Events Manager
BIRKENHEAD SCHOOL
36,936 per year (pro rata)
Birkenhead School, Oxton
Full-time
13th February 2026
Information for Candidates applying for the role of Events Manager Required for April/May 2026 Birkenhead School, awarded the Sunday Times Independent Secondary School of the Year in the North-West for 2025, was founded in 1860. It is an HMC independent day school providing education for boys and girls drawn from the whole of the Wirral and as far afield as Chester and North Wales. There are currently some 82 children in Early Years (43 in Nursery aged under 3 years old, 39 in our “Pre-Prep” aged 3 to 5 years old), 293 pupils in the School’s Prep (ages 5-11) and 512 students in Years 7 to Upper Sixth Form. Birkenhead School has been fully co- educational since September 2008, offering the choice of an independent education to all local children. Across the School approximately 45% of students are girls. Situated in the leafy suburb of Oxton, the School enjoys excellent facilities. The main campus has a ‘village green’ atmosphere, with classrooms and laboratories looking out over the cricket square. Recent capital developments have included a new landscaped playground area and an outdoor classroom. There are ongoing and substantial investments in ICT facilities. In addition to the main campus, the School owns 17 acres of playing fields on two sites nearby – the primary one being McAllester Field on Bidston Road. SCHOOL ORGANISATION & VALUES The School comprises Nursery and Pre-Prep (Early Years), Prep and Seniors and integrates their objectives and activities within a ‘One School’ concept. The Headmaster chairs the School’s Senior Leadership Team (SLT) comprising the Head of Prep, Deputy and Assistant Heads, the Designated Safeguarding Lead and the Bursar. Birkenhead School prides itself on being a family school. It is attractive to parents to have all their children in one school, and it is a great advantage for the school to be able to establish strong, long-lasting relationships with families. The move to co-education reinforced this and at present, 217 families have more than one child in the School and 27 have three or four children. A key feature of the School is its strength of community, which runs through the student, staff and parental bodies. The School is embedded within the wider Wirral community, has strong links with local business and charities, and offers an extensive bursary programme. The School aims to inspire students both inside and outside the classroom, knowing each individual and providing them with outstanding opportunities to find their niche. A dedicated, talented and collegiate staff body is required to achieve these aims. The School’s informal motto is Respect, Responsibility and Resilience, to which we have recently added inclusivity, compassion, integrity, humility and courage as defined School values. Birkenhead School recruits on attitude as much as the quality of an individual’s qualifications on paper. SENIORS NURSERY / PRE-PREP 512 STUDENTS 82 CHILDREN Birkenhead School, Registered Office: The Lodge, 58 Beresford Road, Oxton, CH43 2JD AGED 11-18 AGED 3 MONTHS – 5 YEARS Tel: 0151 652 4014 | Fax: 0151 651 3091 | Email: headmaster@birkenheadschool.co.uk | www.birkenheadschool.co.uk 49 BOYS / 33 GIRLS 295 BOYS / 217 GIRLS PREP 299 PUPILS AGED 5-11 159 BOYS / 140 GIRLS ABOUT THE JOB The School is financially strong and well-run, and has reset following the introduction of VAT on fees in January 2025. The School is ambitious in its plans to continue to play a leading role within education in the North-West and nationally, and seeks to diversify its income streams to further invest in the School and its community. This has led to the creation of this new role, an exciting opportunity for an Events Manager to serve the School and wider Wirral community through the increased commercial use of the School’s facilities. The role will be line managed by the Bursar. Candidates interested in this post should be able to evidence the highest standards of event management. They will be financially and commercially astute, skilled at building effective teams and working successfully with a wide range of stakeholders. The successful candidate will be able to evidence a proven track record of the above skills through leading teams in any of the not-for-profit, hospitality, education or other commercial sectors. They will be comfortable working towards ambitious targets and KPIs, able to work collaboratively with academic and other stakeholders, and with the gravitas to sensitively develop commercial opportunities within the operations of an educational charity. The Events Manager, supported by the Operations Administrator and other School staff, will lead on all commercial opportunities and events, which currently include facility lets, holiday activities, sports events and hospitality occasions (such as weddings). During evenings, weekends and holiday periods, our extensive classroom, meeting and sports facilities (across two sites) currently support lettings to sporting organisations, high- profile clubs and youth groups, managed by our Operations Administrator. The aim of this role is to further develop hospitality events, holiday activities and lettings through the strategic identification and implementation of further and more ambitious opportunities. RESPONSIBILITIES Key Responsibilities will include: • Non-Fee Income: Develop and implement the strategic and operational plans to increase non-fee income, aligning with the School’s values, including: • Hospitality Events: Devise and implement a strategy that supports the delivery of hospitality events such as weddings and, potentially, fine dining experiences. • Commercial Lettings: Build on existing commercial