INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL MOSHI, TANZANIA

seeks a

DIRECTOR

effective August 2009

http://www.ismoshi.org/

The present Director, Mr Barry Sutherland, will be leaving in July 2009 after five very successful years.

The School

International School Moshi (ISM) is an independent, not-for-profit, co-educational, non-denominational day and boarding school located on two campuses in northern Tanzania on the slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro in Moshi and in Arusha. The two campuses are 91 kilometres apart. Celebrating its 40th year in 2009/10, ISM has a strong and well-established reputation, both locally and internationally.  Housed on two attractive 50-acre purpose-built campuses, ISM has a total enrolment of approximately 450 students from Pre-school to Grade 12.  The student body is remarkable in its diversity, with over 45 nationalities represented.  There is a comparatively even balance in numbers between the Primary (Pre-school-5) and Secondary (6-12) grade levels.  The School's Mission is that ISM inspires individuals to be lifelong learners in a global community, a key theme in its multi-national, multi-cultural learning environment.

In addition to its academic programme, ISM has a great range of co-curricular offerings, including sports, drama, music and the fine arts.  Community service is also an integral part of the School, and the ISM CAS programme enjoys an international reputation for excellence. ISM runs CAS Camps for other international schools who visit Tanzania in the holidays to do community service work. ISM also offers a Visiting Schools Programme (VSP) which allows other schools to visit Moshi year round for community service work, mainly classroom building in poor villages. The ISM Tanzanian Scholarship programme provides 2-year fully funded IB Diploma scholarships to capable Tanzanian students each year.

Moshi Campus

This campus is Pre-K to Grade 12, day and boarding, offering PYP, MYP and DYP. The self-contained, secure campus consists of 35 general classrooms, three science laboratories, two computer laboratories, a multi-purpose sports hall and an open performance area. There is a separate Music building with studio practice rooms. The library has over 18,000 volumes.  The School has two tennis courts and a large hard court for basketball and netball. The School has stables and horse-riding lessons are available on campus. The School's sports field has a full football (soccer) pitch and a second, smaller pitch. In addition to the extensive sporting areas the school facilities include a 25 metre swimming pool. In Moshi there are currently seven boarding houses which are growing to a total student capacity of 130 boarders.  With only limited enrolment currently from Moshi residents, it is envisaged that the long term development of the Moshi Campus is heavily dependant on a strong boarding programme.

Arusha Campus

This campus is Pre-K to Grade 10, day, offering PYP and MYP. The self-contained, secure campus consists of four main buildings with 25 general classrooms, two science laboratories, two computer laboratories, a dance studio and an open performance area.  The library has over 12,500 volumes.  The School has a covered area for sports, along with a large hard court for basketball and tennis. The School's sports field has a full football (soccer) pitch. In addition to the extensive sporting areas the school facilities include a 25 metre swimming pool and pavilion.

Governance

ISM is registered in Tanzania as a non-profit making limited company with a 15 person Board, two of whom are elected parents. There are five Christian shareholding groups at ISM represented by 10 Directors on the Board, although ISM is a secular school. The three remaining directors are co-opted from the ISM community.

Curriculum

ISM is an IB World School offering all three programmes: The IB Primary Years Programme, Middle Years Programme and the IB Diploma Programme. ISM also has a High School Diploma based on a combination of IB Diploma and online courses in grades 11 and 12. ISM was the first school in Africa to offer the IB Diploma. The School is a student centered and holistic learning environment. The IB curriculum provides an excellent academic programme based on communication, thinking, inter-personal and research skills.  It is a rigorous, portable programme for all nationalities, and graduation from ISM with the IB Diploma affords the opportunity to return to most home country universities, and certainly is superb preparation for attendance in North America, Europe and Australia. ISM is one of only two accredited school in Tanzania, with accreditation from both the Council of International Schools and the Middle States Association of Colleges & Schools.  The School is also a member of the International Baccalaureate Organization, the Association for the Advancement of International Education, the Association of International Schools in Africa and The Association of Boarding Schools.

Faculty and Staff

The academic faculty of ISM is almost as diverse as the student population, with members recruited from both Tanzania and overseas, including Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the UK and the USA.  ISM is proud of the positive working environment engendered by dedicated teachers who put students first and enjoy their work. There is a Staff Association and staff have representation on the Board.

ISM is committed to professional growth for faculty and spends 1% of the operational budget on professional development. Support for re-accreditation self study 2005-6 and PYP and MYP authorizations in 2007 have been the central professional development goals.

