Director of Executive Operations and Co Sec in Hornsby

Barker College is seeking an experienced and commercially astute Director of Executive Operations & Company Secretary to join our team at our Hornsby campus. Reporting to the Chief Operating Officer, this newly created leadership role offers a unique opportunity for a strategic and highly capable executive professional to operate across both governance and operational leadership.

As Company Secretary, you will support the School Council by ensuring effective governance practices and compliance obligations are met. In parallel, you will partner closely with the COO to drive executive operations, strategic priorities and key business initiatives across the school. This is a rare opportunity to make a meaningful impact within one of Australia's leading independent schools. The successful candidate will play a pivotal role in supporting executive decision-making, strengthening governance, and enabling the effective delivery of strategic and operational priorities that benefit both the school and its wider community.

If you are a trusted adviser with strong governance expertise, exceptional organisational capability and a passion for driving outcomes in a purpose-led environment, we would love to hear from you.

Key Responsibilities include:

• Act as a trusted adviser to the COO on executive operations, organisational effectiveness and strategic execution.
• Lead or support strategic initiatives, reviews and transformation projects on behalf of the COO.
• Translate strategic priorities into coordinated workplans, milestones and accountability frameworks across Business Operations.
• Establish disciplined processes to monitor progress, manage interdependencies, identify risks and provide executive reporting on delivery outcomes.
• Prepare high-quality briefings, presentations and supporting materials for Executive, Council and stakeholder engagements.
• Act as Company Secretary to the School Council, ensuring compliance with all statutory, regulatory and governance obligations.
• Lead the coordination and quality assurance of Council, Committee and Key Leadership Team governance processes, including agendas, papers, minutes, resolutions, action tracking and decision registers.
• Maintain governance records, statutory registers, declarations and related documentation, ensuring accuracy, integrity and appropriate access controls.
• Coordinate annual governance obligations, including reporting cycles, director attestations, policy reviews and compliance monitoring.
• Serve as the primary governance liaison between the Council, Committees and Executive, ensuring timely information flow, alignment of expectations and effective communication.
• Support the Chair, Head of Business Operations and COO through governance briefings, correspondence and strategic advice.
• Promote governance best practice across documentation, reporting, recordkeeping, privacy and information governance frameworks.

ABOUT YOU

• Tertiary qualifications in a relevant discipline such as Business Administration, Management, Strategy or Finance, or equivalent professional experience.
• Governance qualifications through the Governance Institute of Australia highly regarded.
• Demonstrated professional capability in executive operations, governance support, strategy delivery or complex organisational coordination.
• High level written communication capability, including experience preparing Executive and Board level papers.
• Ability to operate within a complex, multi-stakeholder governance environment, requiring discretion, sound judgement and alignment with the values of an independent school setting.
• Experience acting as Company Secretary, or supporting Board/Council governance at a senior level - Desirable.
• Executive presence with a calm, credible and enabling style.
• Strong relational capability and influence.
• High integrity, confidentiality and professional judgement.
• Pragmatic, solution focused and delivery oriented.
• Alignment with the values and Christian ethos of the School.

CANDIDATE EXPECTATIONS & REQUIREMENTS

• Successful applicants will be expected to support the Mission, Vision and Values of the School.
• Barker College is an Anglican School and applicants for this position will need to demonstrate sympathy with and support for the School’s Christian values.
• Barker College is a child safe organisation and all statutory checks and references are required prior to confirmation of employment. An NSW Working with Children Check (WWCC) and a National Police Check will be required.
• Barker College is committed to a safe work environment, and all staff members work within our WHS Policy & Procedures and other relevant documentation.
• Barker College policy requires staff to have received two (2) Covid-19 vaccine doses.
• Barker College will require all Teaching Staff to provide evidence of their Tertiary Qualifications and have an understanding of and experience in relevant NESA syllabus documents and teacher accreditation requirements.
• All teaching staff participate in the school’s extensive Pastoral Care and co-curricular programs. The ability to coach sports is highly desirable.
• Referees will only be contacted after initial interviews have been carried out. Your present Principal should be listed amongst confidential referees.