As the Business Manager (BM), you will report to the principal and, in most cases, be responsible for supervising non-teaching staff at your school. As part of the school management team, you will provide advice and lead the delivery of corporate services to support efficient management of the school.
If you are new to the department, you will need to complete the mandatory induction program as well as the local induction provided in your school.
Mandatory induction
All employees are required to complete
Mandatory All-Staff Training within a week of starting work with the department. Additional mandatory training requirements based on role, responsibilities and location may also apply. A refresher program is then completed annually.
As a business manager you may be responsible for overseeing the induction of new staff. Check these
induction and onboarding resources for more information.
Performance management
You are responsible for ensuring those school employees you manage are performing their duties to the best of their abilities and contributing effectively to the objectives in the school plan. These responsibilities are one aspect of the regular
performance and development conversations you will have with staff who report to you.
All managers are expected to embed performance management into their practice. This involves regular and consistent monitoring of employee performance, and dealing quickly and effectively with poor performance or unacceptable behaviours.
Developing trusting and respectful relationships with and between employees is essential to enable performance issues to be managed before they become discipline issues.
Guidance is available in the managing unsatisfactory performance suite of
procedures.
Financial management
As the BM you will provide financial support to the school management team. You will need to ensure school funds are being used in accordance with operational plans, legislation and departmental guidelines. Department employees can find the following resources on OnePortal:
- School Accounting Manual
- Financial Management Program - Business administrator's module
- DoE Procurement Policy Training
- Finance forms, tools and templates
- Financial Management Practice Manual
For financial management assistance or support, contact the department's Finance Branch. Visit OnePortal and search ‘finance’ for contact details.
Facilities and asset management
Often the BM will take responsibility for significant school facility projects, and provide strategic advice about facilities management to the principal, school management team and the community.
Information for schools is provided by Infrastructure Services Branch on OnePortal and through officers based in regions.
Student and staff interactions
With your administrative team, you will be responsible for day-to-day office procedures including student enrolments, responding to staff, parent and student and community enquiries and directing students.
The
Code of School Behaviour applies to staff as well as students. You may at times need to ask your principal or deputy principal for advice.
You may be responsible for arranging relief staff when teachers are absent. The TRACER system will support you with this task.
Further information about TRACER and the Teacher Relief Scheme (TRS) can be found on OnePortal.
Health, safety and wellbeing
You are likely to be involved in implementing, coordinating and monitoring workplace health and safety practices throughout your school. This could include:
- monitoring risks, accidents and injuries
- developing and implementing preventative measures
- establishing committees
- case managing injured workers.
Resources
Information technology
You may be responsible for managing and coordinating staff access to information and technology resources including computers, laptops and a range of hardware and software.
Resources
Accountability
As the BM, you are accountable for ensuring the work you and your team are doing complies with legislation, relevant standards, policies and procedures. You will also be involved in accurately developing documents and reports, and you will also support your principal in preparing for regular audits.
Find more information on the
Policy and Procedure Register.
Reporting
Your principal will expect you to assume a level of responsibility for the collection, analysis and reporting of information on aspects of school and student management.
To ensure accurate information is readily available for inclusion in reports, you will need to monitor and review the recordkeeping and data management processes in your school.
Code of behaviour
You may have friendly relationships with families that are part of the school community. However, it is important that you do not discuss students - their progress or behaviour - with anyone other than the students' teachers.
As a government employee, you must comply with the
Code of Conduct and
Information Privacy legislation, both at work and in the community. Only teachers are allowed to discuss a student's educational progress with a parent.