Verbier International School is in the heart of the beautiful, Swiss village of Verbier. The school inspires its students to become independent global citizens who will lead compassionate, courageous and purposeful lives. To achieve this, we care for and contribute to our alpine environment and community, and embody our Guiding Principles of kindness, courage, curiosity, family and teamwork. The school is growing, and we will move to a brand-new school building in August 2025. Our boarders will be housed in a beautifully refurbished chalet, a short walk away from the main school.
We are seeking to appoint a dynamic and enthusiastic Headteacher for August 2025.
Main Responsibilities:
The appointed candidate will be expected to lead, manage, develop, and communicate all aspects of the school’s life and work efficiently and effectively, ensuring and building on its continuing success.
Strategic Leadership
* Provide strategic direction, formulating school’s overall aims and objectives, and leading changes required.
* Oversee performance management of staff and ensure adherence to the budget.
* Communicate the school’s values with enthusiasm, promoting the school’s brand, generating appropriate and dynamic leadership in all spheres of the school’s operations and spearheading the recruitment of students.
* Work closely with and report regularly to the Governors and Proprietors, when appropriate, regarding the School’s strategy, management and administration.
Educational provision and quality
* Direct and manage the education of students, both curricular and extra-curricular, ensuring high academic standards, promoting aspiration and fostering innovation in teaching and learning.
* Provide a well-rounded education for all students, ensuring that all staff maintain high expectations of both student learning and behaviour, creating an environment in which all students can fulfil their potential both inside and outside the classroom.
* Develop and manage the curriculum in alignment with the best and evolving educational practice.
Boarding, Safeguarding and Pastoral Care
* Lead the improvement of the boarding environment in line with the expectations of modern parents and the aspirations of today’s boarders.
* Manage sensitively the pastoral development of all students and the pastoral oversight of staff by being a good listener/acting on concerns and problems of both.
* Ensure that safeguarding and pastoral standards are maintained at the highest level, in line with best practice and which are central to the school’s mission.
* Liaise with external safeguarding agencies as required
* Ensure the physical, social and moral welfare of all pupils while maintaining good discipline constructively and fairly.
* Shepherd a school community which is inclusive and celebrates diversity
Sports and Extra-Curricular Activities
* Maintain a broad range of extra-curricular activities at the school covering sport, music, performing arts and outdoor pursuits.
Management
* Develop the school’s management structure to ensure that vision and strategy are shared, development is planned, targets are set, and results are evaluated.
* Appoint and promote the best possible staff, deploying staff effectively and supporting professional development.
* Lead and inspire a team of dedicated educators, building capacity and fostering a collaborative and supportive working environment.
Marketing & Communication
* Ensure effective and positive communication with students, staff, parents, prospective parents, the Advisory Board of Governors, the Proprietors and the wider community.
* Maintain a welcoming appearance of the school, prioritizing the needs and concerns of pupils and parents.
* Actively market the school to maximize student numbers both locally and internationally.
* Cultivate excellent public relations to celebrate the school’s achievements, extend its publicity and strengthen its partnership with the wider community.
* Engage in all aspects of the school’s marketing and promotional activities.
Key Qualifications and Skills:
* Proven experience in successful school leadership, as a head or an experienced deputy and preferably in an international environment.
* Experience in managing human, financial and physical resources.
* Significant experience of academic leadership.
* Relevant experience of strategic development and the formulation and execution of plans which deliver on strategy.
* Experience of leading and developing high performing teams with a clear commitment to the continuing professional development of staff.
* Strong knowledge of international curricula (e.g., IB, British, American systems) and educational best practices.
* Experience of a boarding school environment, ideally at management level.
* A keen interest in the educational co-curriculum, probably with leadership experience within this field
* A thorough understanding of safeguarding within an educational context and up to date with best-in-class compliance in this area.
* Team builder with strong interpersonal skills who will inspire, motivate and guide both students and staff.
* Be a confident and impressive communicator who will command the interest and imagination of staff, students and parents; able to inspire confidence and respect from all stakeholders
* Excellent organizational skills.
* Understanding of the need for positive communication and relations with the entire community.
* Being an ambassador for the school both locally and internationally.
* Strong academic background, with a teaching qualification and ideally a higher degree.
* Robust, adaptable, capable of achieving pragmatic solutions, consultative and decisive.
* Warm and personable, with a keen sense of humour but able to make tough decisions where appropriate.
* Possess a reasonable fluency in the French language.
Are you an experienced, passionate educational leader with a vision for academic excellence in a multicultural environment? This is a unique opportunity to lead a growing and vibrant international school amid a stunning alpine environment and drive its further development and success.
The salary is competitive with other Swiss international boarding schools and the package includes a level of remuneration to rent family-sized accommodation within the local environs.
Applicants should apply through the advert on TES.com and upload a complete CV alongside a covering letter addressed to Mr. Didier Boutroux, Chair of the school’s Advisory Board.
Full references will be required for the short list interviews. Verbier International School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, and applicants must be willing to undergo child protection screening appropriate to the post, including checks with past employers and necessary Police checks.
Deadline for applications : January 31, 2025.
First round Interviews either remotely or in person : Mid-February 2025.
Second round interviews in person : Beginning of March 2025.