Principal, Jumeirah College Dubai

GEMS Education is looking for a highly qualified, inspirational and experienced Principal to take one of the  leading schools in the MENASA region to the next phase of its exciting journey. It is a wonderful opportunity for the right candidate to make their mark in all facets of provision of an already prestigious and high performing school.

About the School

Jumeirah College is a British curriculum school that has been rated as ‘Outstanding’ by the Dubai education regulators, the KHDA, for the past 11 years. It is rated in the top 2% of schools worldwide for A Level results and is in the top percentile for GCSE target result attainment.  

The school isn’t solely focused on excellent academic results, however, offering a wide variety of extra-curricular and creative opportunities. Our students regularly attain places at the world’s leading universities including in the UK and the U.S. 

Jumeirah College has a strong partnership with another outstanding school led by an exceptional and long-serving Principal, Jumeirah Primary School which is a feeder for Jumeirah College. You will hold a pivotal role in continuing to strengthen this powerful connection and build on the partnership to support the future journeys of both schools.

Jumeirah College and Jumeirah Primary School are both part of a cluster of flagship Premium IB and British curriculum schools within the GEMS network, reporting into the Vice-President of Education, Dr Saima Rana. Dr Rana is also the Chief Education Ambassador for the Varkey Foundation and CEO/Principal for sister school, GEMS World Academy. 

Our Approach

Jumeirah College’s focus is on four key areas of expectation from our demanding and supportive family community: that students will be happy, safe, and healthy; will be offered a broad and balanced curriculum with genuine academic rigour; will have access to a wide variety of extra-curricular and creative opportunities; and will make a sustained contribution to the community in its widest sense – locally, nationally, and globally. 

It is vitally important that students leave us with a sense of self-esteem and self-awareness, able to take their place in professional life in the fast-changing world of the 21st century. International mindedness and a global perspective is an integral requirement of a first class education, inculcating sustainable, principled and balanced values in today’s young people.

As Principal at Jumeirah College, you can expect to work with passionate and dedicated staff from across the globe, provide for truly international minded students who have a thirst for learning, and engage with highly aspirational and supportive parents.

About GEMS Education

Working with GEMS, the world’s largest K-12 private school operator, offers you a unique opportunity to enhance and progress your career on a global setting. 

Trusted for over 60 years and now a third generation education family, GEMS Education began in a single school room in Dubai. Today, we have the privilege of educating over 170,000 students from over 176 countries through GEMS owned and managed schools globally; over 270,000 students access resources through our services division.

GEMS Education understands that students learn in different ways. It is our individualism that makes us unique with a commitment to ‘find the genius in every child’. 

If you meet the criteria below and have the drive and passion for this exceptional challenge then we would welcome your application.

To be considered for this role, you should:

· Be an effective and dynamic leader with a proven track record driving school improvement 

· Have recent experience leading a premium British curriculum school in a Principal role 

· You will have previous experience of overall Principal/Headship of at least one school

· You have extensive experience of leading a school through inspection, having significant impact during the process

· Be able to demonstrate a comprehensive and confident knowledge of student achievement, curriculum and assessment from Y6-Y13

· Be able to demonstrate successful experience of leading and managing large numbers of staff

· Be able to demonstrate genuine passion towards the wider co-curricular life of a school

· Be confident in team and resource management, strategic planning and decision-making

· Be an excellent team player both within the department and across phases

· Be rigorous in promoting excellence and driving high standards

· Have excellent IT and interpersonal communication skills to work closely with students and parents

· Have a Bachelor’s Degree in Education or other relevant field with a teaching qualification

· Have 10 years’ educational experience with a minimum of 5 years’ experience in a leadership role

· Have NPQH or other relevant senior leadership qualifications

· Be available to join by January 2023 or, in exceptional circumstances for the right candidate, April 2023 

To arrange an informal discussion or to find out more about the role, please contact Jennifer Asimus on jennifer.asimus@gemseducation.com attaching a CV or brief explanation of your experience and current position to arrange a call with Rowan Bell, Senior Vice President, HR, or Claire Hassard, Senior HR Business Partner. 

Applications should be made by email to

Principalrecruitment@gemseducation.com (Subject: Principal Jumeirah College January 2023) with your CV, along with a formal letter of application outlining why you believe you have the experience, skills and attributes to lead this high achieving school into its next chapter.

Closing date: 17 June 2022