Principal

About the School

British School Quito (BSQ) https://britishschoolquito.edu.ec/ is an Internationally acclaimed 3-18 school in Quito, Ecuador, offering high-quality education to a diverse group of 300+ students from over thirty countries across the globe. Located in the beautiful Cumbaya valley to the East of Quito and 20 minutes from the airport, the school has a mixture of mainly UK and Internationally trained teachers, working alongside local Ecuadorian trained staff. 

BSQ is a foundation school, licensed and accredited by the Ecuadorian Ministry of Education. We are also an IB World School, accredited by the Council of International Schools (CIS) and the New England Association of Schools. The school enjoys an outstanding reputation and strong support from the British-Ecuadorian business and diplomatic communities. A British National Curriculum is taught from ages 3-16, with the International Baccalaureate taught post 16; academic standards are high with many graduates going on to study in the world’s top universities.

BSQ has a friendly, family atmosphere with strong links to local Ecuadorian language and culture. It also forms part of the Orbital Education group https://orbitaled.com/ an expanding group of international schools providing quality Education to an internationally diverse student population. 

About the Opportunity 

We are seeking to recruit a highly motivated Senior School Leader, to lead the school through the next period of exciting development. The role would ideally start from January 2024 onwards, although start dates later in the year will be considered dependent upon candidate availability. Candidates should confirm their earliest availability when making their application. 

In the role of Principal, you will be responsible for working with the Orbital Leadership team and local stakeholders to drive the strategic direction of the school, in addition to overseeing the operational leadership of the Heads of School. School leadership is a close partnership with the Foundation director, who leads a strong non-academic administration team of HR, finance, marketing and site operations services. 

The successful candidate will have a demonstrable track record of outstanding senior educational leadership, preferably with experience in British style international schools.

This is a perfect opportunity for a Senior leader wanting to experience all the natural and cultural wonders of Latin and South America, alongside the opportunity to shape the delivery of international education at a high-quality education establishment. As a small school setting, it would suit an ambitious and experienced senior leader seeking to step up to their first Principal opportunity. 

To find out more about us please take some time to look at our website and our facebook page. Interested candidates should also download the job profile and person specification for greater detail.

About the person

You 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 school’s stakeholders. The ideal candidate for this exciting and challenging role will be able to demonstrate:

• UK-based teaching qualifications and experience.
• A proven track record of achievement in senior leadership at all-through schools (3-18 years)
• Substantial experience of working in a British international school environment - outside the UK in a multi-lingual, multi-cultural setting is desirable but not essential.
• A passion and a drive for excellence at all levels and developing teachers so that they deliver quality teaching and learning experiences for their students.
• The ability to lead change and achieve sustained improvements through engagement with stakeholders and working collaboratively with colleagues towards the achievement of common goals.

Please note that candidates unable to demonstrate the key criteria outlined above will not be considered for this post.

Benefits of working at an Orbital Education School

Orbital Education focuses on delivering quality education to its students around the globe. We educate more than 5,000 young people from 114 nationalities, sending them on to high quality universities. We are an expanding group with schools already in Spain, Hungary, Slovenia, Albania, China, Mexico, 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: Opportunities to collaborate with colleagues worldwide, Enhanced professional development and opportunity for career development and movement within the group.

Please see the Applicant info pack for information in respect of living and working in Ecuador.

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 your application.

Applications should be submitted by email and should include a CV along with 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, quoting “Principal Quito” in the subject line.

Closing date for applications is 5th November 2023 although early applications are encouraged to avoid disappointment, as we anticipate significant interest in this position which may close early once the right candidate is found. Initial selection interviews with qualified candidates will take place virtually on a rolling basis as applications are received.

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 15th November 2023, please assume that on this occasion your application has not been successful.

Safeguarding – British School of Quito is committed to safeguarding children and young people. As part of the school’s commitment to safeguarding, all post-holders are subject to background checks and will be required to present either a DBS certificate alongside a current update from the DBS service, or an International Child Protection Certificate administered by ACRO https://www.acro.police.uk/icpc/ (if ever worked or lived in the UK).

The successful applicant will also be required to present the background checks outlined above, along with original and notarised copies of their qualifications. The British School, Quito is an Equal Opportunities employer.