Director
Rabat American School (Morocco)

RABAT AMERICAN SCHOOL

Rabat, Morocco

seeks a new Director

August 2021

The Rabat American School (RAS) is a private, non-profit, co-educational day school designed to provide children of all nationalities a rigorous Pre-K to Grade 12 US curriculum education similar to what is offered by many international schools. The school’s primary purpose is to provide an excellent academic program for students, as well as to emphasize their emotional and social growth.

RAS is fully accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools (MSA) and authorized by the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO) for grades 11 and 12. RAS is also a member of the Mediterranean Association of International Schools (MAIS), European Council of International Schools (ECIS) and the IBO. Students participate in athletic events in the Atlantic Mediterranean Activities Conference (AMAC), which includes similar schools in Tunis, Lisbon and Barcelona. 

RAS is located in Rabat, Morocco, a beautiful capital city with a vibrant culture and a large international community.  At the crossroads of Europe, Africa, and the Arab World, Morocco offers a diversity of cultural and linguistic experiences. Expatriate families living in Rabat appreciate the excellent infrastructure, safety and security, beautiful beaches/green spaces, and easy access to both Europe and Africa. Moroccans are known for their strong culture of hospitality and community. Rabat represents a unique mix of tradition (such as the traditional souks, spice markets, Kasbah, and other traditional monuments) with a modern urban infrastructure (a marina, beachfront developments, and modern shopping centers.)

RAS’s community during the 2020/21 academic year is composed of 40+ nationalities. It has a faculty of 65 full-time and 5 part-time faculty members and 440 students from PreK-12. The average classroom sizes at all levels is between 18 and a maximum of 22 students per class, for a student/teacher ratio of 9 to 1. The Director is supported by an educational leadership team consisting of two principals, an assistant secondary principal, two counselors, an instructional coach and a director of curriculum and instruction. The School is governed by a Board of Trustees composed of nine voting members, five of whom are U.S. citizens.

RAS has a rich variety of co-curricular activities, including the arts and student social events. The school competes in both a local and international sports league in the secondary school and participates in a variety of other activities internationally, such as robotics and choir. A major focus of the school is the development of the whole student, including the academic, social, emotional aspects, as well as getting to know the host culture and country. 

In January 2019, RAS moved to a newly constructed campus near the ocean. The move was a big step in the history of RAS. The next three to five years will now focus on taking the school to a new level of academic and institutional excellence to achieve its mission of “preparing students for higher education by inspiring academic excellence, intellectual curiosity, effective communication, service, and integrity.” With clear leadership and long-range planning, RAS will continue to grow as a school focused on quality education for all students.

The Position

As the school’s Chief Operating and Educational Officer, the Director is responsible for the school’s total operations, as well as the continued implementation and evaluation of its Strategic Plan. The Director works with the Board of Trustees to implement policies and strategies that assist with the overall operation of the school.

Position Qualifications

Professional Profile:

• Proven strong leadership, with the ability to guide a multi-cultural faculty and student body, ensure curriculum coherence and maintain outstanding teaching in the promotion of student learning.
• Management skills focusing on the future development of the school and the successful execution of the school’s strategic vision and future development plans, as well as on operational efficiency to maintain sound finances.
• A minimum of five (5) years of experience in operational and financial management of large American or international educational institutions. Proven prior experience leading and executing strategy, goal setting and organizational restructuring at an American/ international school.
• Experience in developing and implementing strategic plans and leading the implementation of large projects.
• Graduate degree (Master’s degree at a minimum) in administration, education management or related fields.
• Knowledge of IB and MSA credential and standards.

Interpersonal Skills:

• Strong inter-personal and communication skills to manage the diverse views and interests of the different stakeholders, and ability to clearly communicate vision.
• Fluent English is required, knowledge of French and/or Arabic is desired.
• Excellent mentor and motivator, with the ability to foster a professional and positive culture.
• Collaborative leadership style, capable of developing and promoting strong teams.
• Proven ability to generate trust with all stakeholders.
• Open minded, with the ability to promote intercultural understanding and international mindedness.
• Strong organizational and proven problem-solving skills.
• A “hands-on” mentality and "can-do" attitude.
• Ability to represent the school in international circles and to communicate diplomatically and clearly with all constituents.

Illustrative Duties and Responsibilities:

• Work closely with the faculty, staff, leadership team and Board of Trustees, to ensure the creation of an innovative educational environment, motivating and inspiring every group of constituents to achieve academic and personal excellence.
• Promote research, development and implementation of appropriate educational tools in order to expand awareness, enhance education and broaden the standard curriculum and knowledge base.
• Ensure an effective student admissions process in line with the school’s mission and vision for all students.
• Be a strong recruiter capable of attracting and retaining the best candidates. Ability to create and further develop a strong Senior Leadership Team.
• Maintain operating margins and manage expenses to ensure adherence to the school budget.
• Ensure that the school’s mission is consistently focused on and successfully achieved.
• Maintain students’ needs as the primary focus of decision making.
• Expedite the school's development with a view to achieving the strategic goals and continuously improving the school in all aspects, bringing it to the next level of maturity.
• Ensure our strategic goals are linked with key performance indicators to measure the success of our action plans and review them on an on-going basis.
• Ensure that annual staff evaluations and appraisals to enhance performance are successfully completed on the basis of existing or improved procedures.
• Ensure that Board Policies are consistently administered and communicated clearly and in a timely manner to all constituents.
• Clearly, concisely and timely present proposals in a format that can be easily read, understood, evaluated and acted upon.
• Lead by example and display strong business acumen at all times.

Compensation and Benefits

• The salary and benefits are competitive and will depend on the qualifications and experience of the successful candidate. Benefits include comprehensive medical insurances, life insurance, long-term disability insurance, a retirement program, professional development allowance, use of an automobile, housing, shipping allowance, transportation benefits, and full school tuition as well as school transport for dependents enrolled in RAS.

Application Procedures:

RAS has appointed Search Associates to facilitate the search with Dr. Brent Mutsch and Dr. Eric Sands serving as the consultants.  The deadline for applications is October 14, 2020. However, candidates should note that the search committee will begin reviewing applications as soon as they are received from Search Associates. In the event an outstanding applicant is identified early in the search process, RAS reserves the right to make an appointment before the deadline. For this reason, it is essential that interested candidates apply as soon as possible. For further information about RAS, please visit our website at http://www.ras.ma

Candidates who wish to apply should submit the information requested below in the form and manner requested.

• A letter of application, no longer than two pages, explaining your strengths as a candidacy and why you are interested in the Director role at the Rabat American School.
• A current resume not to exceed two pages.
• A one or two-page statement outlining your philosophy of education.
• A one-page list of at least four references who have directly supervised the performance of the candidate with the current phone numbers and e-mail addresses.
• A maximum of four letters of recommendation which you may already have in your possession.

Candidates should send the requested information in a single PDF attachment.

Please send all materials to Dr. Brent Mutsch at: bmutsch@searchassociates.com and Dr. Eric Sands at: esands@searchassociates.com

RAS is committed to child protection. Appointments are made subject to appropriate vetting procedures and police checks.

RAS is an equal opportunity employer and provides opportunities to all employees and job applicants without regard to race, color, sex, national origin, age or disability.