Chief Operating Officer

The German Swiss International School (GSIS) is one of Hong Kong's leading international schools with 240 faculty and staff providing quality, holistic education to a multinational student body of approximately 1250 students.  The school is organised into two Streams, German and English leading to qualifications in the German International Abitur and I/GCSE & IBDP respectively. The following role is open for application from qualified and experienced candidates starting January 2022 or as mutually agreed. 

CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER

The Chief Operating Officer (COO) is a senior leadership role at GSIS. The COO manages and orchestrates all of GSIS’s business operations to ensure the fiscal and operational effectiveness of the school and to implement the educational mission. The COO serves on the senior management team and on a number of Board Committees and is expected to contribute to various projects. This role works closely with the Head of School and the School Board in managing and guiding GSIS according to its strategic plan and goals. The COO builds and leads a robust administration and supports the Principal to realise his/her academic vision. The role shapes and builds the best in class organisation and is overseeing functions described below to secure the school’s long term success and financial sustainability and to make sure its operations are in compliance with regulations set by the regulatory bodies. The job requires long term planning and strong management & leadership skills across a diverse organisation.

The COO reports directly to the Principal and supervises all functions in business operations. 

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Ensure a state of the art school management which enables high performance academics.

• Lead and shape a leadership culture that builds high performing teams, a management culture that creates loyal, caring and collaborative staff members with a long term dedication to the school.

• Support and develop people through empowerment, coaching and providing clear sense of direction.

• Liaise and build trusted relationships with all stakeholders of the school which includes staff, parents, the board, alumni, key vendors as well as the German and Swiss Federal Administrative Office & ZFA (“Zentralstelle fuer Auslandsschulen”), the German and Swiss Chamber of Commerce, the Hong Kong Government and Education Bureau. 

• Ensure a robust framework of policies and procedures that ensure rigorous compliance with local & German regulations.

• Orchestrate and supervise all functions in scope so they can reach their full interconnected potential for the school, such as:

o Manage budgetary and financial reporting processes (final appraiser of GSIS’ financial position) and develop a long term sustainable financial plan.

o Create a work culture that attracts and retains best available talent.

o Oversea plans and programs related to accounting, finance, investment, audit, compliance, financial aid, risk management and purchasing.

o Participate in the school’s building and facilities strategies to provide direction and oversight of capital projects.

o Ensure state of the art technology services across the school.

o Supervise and be responsible for the safety and training programs, emergency & crisis management plans, evaluating and managing insurance contracts and all local and overseas reporting requirements.

o Develop an integrated mid- and long-term direction across all functions in scope.

REQUIREMENTS

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Economics, Public Administration, Education, Finance, or related fields required, Master’s degree preferred.

• Over 10 years of proven managerial and leadership experience.

• A minimum of 5 years of successful high-level experience, incl. supervisory responsibilities in a non-profit environment, preferably at an independent or international school.

• Effective and constructive communication and presentation skills.

• Knowledge of current school regulation, ideally of Hong Kong EDB and German ZfA.

• Outstanding interpersonal skills, with a strong customer-service focus.

• Strong analytical skills and ability to think strategically.

• Language Skills: Mother tongue either in English, Chinese Mandarin / Cantonese, or German. 

o Advanced speaking, reading, and writing skills in English.

o Additional reading and writing skills in German (Min. level C1) is a big plus.

o Proficiency in Chinese Mandarin or Cantonese is a plus. 

   

PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES

• Strong leadership skills and excellent people management skills.

• Flexibility in adjusting work routine to accommodate unexpected circumstances.

• Able to work in a challenging environment.

• Able to see the big picture and create a vision.

• Motivational and solution oriented work attitude.

• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills with a demonstrated ability to communicate effectively and relate well to students, parents, staff, faculty, and other stake holders.

HOW TO APPLY

If you are interested in joining our team, please submit your resume via email to the Director of Human Resources, Mrs. Maneesha Kanwar at  mkanwar@gsis.edu.hk.  Personal data collected will be used for recruitment purposes only.

Further information on the school, its facilities and programmes is available on the school’s website https://www.gsis.edu.hk/. GSIS is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff to share this commitment. Full background checks will be conducted to safeguard all students at GSIS.