Executive Principal

Package: Negotiable

Start date: Flexible - preferred August 2021, by Jan 2022 at the latest

(School opening scheduled for August 2022)

Are you a dynamic and enthusiastic school leader, seeking an exciting new opportunity to join and shape the development of a brand new British International school? If so, you will be interested in this fantastic opportunity to join United School International.

The school is a result of a joint venture agreement between United Development Company, a highly successful Qatari public company and developer of the Pearl, and Orbital Education, a leading British education company specialising in delivering an enhanced English National Curriculum to an internationally diverse student population.

United School International will be the first school on the Pearl, a development built on land reclaimed from the Arabian Gulf connected to the city of Doha bay a four-lane causeway. Because of its position, its beautiful architecture and facilities, it is the most desirable location for both expatriate and local Qatari families in the city of Doha. There is a combination of spacious high-rise apartments and luxurious villas currently housing a population of 33,000. When finally completed in two years’ time this will have risen to around 50,000.

The school will accommodate up to 2,600 students from 3 to 18 years old and will become the second major school in the city of Doha to be established by Orbital Education. The Executive Principal will work with the Orbital team on all aspects of the pre-operational stages of development through to opening in August 2022.

This is an exceptional opportunity for an intelligent, ambitious, and energetic Senior Leader, to impact and shape the delivery of international education by leading the start-up and development of a high quality education establishment in the Pearl-Qatar, Doha.

The School will be linked, via the Orbital Education Group, to many schools across the globe, facilitating collaboration on an international scale, wider development possibilities, as well as enhanced opportunities for future International career development.

To find out more about the school, including school images, please visit; https://orbitaled.com/our-schools

About the person

We are seeking to recruit a highly motivated and experienced Principal, Head Teacher, or Senior School Leader, who will work with the Orbital team on all aspects of the pre-operational stages of development through to full operational leadership from August 2022 onwards. As part of this process, the Executive Principal will have the opportunity to be involved with and lead on the recruitment of the school’s founding staff and therefore able to select and develop their own team.

The successful candidate will have a demonstrable track record of outstanding senior educational leadership, preferably with experience in British style international schools, and in the Gulf Corporation Council (GCC). Experience of school start-up will be a major advantage.

They will be a visionary, strategic leader and a committed team player who demonstrates a collaborative approach to working with others. You should have excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to develop and maintain strong and positive relationships with all of the schools’ stakeholders.

The ideal candidate will be able to demonstrate:

• Experience of working within the GCC
• An understanding of Islamic and Arab culture
• Experience with start-up schools and an understanding of the challenges involved in such a project
• A proven track record of achievement in senior leadership positions in educational institutions
• Substantial experience of working in a British international school environment outside the UK in a multi-lingual, multi-cultural setting
• Comfortable interacting at a corporate and board level with the ability to lead change and achieve sustained improvements through engagement with key stakeholders
• A passion and a drive for excellence at all levels

Benefits of working at an Orbital Education School

Orbital Education focuses on delivering the very best in British education to its students around the globe. It’s an expanding group with schools already in Spain, Hungary, Slovenia, China, Russia, Ecuador and the Middle East, with exciting plans to develop new schools across the globe.

Key reasons to work at an Orbital Education School include:

1. Opportunities to collaborate with colleagues and students worldwide

2. Enhanced professional development opportunities, through partnerships with specialist learning providers to offer recognised and accredited professional development programmes.

3. Opportunities for both career development and movement within the group, providing opportunity to see the world whilst progressing an attractive and rewarding career.

Living and working in Doha

As the capital city of Qatar, Doha is home to around two million residents, with a huge International community supporting a vibrant and diverse culture. Known for its spectacular modern buildings and cultural heritage, Doha has been recently named as one of the Seven New Wonder Cities in the World.

The weather is good all year round with high temperatures in the summer months. There are excellent education facilities, transportation and amenities across the city, and multitude of leisure activities available to fill your free time; ranging from opportunities to explore the vast desert, to visiting the country’s many shopping malls, beaches, cultural festivals and sporting events. Doha is preparing to host the first Football World Cup to be held in the Middle East in 2022 with new stadiums already completed and others still under construction.

The Process and how to apply

If this opportunity excites you, and you would be enthused by the opportunity to lead and develop our school, we would welcome an application from you.

Your application should be submitted by email and should include a CV with a photograph, a letter of application detailing how you feel your skills and experience meet those contained within the role profile. You should also include the names and email contacts of three referees, one of whom must be your current or most recent employer.

Applications should submitted to recruitment@orbitaled.com

Closing date for applications is Friday 23rd April 2021, however early applications are requested as we anticipate significant interest in this position and shortlisting will take place without delay on a rolling basis.

Initial selection interviews with qualified candidates will take place via MS Teams on a rolling basis as applications are received. Final stage interviews will take place once a strong final shortlist of candidates has been identified.

Due to anticipated levels of interest we regret that we will not be able to feedback to all candidates. Therefore, if you have not heard from us prior to 1st June 2021, please assume that on this occasion your application has not been successful.

Orbital Education are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. DBS checks or police vetting will be required for this post.