< Back to Leadership Vacancies
Appointed - Jennifer Weyburn appointed
May 1, 2015
Sep 20, 2015
Dear Colleagues,
On behalf of the Search Committee and Copenhagen International School, we are pleased to announce the appointment of Jennifer Weyburn as the new Director, to commence August, 2016.
Below is an excerpt from the Letter sent out by the Board at Copenhagen International School:
----------------------------------------------
“Born and bred in New York, Jennifer describes herself as a life--long learner. She is currently Deputy Head at Shanghai American School in China, and previously worked as Head of Middle School at Atlanta International School in the US. She holds a doctorate in Educational Leadership and Policy from Vanderbilt University, an MA in English Education from Columbia University Teachers College, and a BA in History from Yale University. She speaks fluent Mandarin and has basic proficiency in Spanish and French. She loves the arts (performing and experiencing), sports, and exploring new places with her husband Garrett, their 9 year old son William and their 7 year old daughter Louise.
We believe that Jennifer’s solid knowledge of the IB programme, her experience of helping to lead a large and complex school spread across two campuses, her passion for an inclusive learning environment combined with her warm personality and active interest in other cultures make her ideally suited for the position of CIS Director.”
_______________________
The Search Committee, Board of Directors and we here at Search Associates appreciate very much your interest in Copenhagen International School’s Director opening. We were pleased that we had almost eighty applicants for the position, and understand from the Search Committee that their decision was difficult to make. We wish you the very best with your ongoing professional and personal pursuits.
Sincerely,
John F. Magagna
Founding Director
Search Associates
Director
Copenhagen International School
Effective 1st August 2016
Mission:
Learning to Build Community. CIS will develop the potential of each student by offering educational excellence in a stimulating environment of cultural diversity and mutual respect.
Vision:
Educating champions of a just and sustainable world
Design of new facilities to be completed January 2017
Copenhagen International School is seeking an outstanding international school administrator to lead the school community into the next exciting phase of its growth and development beginning in August 2016. CIS, which celebrated its 50th anniversary two years ago, has long been considered a premier international school in Scandinavia, Europe and the world.
Present Primary and Middle School Campus
The School
Copenhagen International School is a non-profit day school offering a comprehensive education program for students from preschool through high school. Approximately 900 students from more than 70 countries attend classes on one of the school’s two campuses, the Hellerup campus for Primary and Middle School students and the City Campus for High School students.
As one of the five founders of the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Program, CIS has been accredited by the Council of International Schools since 1973. The school is also accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges in the U.S. CIS offers the IB Primary Years Program, Middle Years Program and Diploma Program.
The Program
CIS is committed to excellence in the education and the personal growth of each student. A strong academic program, centered around the traditional core disciplines, prepares students for entrance into colleges, 
universities, or other institutions providing tertiary education and training. More than 90% of the graduating seniors enter universities and institutions of higher learning worldwide.
In addition, the school provides courses and learning support services which address the needs of a student body diverse in educational background and ability. Learning takes place in a multicultural community where everyone is respected regardless of nationality, race or religion. Students discover the world, its people, and its cultures through direct experience. Through play, study, and the relationships they form, students learn to appreciate their own strengths and to respect differences rather than fear them. This experience extends outside the classroom and equips students for success and global citizenship beyond school. Currently 20% of CIS students come from the USA, 13% from the UK, and 20% from Denmark. The remainder come from countries around the world.
Copenhagen
Students attending CIS enjoy living in Scandinavia and in or near the city of Copenhagen which is consistently named as one of the top 10 best places to live in the world – and amongst the Danes, who both in 2012 and 2013 were found to be “the happiest nation in the world” according to the World Happiness Report, commissioned for the UN Conference on Happiness.
New Facilities
In January 2017 the school will move from its present two campuses to a stunning, 26,000 m2 purpose-built campus in a newly developing section of Copenhagen called Nordhavn, previously the city’s port area. The new campus will have a waterfront location, with stunning views in all directions. The new director in collaboration with the rest of the school community will have the responsibility for building upon the school’s rich heritage and culture while chartering a new course that will take CIS confidently into the future.
Profile for this position
- An inspiring, outgoing, approachable leader who combines kindness and a sense of humour with the ability to make tough decisions when needed.
- A natural communicator and listener, who understands the importance of getting and keeping all stakeholders on board.
- A results-focused organizer and manager, who can motivate and lead a strong faculty.
- A dedicated and visible ambassador of the school’s core values: Curious, Ethical, Open minded, Respectful, Creative, Caring, Responsible.
- A global citizen, preferably with previous international experience and hands-on knowledge of the northern European culture. Mastery of a second or third language is considered an advantage.
- A value-driven human being, who embraces and actively promotes the understanding of cultural differences and is committed to the concepts of diversity and inclusion.
- A strategic thinker, who will spearhead a successful change from two campuses to one, from old to new, while preserving the school’s ”DNA”, helping to brand CIS as the school of choice for expats coming to Denmark and other families who want to give their children an international education.
CIS Board Goals 2014-2015
- Academic excellence in an inclusive environment
- Change management; transition of the current culture into a new setting where the two campuses come together.
- Stakeholder management: understand and motivate faculty, respect public authorities (unions, ministry) and the outside world
- Continuing the branding of the school as the school of choice for expats and others that prefer an international education.
Application Procedure
The Board of Directors of Copenhagen International School has appointed Search Associates as its consultant, with John Magagna as the lead consultant. The deadline for applications is 20th September, 2015. Candidates are asked to submit a letter of interest and the requested materials listed below as early as possible as THE SEARCH COMMITTEE RESERVES THE RIGHT TO CLOSE THE SELECTION PROCESS AT ANY TIME IF THE RIGHT CANDIDATE IS FOUND.
The review of files will begin as soon as applications are received. Finalists will be selected by the Search Committee as early in the process as possible. Finalist candidates together with their spouse (if applicable) will be invited to Copenhagen International School in September or early October to meet with the Search Committee and the Board for final interviews, as well as to visit the school campus and meet with faculty, parents, students, and non-teaching staff. The new Director will begin in July 2016.
Candidates should send the information listed below as a single pdf file attached in one email:
- A two-page letter of application, explaining your strengths as a candidate and your interest in this position.
- A statement describing your management and educational philosophy, maximum two pages .
- A current resume of maximum two pages.
- A one-page list of references with current addresses, phone numbers and email addresses.
- A maximum of three letters of reference (scanned at low resolution) that may already be in your possession.
- A recent photo or good snapshot (optional)
Total document size should be kept to less than six MB if possible. Applications should be sent to:
jfm@searchassociates.comJambrose@searchassociates.comwith a cc to:admin@searchassociates.com
Additional information about the school may be found atwww.cis-edu.dk
FOR INFORMATION ABOUT COPENHAGEN CLICK ON LINKS BELOW
The new campus - Nordhavn
Life in Copenhagen
10 things you need to know about Copenhagen
F
