Head of Operations

Job Description

Regional Head of Operations

Purpose of Role

The Regional Head of Operations is the single-point operational authority for a group of schools in

India, responsible for ensuring safe, compliant, cost-effective, and interruption-free operations aligned

to Indian statutory requirements and ISP standards.

The role safeguards student wellbeing, statutory compliance, operational readiness, and parent

confidence, while enabling Principals and academic leaders to remain focused on teaching and

learning.

ISP Principles

Begin with our children and students. Our children and students are at the heart of what we do.

Simply, their success is our success. Wellbeing and safety are both essential for learners and learning.

Therefore, we are consistent in identifying potential safeguarding and Health & Safety issues and acting

and following up on all concerns appropriately.

Treat everyone with care and respect. We look after one another, embrace similarities and differences

and promote the well-being of self and others.

Operate effectively. We focus relentlessly on the things that are most important and will make the

most difference. We apply school policies and procedures and embody the shared ideas of our

community.

Are financially responsible. We make financial choices carefully based on the needs of the children,

students and our schools.

Learn continuously. Getting better is what drives us. We positively engage with personal and

professional development and school improvement.

Key Responsibilities

• Regional Operations Ownership & School Readiness
• Own day-to-day operational performance of all schools in the assigned region, spanning
  
  

facilities, administration, transport, security, housekeeping, food services, health & safety,

and front-office operations.

• Act as the escalation point for operational disruptions, ensuring rapid issue resolution with
  
  

minimal impact on students, staff, and parents.

• Ensure 100% school readiness at the start of each academic year and term — infrastructure,
  
  

staffing, contracts, statutory approvals, and vendor mobilisation.

• Drive consistency in operational standards across schools while accommodating legitimate
  
  

local/regional realities.

• Facilities, Maintenance & Asset Management
• Oversee effective facility operations and maintenance across schools, including civil assets,
  
  

MEP systems, playgrounds, classrooms, and common areas.

• Ensure preventive and reactive maintenance plans are in place, tracked, and executed to avoid
  
  

downtime during school hours.

International Schools Partnership - General Document

• Monitor asset condition, lifecycle planning, and refurbishment requirements; work closely
  
  

with projects/construction teams on upgrades and expansions.

• Drive energy efficiency, water conservation, and sustainability initiatives across campuses.
• Health, Safety & Safeguarding Compliance
• Own implementation and monitoring of Health & Safety frameworks across schools,
  
  

including child safety, fire safety, evacuation readiness, and emergency response protocols.

• Ensure strict compliance with safeguarding standards, statutory norms, and ISP expectations.
• Conduct regular safety audits, mock drills, and incident reviews; ensure corrective actions are
  
  

closed.

• Partner with school leadership to maintain a safe, respectful, and well-managed physical
  
  

environment for children and staff.

• Vendor, Transport & Service Management
• Manage regional vendor ecosystem: transport providers, security agencies, housekeeping,
  
  

catering, maintenance contractors, AMCs, and service partners.

• Define SLAs, KPIs, cost benchmarks, and performance scorecards; conduct structured reviews
  
  

and corrective actions.

• Ensure student transport operations are safe, compliant, punctual, and
  
  

parent-confidence-building.

• Lead vendor empanelment, rationalisation, and replacement decisions where service quality
  
  

standards are not met.

• Cost Control, Budgets & Financial Discipline
• Own operational budgets for the region in partnership with finance and school leadership.
• Track budget vs actuals; identify variance drivers and implement course correction without
  
  

compromising safety or service quality.

• Drive cost optimisation through standardisation, contract renegotiations, and smarter
  
  

operating models.

• Review and approve major operational spends, ensuring ROI and alignment with ISP
  
  

principles.

• Statutory, Regulatory & Audit Compliance
• Ensure all schools meet statutory requirements: fire NOCs, trade licences, labour compliances,
  
  

transport regulations, food safety norms, and local authority approvals.

• Maintain audit-ready documentation across schools; support internal and external audits.
• Track renewals, inspections, and compliance calendars with zero tolerance for lapses.
• Liaise with local authorities when required, supporting principals while protecting the
  
  

organisation’s interests.

• Crisis, Incident & Risk Management
• Act as crisis lead for operational incidents — safety issues, infrastructure failures, transport
  
  

incidents, regulatory escalations, or reputational risks.

• Ensure proper incident reporting, investigation, communication, and closure.
• Build preventive risk registers for schools and regions, reducing repeat failures.
• Support school leaders with calm, structured, and decisive operational leadership during
  
  

critical situations.

• Stakeholder & Parent Experience
• Ensure operational processes support a high-quality parent and student experience — safety,
  
  

hygiene, responsiveness, and reliability.

• Partner with school leaders on parent complaints related to operations, transport, safety, or
  
  

facilities.

International Schools Partnership - General Document

• Balance service quality with cost control, keeping student wellbeing as the non-negotiable
  
  

priority.

• Team Leadership & Capability Building
• Build and lead regional operations teams, including facilities managers, operations heads,
  
  

transport coordinators, and support staff.

