Leadership Positions
King’s Academy provides a world-class education to over 600 girls and boys from over 35 countries across grades 7-12. A boarding and day school in Jordan, King’s Academy offers unparalleled opportunity to students from all backgrounds. Over 50 percent of students receive financial support, and college matriculations from King’s span universities on six continents, including some of the most selective universities in the United States, the United Kingdom and elsewhere.
Come to King’s. Work with extraordinary students, collaborate with growth-oriented colleagues, contribute to the development of one of the world’s most dynamic schools, and make an impact.
Dean of Faculty
Job Overview
King’s Academy is seeking to hire a Dean of Faculty (DoF) for the 2023-2024 academic year. The Dean of the Faculty advances the mission of King’s Academy by attracting, cultivating, supporting and guiding the Academy’s world-class faculty. In addition to leading the recruitment, development and retention of the 100+ teachers at the school, the DoF is a visionary planner and systems thinker who leads a team to help the faculty grow and adapt in a rapidly changing educational landscape. A dedicated and experienced educator and a believer in the principle that to take care of students we must take care of the caretakers, the DoF manages faculty assignments, culture and personnel challenges with both a warm and collaborative spirit and an unwavering commitment to excellence. The DoF has a keen eye for talent and skill that can blossom in King’s Academy’s unusual setting and a strong managerial sensibility to assess and support the distribution of responsibilities of a diverse faculty. The DoF also seeks opportunities for continuous institutional growth and improvement, both solving problems and seeking opportunities, with attention to mission alignment and fiscal responsibility.
The Dean of the Faculty works closely with the Head of School on strategic, programmatic and tactical levels to ensure that King’s Academy maintains the highest standards of excellence and fulfills its unique educational mission.
Essential Duties
- To recruit the best faculty
- Lead, with Human Resources (HR), the identification and tracking of program/sectioning needs and manage faculty teaching assignments and workload, aligning our program with the identity, mission and strategic goals of the Academy.
- Working with members of HR, develop, implement and lead a strategy for faculty recruitment (considering demographic targets, search strategies, recruitment processes and budget sensitivity) aligned with the identity, mission and strategic goals of the Academy.
- Develop, implement and lead a plan for recruitment of a diverse faculty, as understood in relation to the identity, mission and strategic goals of the Academy.
- Establish and maintain policies and practices for recruitment and hiring that both promote equity and transparency and ensure the highest standards of excellence in all aspects of teaching and learning. - To retain the best faculty
- Develop and implement a strategy for faculty retention, aligned with the identity, mission and strategic goals of the Academy, based on an exploration of best practices and creative problem-solving.
- Help faculty address any problems that emerge in a way that conforms to the Academy’s mission, principles and policies, while also exercising empathy and care.
- Recognize and develop young faculty leaders, providing support and opportunities for growth.
- Ensure the faculty compensation plan promotes equity, financial sustainability, professional growth and teaching excellence. - To develop and sustain excellence in teaching
- Establish and lead a multi-pronged program for meaningful and ongoing professional development targeting the needs of faculty in all disciplines and at all stages of their careers. This program should result in a highly effective, mission-oriented faculty grounded in King’s Academy’s Guiding Principles and in our emerging model for effective teaching and learning.
- Manage the external professional development budget and the professional development allocations process in line with the school mission, the emerging teaching and learning model, and strategic priorities.
- Manage systems to train and support Heads of Department (HoDs).
- Encourage professional collaboration and growth within and across departments at the school.
- Lead a sustainable, consistent, continuous and goal-oriented faculty appraisal system that uses multiple inputs to create a holistic picture of faculty successes and growth opportunities.
- Supervise the execution and continuous development of a successful teaching fellow and/or young faculty development program.