The Senior Management Team is made up of the Director, two Heads of Campus, and the Finance Manager. Other leadership posts include two Secondary and two Primary Heads, two PYP and MYP Coordinators and one DYP Coordinator.

The Location

The United Republic of Tanzania is located in East Africa bordering the Indian Ocean.  Easily accessible from Europe and the Middle East, it remains a popular tourist destination largely due to its natural scenic beauty, its outstanding wildlife, its peaceful history and to its historically stable government. 

Expatriates living in and around Moshi and Arusha enjoy a comfortable standard of living.  Housing is good; local and imported goods and foodstuffs are widely available, and the natural beauty and rich cultural heritage of this safe part of Africa provide many opportunities for in-country game park safaris or beach vacations.

The Position

The School's Director is the Chief Executive Officer and should demonstrate both sound leadership and management skills.  S/he is responsible directly to the Board for the operational and general management of the School in accordance with the policies set by the Board.  The Director is expected to be both a knowledgeable educator and a skilled, effective manager.  Additionally, s/he plays a key role working with the Board on policy formulation, budget setting, and all aspects of long-term development planning, including facilities, staffing, curriculum, finance and marketing.

The Director, supported by a strong leadership team, is the overriding authority within the School for all day-to-day operational matters.  S/he is also empowered by the Board to make all necessary personnel decisions regarding academic, administrative and support staff within the budgetary and policy guidelines.

Although ISM is a well-established educational institution, the Board recognizes that it is essential that the School retains a clear sense of direction in which support for high educational standards, improved facilities, and a regularly evolving, long-term development plan are key components.  As a result, it is essential that the Director be an educator committed to achieving and sustaining academic excellence on a long-term basis, in addition to being a skilled and effective administrator on a daily basis.

The Board seeks a highly-motivated professional with all round leadership skills, a collaborative approach and a background of professional achievement. The ideal candidate for the position would be expected to have the following qualifications and attributes:

Qualifications

The Director should:-

• Have previous experience, preferably in the developing world, as a Head of School or in a leadership position with significant leadership responsibility
• Have previous successful experience with International Baccalaureate Programmes
• Hold an advanced degree - MA and/or EdD
• Be familiar with the IBO, CIS and/or MSA accreditation processes
• Have demonstrated success in recruiting quality faculty
• Have experience with Board Governance initiatives
• Demonstrate strong team leadership and excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to enhance the collaboration and partnership between staff, students, Board, parents and the wider community to ensure support and alignment of all stakeholders towards shared school goals.
• Have substantial experience in the areas of financial management, strategic planning, school plant and operational management, curriculum development and long-range development planning
• Be community-oriented and motivated to involve the full range of the school community - staff, students and parents in the management and development of the school.

Personal Attributes

• Have excellent interpersonal and communication skills
• Have a collaborative leadership approach
• Demonstrate honesty, integrity and good sense of humour
• Be energetic and participative
• Be culturally aware
• Inspire a love of learning.

Salary and Benefits

Competitive salary, housing is provided on the Moshi Campus, health insurance, shipping allowance, annual home leave, use of school vehicle, tuition for dependent children, professional development support.

Particulars of the Search

International School MOSHI has retained the Council of International Schools to serve as consultant for its Director search.  All candidates wishing to apply should send a letter of application, CV/resume, statement of philosophy, application form and cover sheet to the contact below. Please provide the name, email address, postal address and day-time telephone number of three persons CIS may contact for reference; these should include direct supervisors or persons in senior positions of responsibility who can validate the applicant's performance in a leadership role.

Professional dossiers may also be submitted by the candidate or sent by appointment bureaux and agencies, but the School's Search Committee reserves the right to apply directly to the writers of open testimonials for confidential statements. All enquiries and applications should be directed to the address given below.

Emailed applications are acceptable, and as long as you receive from us an acknowledgment of receipt of your full application, you are not required to mail a hard copy of your documents.  However, faxed applications must be followed up by an emailed application or a hard copy.

             Application Cover Sheet:               Application Form: 

E-mail: suefutcher@cois.org

Box MOSHI

Deadline for receipt of full applications: Friday, 16 January 2009

Leadership Searches, Council of International Schools
21A Lavant Street, Petersfield
Hampshire GU32 3EL, England

Tel +44 1730 263131    Fax +44 1730 268 913

Council of International Schools Inc.
Registered Office: 2711 Centerville Road, Suite 400,
Wilmington (New Castle County), Delaware 19808, USA
Employer ID Number 81-0579256
Registered in England under FC 24636
VAT Number GB 816 3044 52