• Coach school-level operations leaders to operate with ownership, data discipline, and
  
  

accountability.

• Set clear KRAs, review performance regularly, and build succession pipelines.
• Drive adoption of standard SOPs, templates, dashboards, and reporting mechanisms.
• Reporting, Governance & Continuous Improvement
• Implement structured operational reporting: dashboards, risk trackers, compliance status,
  
  

and monthly regional reviews.

• Provide clear, fact-based updates to leadership on operational health, risks, and decisions
  
  

required.

• Identify systemic issues and drive regional and group-level process improvements.
• Feed operational learnings into new school setups, expansions, and future planning.
  
  

Key Requirements

Education

• Graduate degree (Engineering, Facilities Management, Operations, or equivalent).
• Post-graduate qualification in Operations / Facilities / Project Management is a plus.
  
  

Experience

• 12–18+ years of operations leadership experience, preferably in schools, hospitals, campuses,
  
  

retail chains, or large multi-site environments.

• Proven experience managing 10+ sites with diverse stakeholders.
• Strong background in safety, compliance, vendor management, and cost control.
  
  

ISP Leadership Competencies

You consistently demonstrate and role-model the ISP Leadership Competencies in all that you do.

• Collaboration. Takes an active part in leading their school or region; is cooperative and a
  
  

genuine team player, developing positive, supportive relationships with colleagues to solve

problems and maximise opportunities.

• Learning & Getting Better. Continually demonstrates personal commitment and passion for
  
  

learning and getting better using evidence and feedback; supporting others in their continual

learning, development and growth.

• Innovation Leadership. Is good at creating an environment where ideas for learning initiatives
  
  

and services are generated and is able to motivate and inspire others through the process of

creation through to completion.

• Outcome driven. Can be counted on to find solutions. Is consistently looking to exceed goals
  
  

and is focused on KPIs.

• Resilience. Can deal with setbacks and challenges calmly and effectively.
  
  

International Schools Partnership - General Document

• Community Focus. Is committed to meeting and exceeding the needs and expectations of our
  
  

students and their families.

• Integrity & Ethical Management. Has the ability to work ethically and with integrity; helps
  
  

others feel valued; upholds and models the ISP Vision, Purpose and Principles.

• Leading and Inspiring Others. Supports, encourages and inspires students, colleagues and
  
  

teams so that they give their best.

• Understanding People. Is a very good judge of talent, can objectively articulate the strengths
  
  

and motivations of people inside or outside the organization.

• Influencing & Communication. Consistently informs, influences and inspires students, parents
  
  

and colleagues through timely and effective communication.

• Agile. Responds and adapts to changing circumstances; manages and solves problems by
  
  

providing solutions in a climate of ambiguity.

• Strategic, Commercial & Financial Awareness. Has the ability to apply understanding of the
  
  

business and industry to improve effectiveness and profitability.

• Planning & Decision Making. Makes decisions on the best course of action and then plans,
  
  

organizes, prioritizes and balances resources to achieve the desired outcome.

• Diversity & Equity. Has the sensitivity, awareness and skill to understand values, behaviors,
  
  

attitudes and practices across cultures that supports all children and adults to learn and work

effectively.

ISP Commitment to Safeguarding Principles

ISP is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects

all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. All post holders are subject to appropriate vetting

procedures and satisfactory Criminal Background Checks or equivalent covering the previous 10 years’

employment history.

ISP Commitment to Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging

ISP is committed to strengthening our inclusive culture by identifying, hiring, developing, and retaining

high-performing teammates regardless of gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation and gender expression,

age, disability status, neurodivergence, socio-economic background or other demographic

characteristics. Candidates who share our vision and principles and are interested in contributing to

the success of ISP through this role are strongly encouraged to apply.

International Schools Partnership - General Document

ISP Principles

Begin with our children and students. Our children and students are at the heart of what we do. Simply, their success is our success. Wellbeing and safety are both essential for learners and learning. Therefore, we are consistent in identifying potential safeguarding

and Health & Safety issues and acting and following up on all concerns appropriately.

Treat everyone with care and respect. We look after one another, embrace similarities and differences and promote the well-being of self and others.

Operate effectively. We focus relentlessly on the things that are most important and will make the most difference. We apply school policies and procedures and embody the shared ideas of our community.

Are financially responsible. We make financial choices carefully based on the needs of the children, students and our schools.

Learn continuously. Getting better is what drives us. We positively engage with personal and professional development and school improvement.

ISP Commitment to Safeguarding Principles

ISP is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. All post holders are subject to appropriate vetting procedures, including an online due diligence search, references and satisfactory Criminal Background Checks or equivalent covering the previous 10 years’ employment history.

ISP Commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging

ISP is committed to strengthening our inclusive culture by identifying, hiring, developing, and retaining high-performing teammates regardless of gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation and gender expression, age, disability status, neurodivergence, socio-economic background or other demographic characteristics. Candidates who share our vision and principles and are interested in contributing to the success of ISP through this role are strongly encouraged to apply.