ABOUT US
The British School of Gran Canaria is an independent British school offering a Pre-Nursery to Year 13 education across two campuses. With over 60 years on the island, we are accredited by the UK Government (BSO), Spanish education authorities, and leading international associations (COBIS, NABSS) — a track record that reflects genuine stability and institutional credibility.
We are proud to serve a vibrant community of 600+ pupils from 35+ countries alongside the local Gran Canaria community, delivering a rigorous British curriculum in an environment that is genuinely international, warmly human, and deeply rooted in island life.
THE OPPORTUNITY
This is a newly created role and one of the most important appointments we have made. We have experienced, capable managers leading finance, maintenance, IT, catering, and admissions across our two campuses. The next step forward is someone to lead and coordinate those functions, enabling our Head of School to focus fully on academic leadership.
If you have run complex operations, managed diverse teams, and kept demanding stakeholders happy under pressure - whether in education, hospitality, or another service environment - we would like to hear from you. The skills that make an exceptional hotel operations manager translate directly to this role, and local knowledge of Gran Canaria is a genuine asset we value.
As our Director of Operations, you will report directly to the Head of School and work closely with the Board of Governors, with full authority over all non-academic functions of the school.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Financial strategy & forecasting. Working alongside an experienced and strong Head of Finance who manages day-to-day accounting, your focus will be strategic: multi-year budgeting, financial planning, and enrolment forecasting.
HR leadership & transition. With the retirement of our HR Manager on the horizon, you will lead the transition to a leaner HR model: overseeing the handover of responsibilities, working with our external employment agency, and line-managing a new HR administrative support post. You will be the senior point of accountability for people matters, employment compliance under Spanish law, and staff welfare.
Facilities & premises. Line-manage our experienced Head of Maintenance, who oversees the upkeep and operation of both campuses. You will provide strategic oversight, support capital planning, and manage contractor and supplier relationships at a senior level.
IT & systems. Line-manage our IT Manager, ensuring the school's technology infrastructure is secure, fit for purpose, well-maintained, and aligned with the school's educational and operational needs.
Health & safety. Own all health & safety policy and compliance across both campuses, including risk assessments, emergency procedures, and regulatory reporting.
Catering. Line-manage our Head of Catering, who oversees meal preparation from scratch across both campuses. You will ensure quality, nutritional standards, budgetary control, and a high standard of service for our school community.
Saturday School and Summer Camp Operations. Line-manage the logistics and organisational matters related to the BSGC Saturday and summer activities, liaising closely with the staff responsible for these areas. Ensure their smooth operations in line with the school's wider goals.
Admissions & Enrolment Forecasting. Working closely with the Head of School, the Director of Operations alongside the Head of Admissions, maintains the enquiry-to-enrolment pipeline, produces rolling enrolment forecasts by year group, and translates these into fee income projections for the Board. Leaver trends and attrition are monitored as leading revenue indicators, with a summary dashboard presented at each governors' meeting.
CANDIDATE PROFILE
A proven senior operations or business manager with experience leading multidisciplinary teams - whether in education, hospitality, healthcare, or a similar complex service environment.
Financial acumen at a strategic level - comfortable with budgeting, forecasting, and scenario planning. A recognised accountancy qualification is desirable but not essential.
Experience managing or restructuring HR functions - ideally including working with external employment agencies.
Familiarity with Spanish employment and fiscal law - or the demonstrable ability to quickly build that knowledge.
A confident and supportive manager - someone who gets the best from experienced specialists without micromanaging.
Strong interpersonal skills - able to build trust with governors, staff, parents, suppliers, and the wider island community.
Working proficiency in both Spanish and English is essential.
A genuine affinity for the mission of a school - this is a community, not just an organisation.
WHAT WE OFFER
Tuition-free attendance for your children (subject to linguistic qualification) - a benefit with real, tangible value.
A full-time, permanent position in a warm, stable, and welcoming community.
A broad, strategic remit with real autonomy - leading a talented team of operational managers across a two-campus school.
Direct reporting line to the Head of School, with regular engagement with the Board of Governors.
An experienced operational team already in place - you will lead and develop an already strong team.
Competitive salary commensurate with experience.
The opportunity to put down roots in one of Europe's most enviable places to live and work.
HOW TO APPLY
Please send a CV and covering letter outlining your suitability for the role to recruitment@bs-gc.net. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. We welcome applications from candidates based on the island as well as those considering relocation.
SAFER RECRUITMENT
Following the school’s Safer Recruitment Policy and our commitment to Child Protection and Safeguarding, all applicants are required to provide references and have background checks prior to appointment.