Head of Academy at Aga Khan Education Service, Kenya (AKESK)

The position

HEAD OF ACADEMY-Aga Khan Academy, Nairobi

The role of overall Head is a new position and reflects the Academy's strategic commitment to educational excellence including the development of a new campus, and to whole-school leadership. The Aga Khan Academy, Nairobi comprises the Aga Khan Nursery School, Aga Khan Academy, Nairobi -Junior School and the Aga Khan Academy, Nairobi -Senior School with a total enrolment of over 1100 students. The Nursery is currently on a separate site from the Junior/Senior schools.

The Head of Academy (HoA) will be responsible for the overall educational and financial performance of Aga Khan Academy Nairobi (AKA), Nairobi. S/he will take a leadership role in strategy formulation and execution, moving the Academy to the next level and driving a change agenda by strengthening the quality of teaching and learning, bringing efficiencies to the management of the schools and raising the profile of (AKA), Nairobi as a whole.

To this extent, the Head of Academy will be responsible for:

• Policy & Strategy
  • Work collaboratively with the Head Office, the Kenya support office and the Board to develop a sustainable school improvement plan and oversee its implementation.
  • Consult with the AKES, Kenya Senior Leadership Team and make recommendations to the AKES, Kenya Chief Executive Officer (CEO) on policy, programmes, resource allocation and management based on a clear understanding of AKES, Kenya’s portfolio and market intelligence.
• Academic Leadership
  • Ensure the IB programmes, and the overall continuum, meet and go beyond the IB’s authorisation requirements, and are customised to the vision and mission of AKES, Kenya.
  • Establish curriculum framework and guidelines in collaboration with the other school leaders and faculty under the regulations, mission and vision for the schools.
  • Supervise and oversee the quality of teaching, and evaluate teaching and learning to encourage the effective use of pedagogy.
• Management
  • Oversee the communications function for the schools to ensure appropriate messaging and positive and accurate information is shared about (AKA), Nairobi in alignment with guidelines set by the AKES Head Office and the AKDN Communication Department.
  • Facilitate the recruitment, development and retention of the highest quality staff throughout the Academy in liaison with and as guided by the AKES, Kenya Human Resources (HR) Department.
  • Ensure adherence to the AKES, Kenya HR and other staff policies, processes, documentation and labor laws of Kenya in liaison with the AKES, Kenya HR Department and the CEO.
  • Participate in the annual budget cycle in liaison with the AKES, Kenya Finance Department and CEO on sound and informed knowledge, in line with agreed strategic and operating plans, solid performance data and market intelligence.

The requirements

The preferred candidate will have:

• Master’s or Higher Degree in Education or a related field.
• At least 5 years of experience in successfully managing and leading IB schools as Head of School, Executive Principal, Head of Education, Academic Director, or similar whole school leadership role.
• Excellent understanding of and experience in curriculum design, implementation, management and evaluation.
• Excellent understanding of 21st-century education practices, more widely, the integration of technology in learning and teaching, as well as strategies for raising students‘ achievement and effective frameworks for school improvement planning and self-evaluation.
• Proven leadership abilities and experience in senior positions in schools with reputations for educational excellence.
• Proven ability to develop effective management structures and build, lead and develop high-performance teams.
• Proven ability to establish and sustain strong relationships with parents, students, teaching and support staff, alumni and other stakeholders.
• Demonstrable understanding of financial planning and preparing and monitoring budgets.
• Passionate about providing high-quality education to children and their families.
• Substantial senior leadership experience at a strategic level and a reputation as a respected educational leader and thinker with a record of improving teaching and learning, and introducing new techniques and approaches.
• Experience in successfully managing school operations and human resources.
• Experience in successfully reinforcing the financial sustainability of schools, with an entrepreneurial mindset, and establishing sustainable budgets and successfully implementing them.
• Demonstrable experience in change leadership and management.
• Experience in living and working internationally, ideally including Africa and the global south.