Principal

Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN)

The Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) is a group of private, international, non-denominational agencies working to improve living conditions and opportunities for people in specific regions of the developing world.  The Network’s organizations have individual mandates ranging from health and education to architecture, rural development and the promotion of private-sector enterprise.

Together the agencies work towards a common goal - to build institutions and programmes that can respond to the challenges of social, economic and cultural change on an on-going basis.  The Network operates in 30 countries.  It employs approximately 80,000 people, the majority of whom are based in developing countries, and has an annual budget for non-profit development activities of approximately US $600 million. 

Aga Khan Education Services (AKES)

Aga Khan Education Services (AKES) is an agency of the Aga Khan Development Network. It is one of the largest private educational networks in the developing world currently operating over 200 schools and educational programmes in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Democratic Republic of Congo, India, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Madagascar Pakistan, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Uganda and the United Arab Emirates.

The AKES network provides a wide-ranging combination of pre-school, primary, secondary, and higher-secondary education schools and programmes. It employs approximately 3,000 teachers and educates over 75,000 students around the world.  In addition to offering the respective national curricula, some countries also offer international curricula (IB and British programmes).

AKES is currently undertaking a major organizational change exercise, looking to transition its individual country units into a global school system.  In parallel with this transformation, it is planning significant investments to expand existing provision and update and overhaul many of its current schools.  A focus on teachers and school leaders is considered central to the change agenda as is the integration of technology.  The AKES’s approach to curriculum is also being repositioned to ensure relevant 21st century education. 

Position Summary

The Principal will be responsible for the overall academic and financial performance of the Aga Khan Academy, Nairobi (AKAN), which comprises the Nursery, Junior and Senior Schools. AKAN is a K-12 IB World School in the heart of Nairobi. The Principal will take a leadership role in strengthening the quality of teaching and learning, bringing efficiencies to the management of the schools and raising the profile of the Academy as a whole school. This is a vitally important role with genuine transformational potential.

Key responsibilities

• Articulate and deliver a clear educational vision that embodies the values of the AKES, including academic excellence, a service ethos, and intercultural understanding
• lead the development of long-term and short-term school development plans and quality indicators to establish the positive standing and positioning of the school as one of the leading schools in East Africa
• guide the implementation of school plans, monitor progress and report to the management on quality indicators, student learning outcomes and anticipated future issues
• develop the annual budgets for the schools in consultation with the Head of Education (or any person designated by the Regional CEO) and Head of Finance, monitor variance and report on financial performance on a periodic basis
• in consultation with the CEO, develop and embed appropriate management structures and policies for the Academy
  • guide and monitor the delivery of curricula and co-curricular programmes for the schools, ensuring quality delivery in all grade levels, timely completion of syllabus, meeting of targets in external examinations, and development and implementation of corrective action plans, as required
• in collaboration with AKES,EA academic leadership, develop and implement appropriate systems to meet and maintain authorization requirements for the IBO.
• lead and supervise the heads of schools, including their performance appraisal, professional development planning and mentoring
• in collaboration with the Head of Human Resources, drive the recruitment and professional development of senior faculty and staff of the school and build a high-performing school management team
• support the development and implementation of effective marketing strategies and admission policies to recruit students with diverse cultural, social and economic backgrounds
• ensure that the physical infrastructure and facilities in the school are conducive to effective teaching and learning and reflect the quality of the AKES image
• support the smooth transition of students from the Nursery to Junior to Senior school, and establish links with higher education establishments to ensure continuity of education
• create and maintain a successful partnership with parents and the wider community to support and improve pupils’ achievement and promote the image of the Academy
• develop productive relationships with other schools, training institutions, the Aga Khan Academy in Mombasa and other stakeholders for sharing of knowledge and collaboration on school improvement initiatives
• as a member of the AKES,EA leadership team, contribute toward achievement of the overall objectives of the organization and support other AKES schools in the region, where required.
• act as a role model to staff and students, setting high standards of personal conduct.

Reporting Relationships

Reports to:
Regional CEO, AKES, East Africa

Supervises:  
Heads of Nursery & Junior and Senior School  

Requirements

• a post-graduate degree in Education from an accredited university
• at least ten years’ experience in international curriculum schools, including experience in the International Baccalaureate system and at least five years in school leadership roles
• excellent understanding of, and experience in, curriculum management, design, implementation and evaluation
• understanding of 21st century education practices, strategies for raising students’ achievement and effective frameworks for school improvement planning and self-evaluation
• proven ability to develop effective management structures, and to build, lead and develop teams
• the ability to establish and sustain strong relationships with parents, students, teaching and non-teaching staff, alumni and other stakeholders
• excellent written and verbal communication skills
• an understanding of financial planning and preparing and monitoring budgets
• passionate about delivering high quality services to children and their families
• experience in the developing world and in Africa will be highly desirable.

Interested applicants should send their application letter, CV, copies of their certificates and testimonials demonstrating how their experience fits the position to hr@akesk.org so as to be received by 18th September 2018. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted