Academic Director

JOB TITLE

Academic Director

DEPARTMENT

The Bridge Team

LOCATION

Shanghai

SUPERVISOR

Director of the Bridge

ROLE OVERVIEW

The Academic Director role within The Bridge represents a strategic leadership opportunity designed to elevate educational quality across the organization. This position will concentrate on four primary areas: Curriculum Innovation, Professional Learning, Quality Assurance and Accreditation, and Data Diagnostics and Insights.

Candidates are not required to have complete proficiency in all domains but should demonstrate strong skills in one or more core areas and a readiness to develop in areas where they may be less experienced.

These roles are structured to foster continuous improvement, encourage collaborative innovation, and maintain high standards while respecting the unique identities of each institution within the Wellington College Education (China) network.

Each academic year, the specific responsibilities for each Director will be tailored according to the team's expertise and structure. Directors will work together on a defined scope of work across the four pillars, allowing them to focus on strategic initiatives that leverage their strengths. This approach ensures that individual talents are utilized effectively while remaining aligned with the organization's broader objectives.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Curriculum Innovation

- Drive curriculum innovation by identifying emerging skills and research-informed trends, aiding in the articulation of the group’s distinctive educational offerings. Initiate projects that differentiate the group and reduce redundant research at the school level.

- Provide clear direction to ensure that school development plans align with group strategies, sharing relevant policies, trends, and expectations for future curriculum and academic development.

- Encourage a collaborative approach to innovation by facilitating the sharing of research-based practices, connecting teams facing similar challenges for joint development, and promoting collaboration at all levels from leadership to faculty.

- Act as a change agent by offering customized guidance to both established and new schools, inspiring them to challenge conventional practices, embrace new tools, and explore innovative methods in curriculum and operations.

- Provide counsel on program decisions to assist schools in navigating common challenges and minimizing risks, especially for those in the early stages or experiencing growth.

- Coordinate vibrant cycles of curriculum renewal, pilot innovative projects, and forge strategic partnerships with external organizations—such as leading universities—to enhance educational excellence across the group.

Professional Learning

- Establish cohesive, group-wide policies, systems, and processes for professional development in close collaboration with school-based professional development coordinators to ensure a unified approach.

- Oversee the evaluation and monitoring of teaching standards, appraisal systems, and leadership development initiatives to guarantee ongoing growth and adherence to best practices.

- Lead transformative training initiatives at the group level—including iPGCE, NPQs, and middle leadership development—empowering educators to excel and collectively improve their performance.

- Facilitate and oversee dynamic, group-wide job-alike and professional learning communities to enable effective sharing of knowledge and action research across all schools.

Quality Assurance and Accreditation

- Support schools in executing high-quality accreditation and annual review processes by providing strategic guidance and linking them to best practices, empowering them to excel without assuming the evaluator role.

- Cultivate a culture of continuous improvement by balancing high standards with collaborative support, fostering an environment where excellence and growth mutually reinforce one another.

- Develop and enhance quality assurance processes, offering varying levels of support tailored to each school's developmental stage, ensuring guidance is relevant to their specific context.

- Design and implement group-wide accreditation strategies that align with international accrediting bodies and cycles to uphold global standards while honoring local uniqueness.

- Guide schools through each phase of the accreditation process, including documentation audits and mock visits, equipping teams with the tools and confidence needed for success.

- Maintain an up-to-date policy toolkit to ensure ongoing alignment with global standards while allowing for local variation.

Data, Diagnostics and Insights

- Analyze and interpret data to enhance performance at both school and group levels, providing advanced data analysis expertise while fostering internal capacity within schools for greater confidence and independence in this domain.

- Ensure accurate and timely data collection and analysis at the group level, proactively addressing challenges such as dashboard reliability and manual data entry.

- Facilitate internal benchmarking among schools, connecting teams facing similar challenges and encouraging collaboration while ensuring that comparisons are constructive and do not promote unhealthy competition.

- Serve as a strategic coach for schools in data analysis, knowledge sharing, and strategy formulation. Provide insights on the effectiveness of assessment tools and assist schools in reflecting on longitudinal data trends for informed decision-making.

- Develop and maintain a robust data infrastructure to generate actionable insights for both school and group-wide improvement. Oversee the integrity and automation of data pipelines for streamlined reporting in accreditation, quality assurance, and board processes.

- Redesign and maintain dashboards that emphasize leading indicators alongside traditional outcomes, providing regular insights and diagnostics. Leverage AI as an analytical partner to offer advanced, actionable insights.

BASIC QUALIFICATION

Education: A Master’s Degree or higher in Education, Curriculum, or a related field.

Language: Proficient in both oral and written English.

Working experience: A minimum of ten years of relevant experience.

EXPERTISE

- Display emotional intelligence, advanced coaching skills, and a facilitative leadership style that empowers others to succeed.

- Possess strong influencing abilities and act as a strategic partner, making an impact at the senior leadership level and aiding schools in thriving within a shared framework while honoring their unique identities.

- Experience working in group or matrix structures, fostering cross-functional collaboration across schools, phases, teams, and roles, and nurturing a culture of partnership and shared purpose.

- Proven experience in educational leadership at a senior management level, with expertise in curriculum innovation, professional learning, quality assurance, accreditation, and/or data analytics.

- Strong understanding of bilingual and international education contexts, utilizing global perspectives to inform local practices.

- Exceptional communication, analytical, and problem-solving capabilities, facilitating effective decision-making and stakeholder engagement.

- Drive change, encourage continuous improvement, and establish collaborative networks that sustain growth and innovation through knowledge sharing and partnership development.

If you are keen on this opportunity, please submit your application via the following link: https://wellington.avature.cn/su/7c188906ef7def2a. We look forward to reviewing your application.