Secondary School Principal
Bishop Mackenzie International School (Malawi)

 

 

 

Bishop Mackenzie International School (BMIS)

Lilongwe, Malawi

seeks a new

Secondary School Principal

Effective August 2025

 

MISSION

We are a diverse and welcoming community in a joyful learning environment that promotes well-being, sustainability, and inclusivity and celebrates growth as success.

School Aims

Bishop Mackenzie International School is committed to the development of responsible, confident, compassionate and independent citizens of society. Teachers, students and parents will work together to ensure that all students:

• receive equal access to a broad and balanced curriculum, regardless of race, religion, ability or gender;
• have the opportunity to reach their full potential intellectually, emotionally, socially, morally and physically;
• develop skills for independent, creative and critical thought;
• develop a positive attitude towards our host country, based on understanding and knowledge;
• develop an awareness and tolerance of different cultures, beliefs and lifestyles;
• are encouraged to act in a courteous and responsible manner towards all members of the community and the school;
• become concerned for the quality and care of the local and global environment;
• are offered education in an international context which ensures transferability and continuity with educational institutions around the world.

 

HISTORY

Bishop Mackenzie International School (BMIS) is an English-medium private, non-profit co-educational day school founded in 1944 that has grown to provide an education to 600 students in the primary and secondary schools from Reception to Year 13 (4 – 18 years old, grades K-12). The school was named in memory of Charles Mackenzie, a prominent figure in the early history of Malawi. He joined David Livingstone on the Zambezi in 1861 as Bishop of Central Africa and Head of the Anglican Universities Mission, the first Christian mission in this part of Africa and the inspiration of Livingstone himself. Mackenzie’s career was brief and was a tragedy of disease, hunger and tribal warfare. Mackenzie died of malaria and the mission collapsed almost before it began, yet he helped create a vanguard for the destruction of the slave trade by means of Livingstone’s much heralded “Commerce and Christianity.”

BMIS was founded in 1944 as The European School under a colonial administration that maintained separate European, Asian and African schools. Originally there were no more than a dozen pupils, housed on the site of the Golf Club. The school expanded rapidly in the 1950s, acquired its present location and became a boarding establishment throughout the then Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland. This reverted to a day-school under the Nyasaland Government, and later provided boarding facilities again when the Designated Schools Board was organised in 1977.

From 1977 onwards BMIS developed very much along the lines one might expect of a large primary school with an international clientele. Efforts were made by a succession of Head teachers and members of teaching staff to ensure that the best available options were offered to pupils and parents who had an interest in the school. Under the Designated School Board, the school developed an enviable reputation for quality education. A decision in 1990 saw an extension of the Primary School by the creation of a Secondary Department, now a thriving part of the school.

In 1998 BMIS separated from the Designated Schools Board and established itself as a Trust under Malawi law. All parents are members of the Parents’ Association, which constitutes the membership of the Board of Trustees. BMIS became an International Baccalaureate World School in 1997, authorized to offer the Diploma. The school expanded the IB programmes in 2006 introducing PYP, which was authorized in 2011. As the students have moved up through the school, MYP has been introduced and BMIS is now a fully authorized MYP school.

ACCREDITATION

BMIS is fully accredited by the Council of International Schools (CIS) and New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) and will have a re-accreditation/IB evaluation visit in September 2024.

GOVERNANCE

BMIS is a non-profit organization run by a board of trustees. The board consists of nine elected members, three of whom are Malawian taxpayers, three non-Malawian taxpayers and three non-taxpayers. Each of these three groups shall have three voting members on the board.  Board members are elected from the parent body by the Parents Association. The director and principals of the Primary and Secondary Schools, an elected teacher representative from the Primary and Secondary Schools are ex-officio members. The board may also appoint ex-officio members with particular skills in order to fulfil its obligation to facilitate the smooth running of the school.

CURRICULUM

BMIS is an authorised International Baccalaureate (IB) World School offering PYP, MYP and Diploma Programmes to students across the age range from 3 – 18 years. 

STUDENTS

BMIS enrolment is about 600 students from 45 different nationalities. There are 250 students in the Secondary School. About 40% of students are Malawian. The balance of students are children of expatriates or long-term residents working for NGO’s, Diplomatic missions or business.

FACULTY

There are 70 faculty members, from 11 countries including the UK, Malawi, the US, Australia and SA.  The average length of stay for expatriate teachers is 4 years.

FACILITIES

The school occupies a 25-acre site on the southwestern edge of Lilongwe’s Area 3, a settled area of suburban housing. In the primary school, there are 21 teacher-based classrooms and specialist rooms for art, music and French. In the secondary section, special facilities include 21 teacher classrooms, 4 fully equipped laboratories, language acquisition lab, open collaborative “Breakout Space,” drama studio and a design lab. The library is shared by the Primary and Secondary Schools, as are the sports fields and gardens. Hard play areas include 1 tennis court and a basketball and netball courts. There are 2 assembly halls and there are two outside volleyball courts. A swimming pool complex comprises of a 25m pool, an 18m pool, and an infant splash pool.

