2023 and will be fully co-educational by 2027.
The Governors and Headmaster are seeking to appoint a financially astute and commercially driven Chief Operating Officer and Clerk to the Governors (COO) with outstanding leadership abilities. Building upon Shiplake’s recent successful growth, this is an exciting opportunity for a strategic visionary to work collaboratively with the Governors, Head and Senior Management Team (SMT) to plan and deliver the College’s strategic business plan. With responsibility for the finance, estates, IT, operations, compliance and commercial activities, candidates will be able to demonstrate proven ability in senior leadership and financial control, strategic planning and operational delivery within large complex organisations.
The COO will lead a team of 90 staff and, as a key member of the SMT, will deliver and manage change to ensure the School’s financial and commercial success. They will be a visible and empathetic leader with excellent interpe...