Cambridge Associate Dean of Students (Tatu International)

Nova Pioneer is looking for a rockstar Cambridge Associate Dean of Students based in Nova Pioneer Tatu International School, located at our Tatu Primary campus in Tatu City. You will be responsible for developing and leading our student welfare and parent partnership model alongside the School Leader,wider school leadership team, teaching and student affairs’ teams. In addition you will build relationships with teammates and parents to facilitate discipline strategies in the schools. Moreover, you will work closely with data systems to ensure and develop pastoral excellence.This is an opportunity to help create a transformative school model with the future of Africa’s youth at stake.

Disclaimer: Nova Pioneer does not charge any fee to process your application.

ABOUT NOVA PIONEER

Imagine a world in which every young person across Africa attends a school that truly sets them up for success in the 21st century. A school that cares about individual students and allows them to explore the world around them. A school that focuses more on developing skills than on memorizing content. At Nova Pioneer, we have done more than just imagine this future, we are bringing it to life. Nova Pioneer is a pan-African, independent network of schools offering high quality, accessible education from pre-primary through secondary school. Nova Pioneer uses a unique, enquiry-based learning approach that encourages students to ask “why” instead of telling them the “what”. It allows them to form their own thinking through exploration, investigation and collaboration. Nova Pioneer currently has 16 schools in South Africa and Kenya with a vision to launch 100 schools and reach tens of thousands of students across the African continent in the next decade. To learn more visit www.novapioneer.com.

ABOUT THE ROLE

Key responsibilities for the role include:

• Be a culture champion for our School by spearheading school student culture events within the school's vision and annual theme
• Engage with the many stakeholders who make up Nova Pioneer community in the following ways:-

Students

• Manages the students’ government programmes including elections, induction, training, activities and offboarding (primary owner)
• Manages student behaviour by maintaining a school behaviour tracker, documenting and closing out incidents, following the school's code of conduct while working with parents and teachers
• Provides safe channels for students to share feedback/ideas and address their concerns
• Manages the student happiness survey process (scheduling, administration, data analysis and leveraging data to improve students’ experience).
• Leads student mentorship/buddy programmes to strengthen student relationships 
• Provides structures for celebrating students who are living and leading NP Culture
• Coordinates student onboarding. Onboard new students and orient continuing students to new expectations as they progress from one level to the next 
• Owns the implementation of the contents of the Student Code of Conduct handbook and related policies 
• Coordinates the school’s daily routine, ensuring all schedules are clearly mapped out and implemented. 
• Manages student class and house allocation 
• Manages daily attendance taking and absence records
• Leads health and safety activities: lead the health and safety committee,  plan and coordinate emergency drills, first aid training for all teammates and students, etc. 
• Tracks and maintains high levels of student safety, health and wellness 
• Loves students and understands how to provide Socio Emotional Learning (SEL)
• Supports students in managing behaviour expectations using a restorative approach
• Manages the school’s clubs and house programmes including club scheduling & sign up, patron/vendor management, club reports, club activities; and all house programmes. 

Parents 

• Coordinates the planning and management of parent events, fora, seminars, orientations and open days.
• Coordinates 1:1  and group parent meetings aimed at improving student behaviour and community culture.
• Leads parent communication and serves as the first point of contact on parent queries and concerns. 
• Manages the family and student satisfaction survey process (scheduling, administration, data analysis and leveraging data to improve students’ experience).
• Onboards new families and offboards families exiting the school.  
• Works with Administrative staff and Admissions to coordinate and track new enrollments/ joiners. 
• Coordinates beginning of year student onboarding activities such as Week Zero.
• Manages termly gating for school fees.    

Academic & Student Affairs Teams 

• Coaches teachers on managing student behaviour and building student character.
• Is the primary owner of Student Leadership Development: Creates plans and systems for teaching student leadership development to Novaneers, including supporting rollout with teachers, training and development for teachers, and observation and feedback on implementation.
• Coaches and manages the Student Affairs team that comprises the School Nurses, School Counsellors and other direct reports
• Works with the School Counsellors and teachers to create individual student behaviour plans and student support plans.
• Coordinates school duty rotas and other relevant student life experiences (non-academic) e.g. health and safety; school culture e.g. transitions; safety drills e.g. fire drills, etc.

Central Functions & Support Teammates

• Is the student data champion on the school enrolment register, Ed-Admin, Class Dojo, and other student data systems. 
• Serves as point person for Operations and other support teams on campus
• Works with the Admissions team to track enrolment and student class allocation.
• Supports PFS and Finance in physically gating students from class/school until their balances are settled or a payment plan is completed. 
• Ensuring that all students and their parents have signed the student/parent handbook and keeping the signed handbook in record. 
• Any other duties as assigned by your Manager

ABOUT YOU

Skills and Qualifications required:

• You have a Bachelor’s Degree in Education and you are TSC certified
• Masters degree in education/ social sciences is not compulsory but will be an added advantage.
• You have excellent interpersonal and leadership skills that encompass trust and respect.
• You have excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• You have strong coaching and people management skills.
• You have a proven track record of success in leading team(s) at the entry or mid-level.
• You have very strong planning and organisation skills (will be required to send parent surveys, organise student lists and teacher lists for school events, etc).
• You have experience using tech. 
• You are a critical thinker, flexible, adaptable, innovative and creative. 
• You understand the complexities of working in a multi-faceted, fast-paced organisation.
• You are passionate about building strong relationships with students and parents. 
• You have high energy levels and can work in a highly confidential setting. 
• Has experience working with parents.
• You are excited about our organizational culture - and in particular, you are fired up to challenge yourself by embracing mutual vulnerability and a firehose of feedback
• You have a desire to further develop your learning design skills and apply them to transform the lives of African youth

HOW TO APPLY

Does working at Nova Pioneer excite you? If so, then apply now!

To apply, please complete the form on the right hand side of this page. We cannot process applications that are emailed to us.

Please note: You are encouraged to attach your resume in PDF format to protect formatting.

There are a series of stages in the Nova Pioneer interview process and candidates will be moved forward in the process depending on their success in the previous stage. The process is as follows:

• Phone interview: a short conversation to understand your skills and experience a little better.
• Practical demonstration of what you can do: you will complete a written task or a demonstration related to the role you are applying for. Teachers sit an assessment and deliver a lesson to a class.
• Final interview: you’ll have a final conversation with the hiring manager before decisions are made.

WORKING AT NOVA PIONEER

Nova Pioneer is a place where our people experience tremendous growth, fast! We invest heavily in the growth of our people because it leads to greater mastery in both us and our students. “Novaneers” work harder and work longer hours than at most schools but as a result, the growth they experience is extraordinary. We offer consistent and ongoing professional development and provide clear career pathways that ensure that our people are always achieving their personal and professional best. Nova Pioneer has a highly energetic, entrepreneurial environment where our people get to bring their creative and innovative ideas to life. We look for people who are flexible and who are able to adapt and respond quickly to adversity with a positive, can-do attitude (there are no problems, only solutions!). We welcome challenges and roll with the punches because it makes us, and our students, better. There is no problem too big for us! We work hard but we also have a lot of fun together. We bring infectious energy and enthusiasm to everything we do because joy fuels the hardest work and learning. Read more about our culture principles here

Nova Pioneer will never request an application fee from candidates. If you are contacted with a request to pay a fee from someone claiming to be a Nova Pioneer Talent or Recruitment representative, please do not pay them and report it to us immediately on talent.ke@novapioneer.com or talent.sa@novapioneer.com.