Job Description

Habs has been awarded Independent School of the Year 2025, with Haberdashers' Elstree Schools receiving both the award for Outstanding Educational Partnerships and the overall top accolade of Independent School of the Year 2025. This recognition reflects our long-term commitment to social impact and the deep, sustained collaborations we continue to build with our state sector partners. It is an exciting time to join our community.

We are looking for an experienced and forward-thinking Compliance Manager to join our Estates team at Haberdashers' Elstree Schools. This is a pivotal role for someone who is passionate about enabling excellence, safeguarding standards, and helping a high-performing organisation exceed its regulatory and statutory obligations.

Working closely with the Director of Estates Development, senior leaders and key colleagues across the Schools, you will lead on internal compliance auditing, advise on legislative and regulatory changes, and ensure that our policies, procedures and practices remain robust, current and fully aligned to expectations from the Independent Schools Inspectorate, statutory education regulations, and health and safety legislation.

This is a varied and influential position. You will undertake and advise on internal audits, prepare and analyse data, oversee the drafting of risk assessments and management arrangements, and liaise with insurance providers and external consultants. You will play a central role in inspection preparation, acting as custodian of key documentation and ensuring both schools remain ready for inspection at all times. Your remit will also cover health and safety oversight, accident investigation, policy review, and the maintenance of risk registers.

Alongside this, you will be the first point of contact for data protection matters, leading on Data Subject Access Requests and data breach processes, coordinating with the external Data Protection Officer, managing ROPAs, and ensuring that contractors and estates-related licences remain fully compliant.

You will also line manage the Compliance Assistant, supporting and developing their work across the compliance portfolio.

We are seeking a meticulous, organised and solutions-focused professional with strong analytical skills and the confidence to interpret legislation and complex guidance for non-specialists. You will bring demonstrable experience of auditing, data analysis and action planning, and be highly proficient with spreadsheets and MS Office tools. Experience in an independent school is welcome but not essential.

An IOSH health and safety qualification and a relevant data protection qualification are required; however, we will support the successful candidate to obtain these within the first 6-12 months if needed.

If you thrive in a role where your expertise shapes safe, compliant and well-run environments, and you want to make a meaningful impact within a community that values excellence and social purpose, we would be delighted to receive your application.

What we are offering:

A salary of up to 45,000 per year FTE, based on the candidates experience Private Pension Scheme through Aegon Additional life insurance cover Access to the Employee Assistance Programme (EAP), providing confidential support and advice Financial assistance for obtaining further qualifications Extensive professional development training opportunities Free lunch and refreshments Free onsite parking and access to travel on the schools extensive coach network Free access to state-of-the-art sports facilities including the gym, swimming pool, and fitness classes Wellbeing initiatives and programmes, such as yoga, mindfulness sessions, and health checks Access to an online GP service, providing quick and convenient healthcare advice Access to Vivup, the staff benefits platform, featuring discounts, financial advice, and wellbeing resources
We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible.

Haberdashers' Elstree Schools are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. The successful candidate will be subject to a Disclosure and Barring Service enhanced check. The post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the School is therefore permitted to ask job applicants to declare all convictions and cautions (including those which are "spent" unless they are "protected" under the DBS filtering rules) in order to assess their suitability to work with children.

Job Types: Full-time, Permanent

Pay: 42,000.00-45,000.00 per year

Benefits:

Canteen Company pension Cycle to work scheme Discounted or free food Free flu jabs Free parking Health & wellbeing programme Life insurance On-site gym On-site parking Sick pay Work from home
Work Location: In person