Secondary Principal

Secondary Principal: The Qatar Foundation is creating a new STEM-focused school and it will open in August of 2018 and is seeking a highly motivated, creative and engaged principal to lead the day-to-day operations of the school.    The school will start with an enrollment of 40 elite Grade 9 STEM students who will be selected from applicants living in Qatar.  Each year the school will grow a new grade level and will have a full enrollment of 240 students by the sixth year.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION

The school will select among the very best STEM students in Qatar and the program will focus on developing knowledgeable, skilled and innovative learners, thinkers, developers and leaders.

The first two years of the program will develop each student’s knowledge base in core content areas, technology, communication and collaborative problem solving.  Students will take a comprehensive set of classes that also include an engineering course where coding and practical application of their skills are used to resolve real-world challenges.

The program for students in their third and fourth years will begin their International Baccalaureate Careers Program (IBCP) supported by Project Lead the Way content (PLTW) to extend their core knowledge and build on their ability to solve problems.  Students will also move through an internship rotation whereby they learn more about university research, industry operations and during this time students will pursue areas of research that is interesting to them. Their final year they will complete their IB second year courses, Service, conduct longer internships in their area of interest and will result in a substantial research project that will round out their portfolio of learning, skills and innovative applications in their efforts to resolve some of Qatar’s Grand Challenges, (https://www.qf-arc.org/en-us/Grand-Challenges).

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Required:

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field of study.
• Professional teaching qualification, license and/or certification.
• Minimum 6 years of teaching or educational administration experience; international education experience preferred.
• Experience running or supervising STEM programs.
• Excellent time and project management skills.
• Excellent interpersonal, supervisory, student and parent support skills.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English is essential, and in Arabic would be an advantage.
• Proficiency in MS Office applications, at minimum.

Preferred:

• Master’s degree or equivalent in any relevant discipline.
• Ability to establish positive relationships with people from various cultural and ethnic backgrounds, and navigate a wide range of cultural norms.
• Enthusiasm, empathy, patience and resilience.
• Dedication and flexibility, including towards working hours and travel.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES

• To lead and manage the Qatar Foundation STEM School:
• Liaise effectively with the STEM Director, parents 
• Support and implement and help manage the annual budget for the STEM School programs.
• Liaise with the Qatar Foundation HR team to recruit, lead, supervise and ensure the professional development of teachers.
• Establish and maintain effective relations with regional schools, educational and governmental organizations, and community groups in order to strengthen partnerships and grow educational outreach.
• Support and provide guidance to the annual i-STEM conference, leadership conference and activities to support community and service projects, and other events.
• Facilitate partnerships with government and corporate bodies to obtain resources and to build knowledge partnerships.
• Guide the development and maintenance of QF schools' STEM programs.
• Ensure maintenance of accurate regional office records that include financial accounting; personnel records; program participation data; contracts; and media coverage history.
• Communicate effectively with a wide range of stakeholders and participants: students and teachers from within and without Qatar; regional STEM directors and school leadership; QF leadership, board of governors and management; corporate and other institutional partners.

HOW TO APPLY

Interested candidates are required to complete in full the application form and submit it as a single pdf file attachment to:
Dr. Gregory J. Moncada
Director-STEM School
Qatar Foundation Schools
gmoncada@qf.org.qa

and copy to:

Ms. Gina D’Souza
PA to the Executive Director
Qatar Foundation Schools
gtdsouza@qf.org.qa

Initial closing date for applications – 3rd January 2018.

Qatar Foundation Schools reserves the right to appoint a candidate before the application deadline should this prove desirable.

Successful appointment will be subject to satisfactory references and verification of qualifications. The Office of Pre-University Education is committed to safeguarding and the welfare of children, and applicants must be willing to undergo child protection screening including checks with previous employers and national/international disclosure service as appropriate.