Domestic Bursar/Head of Operations

Homerton College is Cambridge's newest and largest College, home to a lively community of over 1,500 students, 70 Fellows and around 250 staff. We have grown fast over the past decade, with a new, award-winning Dining Hall, an expanding conference and events business, hundreds of new bedrooms and continued investment in our buildings and gardens. There's plenty more still to come.

We are looking for a Domestic Bursar/Head of Operations to bring our Catering, Kitchens, Housekeeping, Porters, Gardens and Maintenance teams together under one roof, giving them the visible, collaborative leadership they need to keep Homerton running smoothly for everyone who lives, works, studies and visits here.

About the role

Reporting to the Bursar, you will take strategic and operational responsibility for the College's non-academic services, from the warmth of a student's welcome at the Porters' Lodge, to a profitable conference season, to the quiet reliability of a well-maintained estate. You will line manage the Heads of Department across your remit, hold budgetary and commercial responsibility for their activities, and lead delivery of the College's 5-Year Catering Business Plan. You will also act as the College's Health and Safety Officer and Designated Premises Supervisor and play a leading role in major estates and capital projects as Homerton's ambitious development plans continue.

It is a role with real breadth. One week might mean presenting a business case to Council, the next walking the gardens with the Head Gardener or reviewing standards in the Dining Hall with the Catering Manager, with genuine scope to shape how our operational departments work together.

What we are looking for

You will bring a credible track record of senior leadership and operational or general management, gained in a comparable service-led sector such as higher education, the public sector or hospitality, along with experience of leading multi-disciplinary teams through change and strong financial planning and budgeting skills. You will have a track record in health and safety and risk management and experience of major building or capital projects. Just as important, you will have an appreciation of the academic purpose of the College and the judgement to balance tradition with a genuinely open, forward-looking approach. Above all, you will bring excellent communication skills and a collaborative, approachable style, with a real commitment to service excellence.

The package

The salary range for this position is between £80,525 and £85,414, commensurate with experience.

The role comes with a range of benefits, including membership of the Local Government Pension Scheme (17.9% employer contribution), 33 days' annual leave including Bank Holidays, enhanced family leave, free meals on duty, and a range of further benefits including on-site gym access (small annual fee applies), priority access to local nursery places (subject to availability) and free entry to the Cambridge Botanic Gardens.

How to apply

A CV and a covering letter setting out your suitability for the role will be required.

Please use link to apply.

Closing: Friday 30 October 2026.

Shortlisting will take place during week commencing 2 November 2026.

Shortlisted candidates will be invited to visit the College and attend first round interviews on 9 November 2026.

The final round selection process will take place on 18 November 2026.

Homerton is committed to equality of opportunity and to building an inclusive culture that values diversity. We warmly welcome applications from candidates of all backgrounds who share our commitment to fairness, openness and excellence.