Are you a dynamic leader with strong business acumen and a passion for supporting educational excellence? We are seeking an experienced and forward-thinking Business Manager to play a key leadership role within our school community. As a business manager, you will play a pivotal role in managing corporate services, supporting educational management activities and leading systemic change within the school community. Working closely with the Principal and school leadership team, you will oversee administrative, financial and human resource functions, while driving continuous improvement and supporting the implementation of systemic change initiatives.

This is a Temporary Full-Time position until 2 August 2027, unless otherwise determined.

Job details

About the School

Cairns School of Distance Education is committed to delivery excellence in education to students.  The school provides individualised curriculum and high levels of educational support to home-based learners and their tutors, fostering close professional relationships.  With a strong focus on integrating innovative ICT solutions, the school offers programs for students from Prep to Year 12, including those in remote locations, travelling, with medical conditions or in international contexts.  The school values its diverse community and benefits from active parental involvement and a dedicated P&C Association.

Your Role

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Provide high-level business and administrative services to support the effective operation of the school, exercising sound judgement, interpreting complex information, and adapting processes to meet evolving business needs.
• Deliver comprehensive administrative support, including the preparation of reports, correspondence and documentation, while proactively identifying issues, conducting research, seeking specialist advice and recommending practical solutions.
• Lead and manage school support staff, including recruitment, induction, training, workforce planning, performance monitoring, workload management, leave administration, roster coordination and relief staffing arrangements.
• Support the Principal in the development and management of the school budget, overseeing financial operations such as payroll, purchasing, expenditure monitoring and reporting, while ensuring compliance with relevant legislation, policies and procedures.
• Coordinate the management of school facilities, grounds, resources and equipment, including maintenance planning, contractor engagement, budget oversight and identifying opportunities to improve efficiency, sustainability and resource utilisation.
• Build strong relationships across the school and wider community, demonstrating exceptional interpersonal skills, empathy and professionalism while providing trusted advice, supporting staff and students, and contributing to best-practice corporate service delivery.

Interested? To Apply:  

• Attach a brief resume including contact details for 2 referees (referees should have an understanding of your relevant work history)   
• Attach a 2-page response to the How you will/may be assessed section of the attached role description. 
• Attach evidence of the mandatory requirements outlined in the attached role description  

We welcome all applicants to share any support needed to ensure our recruitment process is inclusive.  

Applications remain current for 12 months from the closing date and may be considered for appointment to identical or similar vacancies within the Department.  

Applications from recruitment agencies will not be accepted.  

Further information

We are committed to building inclusive cultures in the Queensland public sector that respect and promote human rights and diversity.

For a full list of the position responsibilities and mandatory requirements, please ensure you download the attached Role Description and Applicant Information Package and follow the instructions.

Documents

Before applying for this vacancy please ensure you read the documents below.

• FNR693551_26T - Role Description (PDF, 398KB)
  Role Description
  
  Applicant Information Package (PDF, 286KB)
  Information Package for Applicants