Chief Commercial and Operating Officer (CCOO)

About the Role A rare and exciting opportunity has arisen to join the Trust as Chief Commercial & Operating Officer (CCOO). This role sits at the heart of Place Partnership, connecting strategy with delivery and aligning people, processes and services so that we can deliver the best possible educational experiences for children and young people across Yorkshire. The CCOO will drive joined-up delivery across the Trust, translating strategic priorities into action. The CCOO will lead and develop scalable, high-performing shared services across Governance, Compliance, Estates (including PFI), ICT, Data and operational risk. Through clear standards, a service catalogue and robust SLAs, the postholder will ensure services are responsive to academy need, compliant with statutory and regulatory requirements, and consistently delivered. Working closely with the Executive Team and Trustees, the role will provide high-quality assurance, insight and reporting, and strengthen accountability. Commercial leadership is a core element of the post. The CCOO will develop and deliver the Trust’s Commercial Strategy, identifying sustainable growth opportunities, partnerships and efficiencies that build capacity, generate additional income and release increased resource for frontline education. New opportunities will be assessed against operational readiness, ensuring systems, processes and people are in place to deliver successfully. The postholder will also hold executive responsibility for risk protection and insurance arrangements (including commercial insurance and the Risk Protection Arrangement (RPA) where applicable), internal audit, business continuity and operational risk. A key aspect of the role will be to build upon the post holder’s skill set and experience; working with the specialists within managed teams to delivery operational compliance and strategic aims. About You The successful candidate will be… A credible, strategic executive leader with a strong track record of leading teams and delivering strategy across complex operational and commercial functions. A natural ‘connector’, skilled at breaking down barriers, aligning teams and creating shared ownership across complex services. Commercially astute and growth-minded, spotting opportunity, building strong partnerships and securing sustainable value that benefits frontline education. Operationally strong and disciplined, bringing clarity, structure and consistent standards to improve performance and service user experience. Analytical and evidence-led, comfortable using insight, risk intelligence and performance data to inform decisions and prioritise resources. Calm and decisive under pressure, responding to complex and high-stakes situations with composure. Confident, knowledgeable and diplomatic, able to challenge constructively, build consensus and communicate clearly with a wide range of stakeholders. Values-led and integrity-driven, modelling openness, fairness and accou