Chief Operating Officer

Chief Operating Officer

Kendal College is Cumbria’s gateway to the lakes, a beautiful place to learn, live, work, and explore. The college provides an educational offer to students of all ages, including full-time courses, part-time courses, higher education and apprenticeships. The local area's economic well-being is supported by providing courses for adults to help them re-enter the job market and improve their employment prospects. Our courses include a range of vocational, academic and higher education courses, as well as apprenticeships across our three sites in Kendal. We are committed to providing outstanding education and training opportunities that are responsive to the needs of our students and our community.

As our Chief Operating Officer, you will provide strategic leadership for finance, estates, ICT, procurement and risk to support the college’s mission and strategic plan. Reporting to the Principal and Chief Executive and as a member of the Executive and Senior Leadership Team, you will act as the college’s Chief Operating Officer, ensuring compliance with the College Financial Handbook and regulatory frameworks, delivering robust financial management, budgeting and reporting to ensure long‑term viability and value for money. We are looking for someone who will foster a culture of professional excellence, collaboration, equality and diversity across all functional areas, and provide outstanding support to students, staff, and the community.

While FE experience is not essential, the successful candidate will need to be able to demonstrate experience working in a highly complex environment, experience working with similarly challenging funding regimes or the ability to quickly learn and adapt.

If you believe that you have the drive, vision, skills, expertise, and enthusiasm to make a difference, this could be the perfect role for you, and we invite you to take the next step.