Academic Principal
Taihu International School, Wuxi, Jiangsu Province (China)

Position posted – April 24 2016

Taihu International School (Wuxi, China) is seeking an

ACADEMIC PRINCIPAL to take up the position by 1^st August 2016

Application Deadline: May 21 2016

THE SCHOOL

Taihu International School is a privately-owned K to 12 school which was founded by Daria Duncan-Weber in 1999 to serve the foreign community (to date Chinese laws do not allow for the admission of Chinese students). The school is now co-owned by Daria (who continues in her role as Chairman) and Jinnan Education Investment Co. Ltd. It is the only IBO World School in Wuxi offering all three programmes (PYP, MYP and DP) as well as holding accreditation from WASC, CIS and NCCT.

The current roll stands at approximately 120, with students coming from all over the world and a rising trend in admissions from Chinese students with foreign passports.

Other than the Academic Principal, TIS has a Chinese Principal of Operations, a foreign Deputy Principal, PYP/MYP/DP coordinators, over 30 expatriate and Chinese teaching staff, Teaching Assistants, a full auxiliary staff (cleaning/security/maintenance ), an Administration/Finance  Department, Marketing /Admissions Department and a clinic staffed by a full-time Doctor .

TIS looks forward to welcoming a new Academic Principal who will work together with the Board of Directors and in close collaboration with the Principal of Operations, to ensure continued enrolment growth and to build upon the solid foundation of systems and curriculum development already in place.

DEVEOPMENT PLANS AND FACILTIES

With the investment of our new co-owner Jinnan Education Investment Co. Ltd., TIS is at a very exciting juncture in its growth, with expansion plans including the purchase of adjacent land to enlarge the current campus, the addition of new facilities and the opening of a language training centre, among others. The present campus was purpose – built in 2007 and incorporates science labs, a gymnasium, canteen, well-resourced library, computer suite, Astroturf football/playing field and age-appropriate Kindergarten and adventure playgrounds.

THE POSITION

The Board of TIS is seeking a candidate for the position of Academic Principal who possesses the following personal qualities and ideally the following professional experience:-

-      Direct experience in two of the three IB programmes

-      5 years experience as a Deputy Principal or section Head

-      Cultural sensitivity and international- mindedness

-      A good listener and effective communicator with all school stakeholders

-      Flexible, resilient, collaborative and open-minded

-      A caring attitude towards children and a natural passion for education

-      A proven track record in instructional supervision and mentoring/overseeing professional development which benefits the individual and the school

RESPONSIBILITIES

The Academic Principal will be responsible for the continuing development of the three IBO programmes, for curriculum development, teacher recruitment /evaluation/professional development, the overseeing of all accreditation-related projects and standards and the co-planning and proposal of school budgets etc, all in close collaboration with the Chinese Principal of Operations.

SALARY AND BENEFITS

TIS endeavours to provide a salary and benefits package which is competitive for an international school of its current size and which includes free housing, yearly return flights and international health insurance for accompanying dependents, education for accompanying children and a performance–linked year–end bonus at the end of each year of service. The initial contract is for three years.

PROCEDURE FOR FILING APPLICATION

Taihu International School has appointed Gez Hayden of Search Associates to act as lead consultant in the search for our new Academic Principal. Candidates are asked to submit a letter of interest and the materials listed below as early as possible, as a single pdf file attached to an email :-

-A letter of application, detailing your strengths and why you believe you would be a good fit for the position.

- A statement describing your leadership and educational philosophy.

- A current CV with attached photo (in low resolution ).

- A one-page list of references stating position/relationship to you (and including your current employer) , current email addresses and relevant phone numbers.

The total document size should be kept to less than three (3) MB if possible.

Applications should be sent to ghayden@searchassociates.com

Additional information about our school can be found at www.tis-wuxi.com

Consultant’s Note

I have followed closely the development of Taihu International School since it was founded in 1999, and have visited the school on several occasions. Its commitment to offering a quality education to its students, and its cohesive governance and management are key factors in its success so far. As the ownership and management structures of the school are now changing (see the school’s website for a description of the current governance and management structures), it bodes well that Daria Weber will remain at TIS as part-owner and Chairman. This not only ensures continuity, but affords guidance for the renewed thrust in institutional development resulting from the new ownership structure. The position of Academic Principal offers an invaluable challenge and an exciting experience of whole-school leadership, to the successful candidate.