Overview: GGAST, established in 2011 with 90 Senior 4 girls, will graduate its first class of Senior 6 girls in November, 2013. GGAST seeks to hire an experienced educator to be the Deputy Head of School who will start as soon as possible in the 2012 school year. The Deputy Head will train under the direction of the school’s current Head of School Peter Thorp, preparing to become the Head of School when the school transitions from the USA-based NGO to local day-to-day management.
A) Opportunities awaiting the Deputy Head of School:
1) To eventually become the Head of School of Rwanda’s premier upper secondary school for girls;
2) To prepare 90 graduates each year to pass the National Examinations with distinction and to matriculate to universities in Rwanda, East Africa and around the world;
3) To be trained and be mentored under the guidance of a headmaster with 35+ years of experience;
4) To lead a talented and devoted teaching and administrative staff of 20;
5) To work with the best and brightest of Rwanda’s young women;
6) To promote the use of technology as a central learning tool;
7) To develop further an innovative, student-centered classroom curriculum;
8) To foster the culture of a learning environment in which teachers and students work together as partners;
9) To position GGAST as a model for upper secondary education in Rwanda and East Africa; and
10) To become the face and voice of the school to the greater Rwandan, East African and international communities.
B) Challenges awaiting the Deputy Head of School:
1) To work closely with, and be accountable to, the American co-founders of the school to ensure that they are kept apprised of all important developments of the school and that a plan for long term sustainability is developed;
2) To nurture, and be accountable to, a local advisory board which will play an increasing role in the day-to-day decision-making processes of the school;
3) To ensure that the school continues to enroll a socio-economically, regionally and academically diverse student body by developing innovative enrollment marketing outreach strategies;
4) To increase the percentage of fluent English-speaking Rwandan teachers on the staff;
5) To maintain the proper balance of National Examination preparation with the school’s focus on the development of critical thinking skills among the students;
6) To promote enthusiastically the extracurricular (sports and clubs) program;
7) To provide opportunities for the students to worship as they please in a secular school;
8) To work within the confines of a limited budget and to be accountable for all financial operations at the school;
9) To host frequent visitors to the school and to take the initiative to seek out potential partnerships that advance the mission of the school; and
10) To work with the Rwanda Ministry of Education (MINEDUC), the Rwanda Education Board (REB) and other governmental agencies to ensure compliance with all required regulations.
C) Deputy Head of School (DHOS) Job Description:
Under the tutelage of the current Head of School, the successful candidate will be responsible for the following:
1) Staff leadership: the DHOS will promote the culture of professional growth by working with staff on annual goal-setting and self-evaluation; the DHOS will schedule and lead all staff meetings; the DHOS will design and implement a timetable that meets organizational goals;
2) Enrollment: The DHOS will assist in marketing the school, student/parent interviews as appropriate, evaluation of student applications, coordination with the National Examination Council, financial aid determination, and the selection of students;
3) Teaching: The DHOS will teach at least one class in her/his subject area;
4) Business affairs: The DHOS will work with both the Head of School and the Bursar to develop annual budgets that reflect organizational priorities; s/he will be involved in decision-making about expenditures; and, if not already trained, s/he will learn how to categorize and track expenses;
5) University guidance: the DHOS will continue and expand the university counseling program, including TOEFL and IELTS preparation, that will position our graduates for university opportunities around the world and will enable them, where possible, to secure appropriate financial assistance;
6) Annual and longitudinal data collection: the DHOS will gather the relevant data that enables the school and its board of directors to monitor its success (or where and why it falls short of success) with the goal of identifying best practices and addressing organizational weaknesses;
7) Regular duties: in addition to teaching, the DHOS will serve as the advisor to 12-15 girls, will lead an activity (sport or club) 2 days per week and will serve along with all staff in the regular duty rotation.
D) Qualifications and requirements:
The successful candidate will have extensive experience in education and/or management (including business, NGO, or governmental service) and have the following training, experience, professional and personal qualities:
1) A commitment to the values and goals of GGAST;
2) A proven track record as a leader who inspires those with whom she/he works;
3) A visionary thinker who is able to foresee both future opportunities and challenges and to develop a plan to take advantage of or address them as appropriate;
4) At least 7 years of experience as a teacher and/or senior administrator; prior experience as a headmaster or CEO is preferred;
5) A thinker and a problem-solver, a person who is pro-active rather than reactive;
6) A good listener who sees collegial input as important in the decision-making process;
7) When and where appropriate a firm and clear decision-maker;
8) A degree from an accredited university; a Master’s degree is strongly preferred;
9) Fluent in written and spoken English;; acquisition of fluency in Kinyarwanda will be necessary if not already a native speaker; and fluency in French and/or Swahili is desirable;
10) A tireless worker on behalf of students and staff but also one who values and models physical health and psychological well-being;
11) A sense of humor is required.
E) Compensation:
The Deputy Head of School will be paid a competitive net salary (taxes and CSR are paid by the school) for the position and will be provided housing on campus or in Gashora. In addition the DHOS will have an attractive health care policy. Further training and professional development opportunities will be available as appropriate.
Assuming the DHOS successfully completes her/his internship program, she/he will become Head of School effective when Peter Thorp transitions out and at that time will be paid at a competitive rate for a head of school at a “government aided” school and provided a three-bedroom/2 bath house on campus.
As this is a senior administrative position, the DHOS will work for some time during November and December in addition to the normal school year. Appropriate time off will be agreed upon with the Head of School.
F) How to apply:
1) Send your CV and a detailed cover letter explaining why you want to be considered for this position and why you believe you are an excellent candidate. If you send a brief, formulaic letter that shows you have not studied the school’s website and reflected on its mission, you will not even receive an interview. The cover letter is your opportunity to convince the Search Committee that you are a worthy candidate.
2) Along with the CV and cover letter, send your official papers, including certified copies of any university degree, a copy of your passport or Identity Card, a copy of your Rwandan National Police or Interpol clearance, and if you are not a Rwandan citizen but have been working in Rwanda, a copy of your Equivalency Certificate. Please note that none of these papers will be returned. Send all materials to pct94109@yahoo.com
G) The interview and selection process:
1) Applications are due no later than 30 April, 2012.
2) The most promising candidates will be interviewed in mid-May;
3) Approximately 5 Semi-Finalists will be identified who will then have extensive interviews on campus, being interviewed by a Search Committee that includes both staff and students;
4) From that 2-3 Finalists will be selected. Those Finalists will be interviewed by the American co-founders in early June at which time the selection will be complete and the successful candidate will start as soon as possible.
5) Gashora Girls Academy of Science and Technology is under the auspices of the USA NGO Rwanda Girls Initiative. RGI and GGAST are “equal opportunity employers” and make employment decisions without regard to race, color, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, political ideology, age, creed, religion, national origin, disabling condition, veteran status, or any other legally protected status, condition, or characteristic, except where a bona fide occupational qualification disqualifies an applicant.
Qualified women candidates and citizens of Rwanda are especially encouraged to apply.
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