Head of Department

The Head of Department (HOD) is responsible for the development, growth, and achievement of learning and teaching in their respective department. The HOD organizes and reviews curriculum; provides support to teachers, students, staff and parents; and appraises teachers in their department. The HOD exemplifies approaches to learning and teaching in their classroom teaching and departmental leadership. Heads of Department ensure best practices for academic development for all students in the Department’s classes. HODs are expert in the IB and US High School curricula. For all programs, the HOD ensures teachers know and understand IB and other curricula of their courses and have appropriate and up-to-date training. Heads of Department demonstrate considerable knowledge of assessment within IB curricula and develop their teachers’ skills in implementing effective assessment techniques and strategies within classrooms.

Compensation: Faculty Pay Range is $70,304 to $86,400 plus a $8,000.00 stipend and 1 course release

Reports to: Head of School

Professional Qualifications and Qualities:

• Bachelor’s degree in teaching or relevant field, master’s degree preferred.
• At least five years of teaching experience.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with all school stakeholders.
• Experience in implementing the principles and current trends in education, curriculum, IB program, staff development, essential elements of instruction, and supervision.
• Outstanding written and verbal communication skills.
• Well-organized with excellent leadership abilities.
• Exceptional interpersonal and presentation skills.

Key Responsibilities:

• Departmental
  • Determine faculty teaching assignments and ensure correct student placement in relevant classes.
  • Ensure best practices for academic development for all students in the department.
  • Model exemplary instructional practices.
  • Supervise and evaluate department members (including goal setting, formal and information observations, performance reviews, performance improvement plans, etc.).
  • Mentor or provide peer mentors for faculty.
  • Manage and track faculty absences, substitute placements and provide coverage for any classes requiring a teacher, as necessary.
  • Create and implement a departmental budget that provides for classroom materials, professional conferences, speakers, programs, and other instructional needs.
  • Serve as the public face of the department.
  • Develop and support opportunities for international and local student travel as well as experiential learning that complements classroom instruction.
  • Any other duties as assigned.
• Instructional
  • Teach class load of 3 out of 6 classes/sections.
  • Hold office hours at the assigned time per the schedule.
  • Provide coverage for any classes requiring a teacher, as necessary.
  • Provide timely feedback to students.
  • Supervise students’ IB Diploma Programme Extended Essays.
  • Attend curriculum planning meetings, faculty meetings, department meetings and all community meetings/assemblies.
  • Participate in professional development opportunities offered by the school.
  • Serve on committees as needed.
• Planning
  • Plan and teach classes following the IB, and/or USHS curricula for grades 9-12.
  • Design and incorporate student-centered experiential learning experiences that link to classroom learning.
  • Be enthusiastic and resourceful in creating meaningful learning experiences for students.
  • Differentiate instruction and assessments for individual student needs.
  • Create instructional materials and classroom resources that support English Language Learners and their learning needs.
  • Create course outlines, bibliographies of suggested readings, and key vocabulary lists for IB and/or USHS courses and share using online platforms.
  • Use a wide range of technologies and creativity when designing units, instructional materials and classroom resources.
  • Keep abreast of curricular developments by reading current literature and syllabus updates.
• Assessment
  • Develop assessment tasks across all curricula (IB, USHSD) that align to IB assessments and assessment philosophies.
  • Follow the school’s assessment and marking policy, and ensure the team are aligned in their implementation.
  • Design a wide range of formative assessments/ assessments for learning in planning.
  • Utilize student assessment results to guide future planning (data-driven approach), teaching and learning.
• Boarding & Community Engagement
  • Serve as a visible and active presence in the residential life program, connecting academic and co-curricular experiences.
  • Participate in evening and weekend campus activities as part of residential leadership.
  • Partner with the Dean of Students, Dean of Academics and Residential Life team to ensure holistic support for students’ academic and personal development.
  • Contribute to boarding school life for our students by supervising a club and/or coaching a sport.
  • Participate in student welcome week activities and student placement testing.
  • Attend various school events throughout the academic year, including, but not limited to, graduation, the school play(s), arts nights and sporting events.
• Community Engagement
  • Promote positive school relationships, with regular communication to and interactions with community members including students, academic colleagues, residential colleagues, parents, advisors, staff, etc. 
  • Lead parent-teacher-student conferences outside of normal working hours.
  • Keep families informed about student progress by writing academic comments every semester.