Director - Managed Schools - ADNOC Schools

Role Overview

Director - Managed Schools (ADNOC) with Aldar Education, based in the UAE, commencing immediately. The role provides full responsibility for leading school improvement strategies, marketing, and enrolment activities across managed schools, with commercial and education line management of all managed schools.

Company Overview

Aldar Education is the leading education group in Abu Dhabi. The group educates over 34,000 students across owned and managed schools in Abu Dhabi and Al Ain. The organisation delivers the English National Curriculum, the American Massachusetts State Curriculum, and the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme, all with an international dimension. Aldar Education employs over 1,400 teachers and is designated a "Great Place To Work". The company's efforts are guided by the Abu Dhabi Economic Vision 2030 plan, which aims to build a sustainable knowledge-based economy through premium education.

Role Purpose

Provide robust intellectual leadership and strategic direction to managed schools, building capacity and capability to meet current and future challenges. Continuously strive to exceed internal and external customer expectations, capitalize economic profit and return on capital investment, and embrace Aldar Education Core Values while directly supporting the educational goals of Abu Dhabi's government.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership & Direction

• Provide robust and intellectual leadership, vision, and strategic direction to achieve the highest levels of performance and ensure a culture of continuous improvement across all key areas.
• Work alongside the Director of Education and other members of the Executive Leadership Team in delivery of the company's stated outcomes against a clearly defined set of performance indicators and standards.
• Work alongside the Director of Education and the Executive Leadership Team to deliver the education strategy, mission and vision for managed schools.
• Ensure through direct reports that schools are aligned and articulate the identified strategic direction and build a shared sense of vision and purpose for all schools and their communities.

School Improvement & Capacity Building

• Lead and support managed schools to build capacity and capability towards meeting current and future challenges in line with company priorities.
• Support and advise HQ departments and School Principals on efficient and effective school operation processes, strategy and development and any other duties as required by the Director of Education.
• Connect and share good practice within and across the school network to raise standards.
• Identify and implement strategies to raise standards of teaching and learning, including the creation of experts to support recommendations.

Educational Leadership

• Inspire and support direct reports in the delivery of high standards of student achievement, increased student progress, and school inspection increases using available data to drive improvement.
• Support Leadership and other senior staff to shape the strategic direction, guiding the delivery of specified educational goals and directives for managed schools.
• Provide quality assurance of all strategic documents such as schools' strategic improvement and development plans and self-evaluations, taking appropriate action as required.
• Lead the effective implementation and ongoing review of learning and assessment frameworks that use benchmarking and value-add data, to monitor and report student progress and achievement.
• Quality assure curriculum offers and champion new educational thinking and educational initiatives in conjunction with the Senior Executive team and schools.
• Support Principals in the most appropriate educational strategies ensuring equity of educational outcomes to enrich the school as a learning environment for its students, families and the wider community.
• Provide effective, innovative and professional leadership and direction for Principals and other staff through coaching, mentoring and talent management to achieve the best outcomes for children.
• Provide support and guidance in relation to inspection planning, preparation and quality assuring the School Self Evaluation Form (SEF).

People Leadership & Development

• Support the leadership teams and schools to draft, deliver and update relevant plans as required and undertake monitoring, evaluation and reporting of progress within Aldar Education managed schools.
• Plan and deliver effective training and development programmes which meet identified needs within the schools.
• Support appropriate staff in the development and implementation of strategic planning and ensure regular reviews and monitoring of the strategic plan and targets in each of the schools.

Relationship Management

• Promote and represent the company effectively and positively to all internal and external stakeholders and seek opportunities to expand its role across the UAE and globally.
• Represent the company at school functions, interacting with parents in a professional and collaborative manner to build trust in the company and strong community relations.
• Develop strong relationships with education authorities and other government entities in order to establish and maintain a positive reputation that enhances the company's standing.
• Establish and maintain excellent working relationships with other members of the Leadership Team and other colleagues at HQ to ensure a positive and collegial working environment that enables the company's goals to be met.
• Foster highly effective relationships with other members of the team responsible for central functions such as HR, Finance, Marketing, Enrolments and IT in meeting identified key objectives.

Commercial & Marketing

• Lead all marketing and enrolment activities of the managed schools.
• Capitalize economic profit and return on capital investment.

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor's Degree.
• Master's in Education, Education Leadership, NPQH or similar professional qualification.
• At least 15 years of experience in education.
• A minimum of 5 years of school-based leadership experience at Principal or Head Teacher level, or a minimum of 5 years in an education group leadership position.

Skills & Competencies

• Fluent English communication skills, written and oral.
• Attention to detail with diligent follow up, and able to execute in a timely manner.
• Skilled in multi-tasking and handling pressure.
• Organizational ability, of self and others.
• Forethought and forward planning, particularly as this relates to local Government compliance matters.
• Strong ability to foster working environment that promotes trust, equality and fairness.
• Capable of influencing people and talented in networking with cultural sensitivity.
• Good interpersonal skills.
• Strong drive in the achievement of objectives.
• Great innovative thinking ability.
• Demonstrates commitment and encourages employee engagement.
• Strong and consistent supervisory skills.
• Initiate effort and energy beyond the typical work day, where the tasks require additional commitment.
• Strong commercial acumen.

Additional Information

Aldar Education is a family of world-class, child-centered, and innovative schools based in the UAE. The organisation offers an attractive remuneration package including medical cover, flights, housing, and free child school places. The company places special emphasis on professional development, coaching and training. Successful candidates will have access to a wide network of professionals and opportunities to both lead and contribute to training others as well as developing themselves.

Aldar Education is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff to share this commitment. Offers of appointment are subject to satisfactory references and police clearance. Aldar Education is an equal opportunity employer, committed to a diverse and inclusive work environment and encourages UAE Nationals to apply.