The Roles & Responsibilities
The Dean is the academy's "Head of School", and works each day to define and deliver a world-class boarding school program that prepares each student to become a transformative leader committed to creating a more prosperous and equitable future for the African continent, and the world.
The Dean leads a team of senior managers within the school who in turn lead a faculty and staff of more than 60 committed professionals.
ALA's selective admissions process and uniquely generous financial assistance program combine to create an exceptionally talented and energetic student community.
Each class includes more than 30 different African nationalities and is recruited from an extremely diverse range of backgrounds.
Similarly, ALA attracts some of the foremost educators on the continent who co-create a unique curriculum grounded in its mission and benchmarked against global standards.
ALA graduates have gone on to attend and succeed at the world's leading tertiary institutions and the first few cohorts are already back on the continent leading meaningful change in their communities.
These features combine to make this a uniquely challenging and energizing school leadership opportunity.
As a member of ALA's Executive Committee, the Dean also works alongside the CEO and other executives to shape the strategy of our unique institution, which includes our two-year residential program and a range of ancillary programs.
From this position, the Dean is expected to contribute to and shape ALA's pedagogical and leadership development philosophy as they are translated beyond the school into other programs.
As with any school leadership role, this position is expansive and demanding.
Key responsibilities will include:
Defining the Vision of the School: As Head of School, the Dean leads a team of committed senior leaders to define the academy's pedagogical direction and bring our leadership development vision to life.
Strategic Thinking & Continuous Improvement: The Dean builds and sustains a culture of continuous learning and improvement, defining the most important areas of focus each year and working to consistently raise the level of practice through regular feedback loops.
Building & Develop High-Functioning Teams:The Dean works with other senior leaders to attract, develop and retain a diverse pan-African and international faculty who work with students to attain achievement at a global standard.
The school aims to foster a culture of ongoing professional development guided by reflection, observation and the study of student work.
Internal & External Communication: The Dean represents ALA and the work of the organization on local and international platforms, translating the vision, mission and impact of the school for a variety of stakeholders and audiences.
Organizational Leadership: The Dean oversees all financial, operational, human resources and performance review responsibilities for the Diploma program.
Student Leadership: Build relationships with students and establish a clear, visible position of respect as an accessible role model of leadership.
Skills and Profile of Ideal Candidate
The ideal candidate will demonstrate:
- minimum qualification (Bachelor's degree) with strong preference for a candidate with graduate studies in Education or relevant field
- a proven record of school leadership experience with at least 5 years in senior leadership roles.
- a commitment to excellence and a conviction that all students are capable of work that makes them proud.
- a vision for learning that extends beyond the classroom and encompasses a purposeful life.
- a learning orientation with the capacity to build cultures, systems and processes that are motivated by the desire to learn and improve.
- a passion for the African continent, its people and its future.
- the ability to navigate conflict and ambiguity through clarity and consultation.
Reporting: This role reports to the Chief Executive Officer
Location: ALA Campus, Johannesburg, South Africa
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