- In coordination and consultation with other departments, lead faculty orientation, faculty meetings, and engage in other ongoing communication (such as a weekly Faculty Update) with attention to cyclical, perennial needs as well as emergent situations, serving as the primary conduit through which faculty receive guidance and information. - To build and sustain a culture of trust, belonging, joy and purpose
- Develop collegial and productive relationships with individual members of faculty from diverse backgrounds.
- Plan and execute opportunities for faculty bonding and togetherness.
- Help teachers develop habits and attitudes of professionalism in every aspect of their work.
- Help create systems to ensure compliance with school policies and procedures and to ensure accountability.
- Develop robust policy and practice documentation to support long term consistency, transparency, equity and excellence in practice, which will also support effective succession planning and overall institutional health.
- In conjunction with HoDs and the Dean of Academic Affairs — and HR, when needed — lead the rapid and fair resolution of situations in which faculty fall below expectations or evince misconduct.
- In conjunction with HoDs and the Dean of Academic Affairs — and HR, when needed — investigate and address situations in which concerns are raised about teaching or the academic program, balancing fairness, trust and Academy expectations.
- Regularly update, communicate and collaborate with all stakeholders, such as the Leadership Team, HR office and the Head of School. - To lead the Dean of the Faculty’s office
- Organize personnel and duties in the Dean of the Faculty’s office in order to ensure it is properly poised to effectively carry out the duties of the office.
- Manage the duties of the office within the context of a complex budget, helping to ensure wise spending and financial sustainability.
- Ensure the successful execution of the duties of the Dean of the Faculty’s office.
- Complete evaluations of all team members in the Dean of the Faculty’s office.
- Provide appropriate professional development, support, and accountability measures to ensure the continuous smooth functioning of the office.
- Create a collaborative, proactive and goal-oriented office culture.
- Lead meetings of the HoDs with the Dean of Academic Affairs; participate in other committees or meetings as assigned by the Head of School.
Office Structure
The Dean of the Faculty provides visionary, strategic and inclusive leadership in the development and execution of strategic initiatives. Members of the Dean of the Faculty’s office (such as Associate Deans or Faculty Mentors) should be empowered to provide enough 1:1 support and hands-on guidance for faculty to ensure that the Dean of the Faculty has the time needed for high-level, forward-looking thinking and planning. The budget for 2022-2023 allows for some modifications to the structure of the Dean of the Faculty’s office. This flexibility is meant to recognize the key role of the office of the Dean of the Faculty for the growth of King’s Academy, its faculty and its reputation as a world-class institution of learning.
Other Responsibilities
- Teach one course per term.
- Supervise students in dorms and/or study halls one evening a week, and/or otherwise maintain an active presence in the residential program after school and on weekends.
- Serve as advisor for five or more students.
- Share sit-down meals with the students on a regular rotation.
- Attend school meetings and department meetings.
- Attend programmatic school events such as Parents Weekend, Student Orientation, Commencement, test preparation, etc.
- Participate in the weekend teams that take turns providing programming and support for boarding students throughout the year.
- Perform any academic, supervisory, educational or other activities that are typically recognized (internationally, regionally or locally) as part of the job title or as part of boarding school activities and work.
- Other duties as assigned by the Head of School.
Reporting Line
The Dean of the Faculty reports to the Head of School.
Supervisory Responsibility
Faculty
Minimum Qualifications
The successful candidate will have:
- A master’s degree.
- A record of excellence in teaching.
- Experience in training and professional development.
- Exceptional leadership and managerial skills.
- Exceptional written and verbal communication skills.
- A record of successful collaboration and teamwork.
- A keen observational ability.
- Astute emotional intelligence, patience and empathy for others.
- The ability to give and receive constructive feedback, even in difficult circumstances.
- Attention both to detail and to big-picture context.
- The ability to manage multiple projects at once.
Qualified and interested candidates should apply online, specifying the name of the vacancy mentioned above. Applications should include an up-to-date resume and cover letter, along with copies of relevant certifications and two to three reference letters, as well as a reference list including name, position, working relationship with reference and their contact details (email and phone number).