THE SECONDARY SCHOOL

The Secondary School program at BMIS serves students in grades 6-12. The MYP and DP coordinators are doing an excellent job at leading their respective programmes. The IB DP is non-selective and the pass rate is well above world average. Action is a school-wide focus and there are many examples of meaningful service projects. The school links the UN’s 2030’s Sustainable Development goals to their service activities. Students appreciate the school’s close community, and enjoy knowing most of the other students in the Secondary School. They also appreciate the support that they get from their teachers. The school offers a wide range of extra-curricular programmes which many students enjoy being involved in.

LILONGWE - MALAWI

Malawi is a small landlocked country in Africa, south of the Equator. Malawi is listed by “World Population Review” as the sixth poorest country in the world. However, it is also considered a friendly and tolerant country. It is well suited to those who enjoy an outdoors and active lifestyle.

One of the major geographical features of the country is Lake Malawi, Africa’s third largest lake is only a two-hour drive from Lilongwe and a popular place to relax and to participate in many recreational activities, including swimming, kayaking, fishing, snorkelling and scuba diving.  There are also a number of wildlife reserves around the country that offer the opportunity to enjoy the beautiful unspoilt wilderness. There are also many exciting travel opportunities in neighbouring countries.

Lilongwe is the capital city of Malawi, on the Lilongwe River. The city has a population of about one million people and is generally considered safe. The school is located in a residential area of the city.

Teachers appreciate the excellent quality of life that they have living in Lilongwe. People generally spend their free time enjoying the outdoors either by socializing outdoors or playing golf (next to the school), swimming, cycling, walking horse riding, running or swimming and snorkelling at the lake. There is a range of good restaurants in town. Teachers tend to make their own fun and Lilongwe suits people who are comfortable with an outdoors, small community life.

The Secondary School Principal is provided with a house on campus which has utilities and Internet provided and has 24/7 generator backup.

Health care in Malawi is adequate for basic medical needs and teachers visit expat GP’s and local clinics. However, Malawi wouldn’t be a good fit for anyone with major underlying health conditions.  For serious medical needs teachers travel to Kenya or South Africa. The school provides William Russell international health insurance as well as a local health insurance.

The cost of living in Malawi is relatively low. Candidates can use this cost of living comparator tool to give them an idea of cost of living compared to where they currently live.

SECONDARY SCHOOL PRINCIPAL POSITION PROFILE

BMIS seeks a Secondary School Principal who is an emotionally intelligent experienced leader of learning. The Principal should be an excellent communicator who is empathetic and has strengths and a proven record in building and strong relationships in the community.

The Secondary School Principal is responsible for the running of the Secondary School and works closely with the Primary School Principal and the School Director, who is his/her direct supervisor. The Principal directly supervisors and works closely with the IB Diploma and MYP Coordinators, the Pastoral Care Coordinator and the Approaches to Learning (ATL) Coordinator. The Principal’s role is to support these coordinators and the teachers to deliver the programmes to the students. The full job description may be accessed here.

Areas for the new Principal to particularly focus on are:

• Developing strong relationships with and among faculty, staff, students, parents and the wider community.
• Working on the recommendations made in the IB/CIS/NEASC 2024 evaluation/accreditation visit report.
• Implementing the school’s strategic plan
• Being an open and transparent communicator.
• Being visible and involved in all aspects of the Secondary School.
• Recruiting and retaining excellent Secondary School teachers.
• Recruiting and retaining Secondary School students.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE

• Senior leadership experience in an international school.
• A Master’s degree in Educational Leadership or similar.
• Leadership experience in at least one of the IB programmes.
• Experience living and working in the developing world

ESSENTIAL ATTRIBUTES AND SKILLS

•  An excellent listener
• Clear and open communicator
• Emotionally intelligent with a high degree of cultural literacy
• Visible and active in all aspects of school life.
• A sense of humour
• A flexible thinker

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

BMIS offers a competitive salary and benefits package commensurate with position expectations and market benchmarks. 

APPLICATION PROCEDURES

BMIS has selected Search Associates to assist them in the Secondary School Principal search, with Caroline Jacoby as the Lead Consultant. The deadline for applications is 1st, October 2024 GMT. Applications should be sent to Caroline Jacoby at cjacoby@searchassociates.com

Candidates are asked to submit a letter of interest and the required materials as early as possible, as BMIS reserves the right to close the selection process AT ANY TIME if the right candidate is found. The review of applications begins as applications are received.

Please note that we will not forward-on candidates for further consideration by the hiring school/organization if a candidate is under contract or otherwise encumbered in such a way that would preclude them from freely entering into a new employment contract, if offered, and being available for the start date stipulated by the hiring organization.  Search Associates will contact the current employer/supervisor to request completion of a Search Associates Confidential Leadership Reference Form for all applicants who emerge in the search as a Finalist. 

Candidates should send the information listed below in a single PDF file attached to an email:

• A letter of application describing your interest in the Secondary School Principal position at BMIS, highlighting your strengths as a candidate and how your qualifications and experience align with the position profile and the school’s areas of focus.
• A current resume not to exceed two pages.
• A one (1) page list of four (4) referees who have been your direct supervisors, with current email addresses.
• A statement describing your leadership and educational philosophy, not to exceed two pages.

The total document size should be kept at (4) MB.

More information about BMIS can be found on the school website.