Head of Operations

The role is due to start from March 2022. You will be primarily responsible for the management and development of all non-academic related activities at United School International, Doha, covering Finance, IT and Facilities Management. Although much of the pre-opening work has been carried out by our start up team ahead of the school opening in August 2022, there will be opportunity to be involved in some exciting start up aspects as you lead the Operation and finance functions through the opening of the school.

You will be responsible for providing effective leadership to support and secure engagement of all stakeholders across the school. You will facilitate the delivery of a high-quality education through leadership of these support functions, whilst adhering to regulatory, budgetary, quality, and Group standards at all times. To match the expectations and reputation of Orbital Education and United Development Company, we expect high quality and high standards from our staff.

You will have an excellent track record of leading and managing multi-disciplinary teams in a larger organisations and whilst knowledge of the management of schools is useful, a willingness to learn about this specialist field is more important.

Person Specification

In particular, candidates should meet the following technical profile:

· Suitable professional qualifications in accountancy or business management are essential with further qualifications/experience in site management and/or Health & Safety being desirable.

· Significant experience in financial planning and control in a larger organisation, preferably previously within a school.

· Previous school start up experience is also desirable but not essential.

· Recent GCC experience and an understanding of Arab and Islamic culture.

· Experience of working as a member of a senior team with Board level experience desirable.

· Experience of working with external contractors to achieve the aims of the school and management of contracts.

· Excellent skills in Financial Analysis with the ability to interpret and analyse data and act upon the information.

· Ability to work strategically and analyse issues then identify creative solutions.

· Strong organisational skills to prioritize work and manage time effectively particularly under pressure.

· Excellent communication skills and professional communication.

Strong English language and clear communication is an essential requirement for this role, and applications from native-level speakers of English will be preferred. For more information please refer to the separate Job Description and Person Specification provided.

About the School

United School International is a newly founded school on the prestigious Pearl Development in Doha, Qatar, a residential development reclaimed from the Arabian Gulf. Because of its position, its beautiful architecture and facilities, the Pearl is one of the most desirable locations for both expatriate and local Qatar families in the city. 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.

United School International is the first and probably only school to be built on the Pearl, providing education for children within the local community. It is a result of an exciting partnership between Orbital Education and United Development Company, a highly successful Qatari organisation and the developer of The Pearl. It is the second major school in the city of Doha to be established by Orbital Education, with the highly acclaimed and beautifully appointed Oryx International School established in partnership with Qatar Airlines, already operating within the city.

The school provides a British style of education based upon the English National Curriculum, whilst retaining the value of local culture and tradition within its curriculum offering. It can accommodate up to 2,600 students between 3 to 18 years, and is expected to fully open in August 2022. The facilities offered at the school site, combined with our approach to education, will allow the school to stand out as a leading International school.

Living and working in Qatar

Doha, the peninsula’s capital city of over 2.7 million residents, has a huge International community that choose to live and work here. Doha is preparing to host the Football World Cup in 2022 with new stadiums already completed and others still under construction. Qatar provides an excellent lifestyle, with a combination of cultures mixed with the best of Qatar’s past and present.

Being in the Middle East, the weather is good all year round with extreme heat in the summer months. If you want to explore Qatar you will find plenty of opportunity to explore the desert, museums, shopping malls, beaches, attend sporting events, music festivals, take a boat trip and much more. There are excellent education facilities, transportation and amenities across the city.

Benefits of working at an Orbital Education School

Orbital Education https://orbitaled.com/ 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.

Application Process

If this describes you, you meet the requirements for this position and are keen to join our excellent and friendly school we would welcome an application from you.

Applications should be made by CV in the first instance, with all relevant details of your experience and education history, accounting for any employment gaps. Your application should include a cover letter outlining how you would utilise your knowledge, skills, and experiences to ensure success in the role. You should also detail the names, email contacts and contact numbers of two referees, one of whom must be your current employer.

Applications should be submitted to Mr A Edgar c/o recruitment@orbitaled.com 

Your application should include a cover letter outlining how you would utilise your knowledge, skills, and experiences to ensure success in the role. You should also detail the names, email contacts and contact numbers of two referees, one of whom must be your current or most recent employer. Closing date: 15th October 2021

Successful candidates will be contacted as soon as we have drawn up a shortlist for interview which we hope to hold by the end of March. If you have not heard from us before 31st October you should assume that your application has been unsuccessful.

Safeguarding – United School International is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all of its staff and stakeholders to share this commitment. As part of the school’s commitment to safeguarding, all post-holders are subject to background checks and an International Child Protection Certificate administered by ACRO