Job - Ayb School Executive Director, Yerevan, Armenia

Ayb School Executive Director 

Job description

The Executive Director is the school’s top executive and team leader, reporting to the Board of Trustees. He or she must advance the school’s strategic goals, while always acting in the best interest of the students.  

The Ayb School Executive Director should deeply engage in Ayb's mission, fully dedicate him or herself to Ayb's goals, uphold Ayb's thought leadership on a national and international level, and increase the contribution of the school to the wider public good. The Executive Director should at all times aim to fulfill the mission set out in the school’s charter. He or she should embody the role of an active member of society, constantly evolving and learning as an individual, as well as be an advocate of academic and professional decency. He or she should strive to serve the development of the Armenian educational system, contribute to the formation and success of the next generation of students, strengthen the community around Ayb School, as well as establish and maintain effective communication between the Ayb community and the wider society.

Objectives of the Executive Director

• Strategic management

• Values based leadership 

• Community building

• Cooperation with the Board of Trustees of Ayb School

• Organizational leadership

• Teaching and learning

• Health and safety

The Executive Director ensures that these obectives are met by delegating duties to Ayb School's Senior Management Team: the Operations Director, the Academic Director, the Community and Pastoral Care Director, and the Primary School Director.

Main responsibilities

• Be an inspiring and guiding leader

• Consistently advance the school’s growth and development according to the strategic goals, maintain the school’s leading role in the Armenian educational field

• Monitor the school’s activities and present them to the Board of Trustees, with a complete and unbiased representation of the situation at all times. Make sure periodic internal and external assessments are organized to identify existing problems and provide solutions

• Continuously improve the school's internal working environment

• Continually develop the content of education, the effectiveness of assessment, and maintain excellence

• Take a leadership role in fundraising activities, in collaboration with our fundraising team, to benefit the school’s future development and scholarship programs. Maintain healthy relationships with a robust pool of current donors and build new connections to further increase the fundraising capacity of the school

• Ensure that  decisions made at the school are grounded in pedagogy and morality, derived from the values of the Ayb community, and drawn from Christian and universal values

• Foster participative leadership principles at all levels across the school

• Develop or update the strategy of the school in accordance with the vision and guidance from the Board of Trustees and provide the strategy for approval

• Carry out any other relevant activities that the School Board of Trustees may consider appropriate

• Establish strong relationships across the Board of Trustees, employees, students, parents, Ayb alumni and the community at large to maintain a warm and healthy atmosphere around the school. This atmosphere should be shaped by national cultural and Christian values, enabling students to develop as versatile, harmonious, and values-based free thinkers 

• Work with the Ayb Foundation and its wide circle of supporters to consistently develop the role of the school, in accordance with a predetermined set of Ayb community goals

• Maintain a systemic leadership role in relation with the Araratian Baccalaureate candidate schools

• Ensure the quality of education we deliver by leading the implementation of the Araratian Baccalaureate program to its full extent. Ensure the development of Ayb School's specific educational approaches

• Ensure the educational excellence and rich educational environment for all of the school’s students, participate and actively engage students in a variety of exciting and inspirational meetings, events and supplementary lessons, and projects aimed at the public good

• Ensure that the school environment encourages teachers to be dedicated to education and that teaching is carried out with high professionalism and diligence. Students are encouraged to achieve their highest potential and behave as expected of the Ayb school student

• Regularly learn about new ideas and realities in the field of education internationally, through the examination of pedagogical research results and approaches used in other leading schools. Combine these new models with the school's strategic goals, test and implement leading and effective approaches

• Lead the constant development of research and innovation in the school. Promote research activities by employees and make sure that the best practices achieved are spread across the school

• Identify and apply the right approaches to ensure that student behavior is improved, and are guided toward responsible behavior without excessive restrictions on their freedom. Ensure that pupils are self-motivated and committed to independent and self-driven learning

