Head of School

Job description / Role

Job Description

GEMS International School Cairo (GISC) has an exciting and challenging opportunity for an outstanding, internationally experienced leader in education who will build on the current successes and continue to nurture and inspire the GISC community from August 2025. GISC would like to thank Ms. Catherine Spencer (Head of School) for an amazing professional journey at GISC, and is wishing her all the best in her well-earned retirement. In addition to leading an incredibly successful start-up at GISC, Catherine has led top international schools within Egypt and abroad including a school that was ranked as the number one Public School in all of the entire USA.

School Overview

GEMS International School Cairo (GISC) is located in the heart of New Cairo. It is the first purpose-built flagship school for GEMS under the EEP umbrella in Egypt. GISC is a fully authorized IB World School offering PYP and MYP and is a candidate school for the IBDP program. GISC follows the American curriculum AERO standards and obtained 'distinction status' for its outstanding authorization visit from Cognia. The school is starting its third year of operations and has over 900 students. It is acknowledged for innovation and future-thinking technology programs, unique approaches to learning, and its warm culture with staff and community.

About the Role:

The successful candidate will lead the Senior Leadership Team in driving forward the whole school's strategy, academics and operations.

Key responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
- Consistently instill the school's mission, vision, and core values, and ensure their implementation on a daily basis.
- Monitor and update the 3-year Strategic Improvement Plan (SIP).

Maintain a focus on school-wide performance and organizational effectiveness.
- Facilitate and contribute to the development of processes, procedures, policies, and controls necessary to implement educational programs and achieve academic excellence.
- Maintain high expectations for student achievement and organizational effectiveness.
- Lead problem solving and decision-making processes that create a stronger school and contribute to organizational effectiveness.
- Share leadership for the improvement of teaching and learning throughout the school.
- Lead the school's ventures to maintain and potentially gain well reputed international accreditations.
- Create a teaching and learning climate in which students and adults feel safe, respected, and cared for.
- Assist teachers, students and parents in addressing concerns in positive, non- confrontational ways, which always demonstrates cultural sensitivity.
- Support a culture of stability, collegiality, collaboration, respect, and trust.
- Ensure that the school growth forecasts and admissions targets are achieved in collaboration with Marketing and Admissions departments.

The safeguarding of our students is at the core of all that we do. All appointments are conditional upon:
- Acceptable police checks (or equivalent) from the country of origin and from all countries in which you have worked
- Appropriate references from your current and previous employers, which may be corroborated by personal phone calls made to each

- Bachelor's degree in education or other relevant field with a teaching qualification such as B.Ed., PGCE, PGDE, master's in education, teaching license or equivalent essential.
- 10 year's educational experience with a minimum of 5 years' experience in a leadership role.
- NPQH, leadership qualification in K-12 administration, superintendence or other relevant senior leadership qualifications (desirable)
- Experience leading in an international environment (desirable)

About the Company

GEMS Education is a pioneering education company with an international network of award winning K-12 schools. Over the past 55 years GEMS has grown from one school to being a truly global company with one incredible mission – to make quality education available to every student. Over 20,000 education professionals unlock the potential of over 250,000 students across 14 countries each and every day, preparing children of all ages for real world success.