Headmistress: Raising Malawi Girls' Academy

Raising Malawi is beginning the development of an all-girls secondary boarding school in Lilongwe that will provide a high-quality education for girls from impoverished backgrounds and prepare them for a career in medicine or education. The Academy seeks to provide a model of relevant and effective education in Malawi while advancing gender equality and women’s empowerment.

We are searching for a qualified female candidate living or willing to live in Lilongwe for a long-term position. The successful candidate will work in close collaboration with Raising Malawi’s team to participate in all aspects of the Academy’s creation and to ultimately lead the Academy and its staff following its opening in September 2010. Raising Malawi will provide a competitive salary to attract the best possible candidate.

Principal Responsibilities:
Participate in all aspects of Academy’s creation including
• The creation of a strategic plan for the Academy
• Development of the Academy’s curriculum and operating schedule
• Recruitment and hiring of all school staff
• Recruitment and selection of first class of students

Following the school’s opening, the Headmistress will serve as
• Chief Executive Officer in charge of maintaining an effective and committed teaching force and providing a model of integrity and excellence for all staff to follow. Supervises and oversees all aspects of school’s operation.
• Lead Administrator responsible for coordinating administrative staff and decision-making and incorporating needs of students, staff, families, advisory board, and other partners
• Chief Marketer and representative of the Academy in the community
• Lead Visionary who will set the course for future direction of the school through dynamic leadership

Desired Qualifications:
-A passion for life-long learning and commitment to improving education in Malawi
-At least 3 years of previous experience serving as headmistress
-Extensive teaching experience with previous work in curriculum development
-Exceptional verbal and written English and Chichewa skills
-Excellent analytical skills
-Strong teamwork and interpersonal skills
-Willingness and eagerness to learn

To apply, please submit a CV with cover letter and an original response to the following questions of no more than one typed page per question to maki.park@gmail.com no later than July 30, 2008.

1. What is your personal vision of a successful model of education that will prepare Malawi’s future generation of women leaders?
2. In your opinion, what are the most important characteristics of an excellent teacher or educator?