lettings and relationships to deliver growth. • Centre of Excellence Programmes: Devise and deliver Easter and Summer Centre of Excellence Programmes for 11–18-year-olds that showcase the School’s academic and co-curricular strengths, staffing and facilities. • Event Sponsorship: Develop further the income derived from sponsorship of School events and activities. • Birkonian Week: Provide key event support for the operational management of Birkonian Week. • Community Events: Support events at School that currently include Old Birkonian (OB) Reunions and author events with Lingham’s Booksellers. • Parents’ Association (PA) Liaison: Responsibility to link the work of the PA with the School, attending PA meetings and events. Birkenhead School, Registered Office: The Lodge, 58 Beresford Road, Oxton, CH43 2JD Tel: 0151 652 4014 | Fax: 0151 651 3091 | Email: headmaster@birkenheadschool.co.uk | www.birkenheadschool.co.uk THE PERSON The Ideal Candidate will: • Be educated to degree level or by suitable relevant experience. • Have proven successful leadership experience managing, organising and motivating multi-disciplinary teams. • Have proven experience of developing and implementing strategic, operational and financial plans and preparing related reports and proposals. • Possess commercial awareness and experience of leading and contributing towards a business achieving their commercial objectives (including sports, hospitality, and/or events). • Demonstrate a proven record of being target and results driven. • Have a strong understanding of the education sector and the charitable objectives of independent schools. Previous experience working in a school environment is desirable, but not essential. • Possess in-depth understanding and knowledge of the competitive landscape, to ensure informed and relevant decisions are made when formulating strategies. • Demonstrate excellent networking, collaboration, analytical, and problem-solving skills. • Be an outstanding communicator (written and oral) with exceptional people skills. • Be a strategic thinker, with dynamism, creative flair, resilience, and sound judgement. • Be a visible leader who can work both independently and as a key team member, with energy and ambition to inspire and empower colleagues and wider stakeholders. REMUNERATION & BENEFITS Salary The role will attract an annual salary of £36,936 - £39,769 depending on skills and experience. Hours The hours are 40 hours per week on a year-round basis, currently anticipated to be for a 12-month fixed term. A degree of flexibility is required to allow for activities involving working outside the normal hours, including evenings and weekend. Holiday You will be entitled to 40 days annual leave per year, including Bank Holidays and Christmas Shutdown. Pension The School operates an auto-enrolment Defined Contribution pension scheme. Other Benefits We will value and support your contribution to School life and in return provide you with excellent rewards: • Working as part of a committed team • Discount on School Fees for permanent members of staff • Free use of the fully equipped on-site gym • Access to the Employee Assistance Programme • Support for your continuous professional development Birkenhead School, Registered Office: The Lodge, 58 Beresford Road, Oxton, CH43 2JD Tel: 0151 652 4014 | Fax: 0151 651 3091 | Email: headmaster@birkenheadschool.co.uk | www.birkenheadschool.co.uk • Lunch provided during term time • Electric Car charging points on site APPLICATION A letter of application indicating skills and experience, together with a completed application form, including the names and addresses of at least two referees, should be sent for the attention of the Headmaster via: chw@birkenheadschool.co.uk Applications may also be sent by post to: Cheryl Wallace (Personnel and Compliance Manager), Birkenhead School, 58 Beresford Road, Oxton, Wirral, CH43 2JD. Application forms can be downloaded from the School’s website: www.birkenheadschool.co.uk. Candidates are welcome to contact the Bursar, Mr Danny Byrne, on bursar@birkenheadschool.co.uk with any questions relating to the role. To meet our safeguarding obligations, an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check is undertaken as part of the recruitment process for all new staff. As Birkenhead School is an educational provider, it is permitted to ask whether an applicant has any convictions, cautions, reprimands or final warnings which would not be filtered in line with current guidance, as defined by The Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (2013 and 2020). It is a criminal offence for an individual who is barred from working with children to apply for a role which is classed as regulated activity (i.e. involves working with children). As such, candidates are asked to also complete the separate Criminal Record Declaration Form on the School’s website. The information disclosed on this form will not be kept with your application form during the application process. Candidates selected for interview will be offered the opportunity to have a tour of the School and meet with relevant members of the department. The closing date for applications: 9.00am on Friday 13th February 2026. Successful candidates are likely to be invited to interview week commencing 23rd February 2026. We reserve the right to close this vacancy and complete the recruitment process when we are in receipt of sufficient applications. Should you wish to apply for this post you are advised to complete and submit your application form as soon as possible. Birkenhead School, Registered Office: The Lodge, 58 Beresford Road, Oxton, CH43 2JD Tel: 0151 652 4014 | Fax: 0151 651 3091 | Email: headmaster@birkenheadschool.co.uk | www.birkenheadschool.co.uk