About the Role

Our client, a leading organization in the higher education sector, is seeking an experienced and dynamic Manager of School Group Operations to oversee and manage the performance, strategy, and operations of various school groups within the parent company. The ideal candidate will bring exceptional leadership skills, a deep understanding of higher education systems, and a proven track record of managing multi-institutional structures.

This role sits at the intersection of operational oversight, strategic planning, and stakeholder management across a portfolio of institutions. The Manager of School Group Operations ensures each school group within the holding company operates with consistency, accountability, and alignment to the parent organization’s goals — while preserving the academic identity and community context of each individual institution. It is a coordination and performance role as much as it is a leadership one.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership

• Develop and implement strategies to ensure alignment across school groups with the parent company’s overarching goals, vision, and institutional performance expectations.
• Lead initiatives to enhance operational efficiency, drive academic excellence, and foster meaningful collaboration among school groups within the portfolio.
• Identify opportunities for shared services, cross-institutional best practice sharing, and structural improvements that strengthen the overall group’s performance.

Operational Oversight

• Oversee day-to-day operations across school groups, ensuring compliance with institutional policies, accreditation requirements, and applicable regulatory standards.
• Monitor key performance indicators across academic, financial, enrollment, and student success dimensions to evaluate and continuously enhance institutional performance.
• Develop and maintain operational reporting frameworks that provide leadership with timely, accurate, and actionable data across the school group portfolio.

Stakeholder Engagement

• Serve as the primary liaison between school groups and the parent company, fostering strong working relationships with institutional leadership teams, campus administrators, and key stakeholders.
• Facilitate effective communication and information sharing across the group to support informed decision-making at both the institutional and portfolio level.
• Navigate competing institutional priorities and stakeholder interests with tact, clarity, and a consistent focus on shared organizational objectives.

Financial Management

• Collaborate with finance teams to manage budgets, allocate resources effectively across school groups, and identify opportunities for cost optimization without compromising educational quality.
• Ensure financial sustainability across all school groups while maintaining high standards of academic program quality and student support services.
• Support annual budgeting cycles and long-range financial planning processes at the school group level.

Program Development

• Drive the development and implementation of innovative programs and institutional initiatives that support student success, enrollment growth, and long-term institutional sustainability.
• Support curriculum development efforts and the thoughtful integration of new technologies and instructional approaches to improve learning outcomes across the portfolio.

Team Leadership

• Build and lead a high-performing team, fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement across school group operations.
• Provide professional development opportunities and direct mentorship for team members, supporting their growth and long-term retention within the organization.
• Set clear performance expectations, conduct regular reviews, and maintain a results-oriented team environment aligned with organizational values.

Education, Experience, and Competencies

Key Attributes

Why This Role Matters

Managing a school group within a higher education holding company is a genuinely complex leadership challenge. Each institution in the portfolio has its own accreditation history, student population, faculty culture, and community relationships — and the Manager of School Group Operations has to serve all of them while keeping the parent company’s strategic and financial objectives in view. It requires someone who is comfortable operating at multiple levels of abstraction simultaneously.

For an experienced higher education administrator who understands both the operational realities of running institutions and the strategic priorities of a holding company structure, this role offers real influence and meaningful scope. The decisions made here affect students, faculty, and staff across an entire portfolio of schools.

Retained Search by Excelon Associates

Excelon Associates is a retained executive search firm headquartered in Asheville, NC, with additional offices in Boca Raton and Delray Beach, FL. Our higher education practice places operations managers, directors, vice presidents, and senior leaders at education holding companies, multi-campus systems, and institutional management organizations across the United States. Since 2007 we have supported clients in finding the operational and strategic talent that keeps complex education organizations running well.

For organizations committed to operational excellence and multi-institutional leadership, Excelon Associates is a trusted recruitment partner. If your education group is seeking a Manager of School Group Operations, reach out to start a confidential conversation. Browse our full sample job descriptions library for related higher education roles.