• Ensure a non-discriminatory learning environment that values all forms of achievement Create equal opportunities and support each student’s individual learning pathway, focusing on self-development and personal progress

• With the support of a finance team, ensure the financial sustainability of the school and effective cost management based on the strategic objectives of the school

• Ensure compliance of the school’s operation with its guiding documents, existing standards, and normative requirements. Ensure the transparency of the school's working culture in conformity with the principles set forth by the school

• Ensure that the professional development of personnel take place and that the staff participates in group and individual development programs where appropriate

• Ensure the development, implementation, and continuous updating of appropriate systems, rules, policies, procedures and regulations that are necessary for the school's management

• Ensure consistency and efficiency in all areas of operation, and control and eliminate potential conflicts of interest risks 

• Ensure the health and safety of pupils and staff at school and during out-of-school activities. Make sure periodic drills are organized so that pupils and staff are prepared to act in extreme and emergency situations

• Make sure that all the necessary arrangements are made to keep the school property safe

Profesional and Personal Qualifications

• Master’s degree, preferably related to pedagogy or education research

• PhD or any equivalent degree in education is desirable

• Management or administration degree (such as MBA, MA) is desirable

• Evidence of further professional development relevant to the position of the executive director of an educational institution is desirable

• Leadership role at senior level in a medium-to-large educational organization

• A senior position in a non-profit organization is desirable

• Experience in leading of senior management team is  desirable  

• Evidence of working effectively with governing bodies (such as Board of Trustees) is desirable

• Experience as a teacher, lecturer or a trainer is desirable, in case of lack of experience of teaching readiness to gain teaching skills and teach is mandatory

• Knowledge of Armenian and English languages 

• Ability to communicate in Russian language is desirable 

• Good awareness of current educational trends and developments

• Awareness of current educational realities and developments in Armenia is desirable

• Knowledge about the principles of effective teaching and assessment for learning

• Understanding of inner structure of curricula, good knowledge of the contents and syllabi of main school subjects is desirable

• Understanding of strategy and strategic management 

• Ability to structure the organization, define roles and responsibilities. Ability to delegate, manage workload, monitor and improve team performance

• Understanding of financial basics to read and review budgets 

• Ability to research factual data and derive conclusions 

• Good practical knowledge of relevant information technologies, understanding of how information technologies could be used to improve efficiency of the organization 

• Ability to provide organizational, strategic and thought leadership 

• Ability to take initiative, inspire, motivate and engage people 

• Ability to lead changes, assess risks and take responsibility

• Ability to make hard decisions and take full responsibility for them 

• Ability to successfully acquire new skills at a fast pace and productively apply those skills in a professional context

• Ability to set and achieve ambitious targets

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills

• Ability to deliver impactful and engaging public speeches  

• Creativity

• Emotional intelligence

• Responsiveness

• Self-awareness

• Ability to be firm but fair

• Ability in establishing effective public relations and networks

• Good sense of humor  

How to apply 

Candidates who meet the requirements are kindly requested to send their CV to principal_selection@aybschool.am mentioning the job title and name, surname as the subject field.

Short listed candidates will be invited for interview (online interviews are also applicable) with the Executive Director Selection Committee after the application deadline. 

Application deadline: 20th of April 2020։

About us

Ayb School is a not-for-profit organization that operates since 2011 and plays an important role in the Armenian educational system. The objective of Ayb School is to become a model of the 21st century Armenian educational institution. The school’s mission is to raise future generation of literate, honest, and responsible students who are proud of their heritage and identity. The school’s teaching philosophy is based on Ayb School’s 8 principles that shape and define our learners.  The school prides itself in providing a positive learning environment where its community of students, teachers, staff, alumni, and parents may thrive. Ayb School serves as an ingenious laboratory where innovative teaching technologies, methods, experiences, and educational models are created. The school’s intention is to spread these innovations through the nation’s educational system, elevating the Armenian educational system to a highly competitive and global standard. 

To find out more about Ayb School activities, visit www.aybschool.am.