Vacancy title:
Head of School
Employment type: Full time, Industry: Consulting, Category: Management, Education, Business Operations
Jobs at:
Strategic Engagement Limited
Deadline of this Job:
Saturday, October 31 2026
Duty Station:
Kampala | Kampala
Summary
Date Posted: Monday, October 19 2026, Base Salary: Not Disclosed
JOB DETAILS:
Background
The institution is building the the Campus as one place where children and young people, including those living with chronic health conditions, can learn, receive medical care, live safely and grow in confidence. The Campus brings together the the School, medical services, residential facilities, dining and recreation spaces, and the administrative and operational services that keep everything running.
The Campus is in its establishment phase. The Head of School is the senior executive who will guide it from planning to full operation, and then lead it day to day, so that education, healthcare, residential life and operations work as one community and not as separate departments.
At first, the post carries a significant establishment mandate. Once the Campus is fully operational, it moves into overall institutional leadership. Performance is judged on how ready the Campus is to open and on the quality of the systems built for the long term.
Job Purpose
To lead the the Campus as a safe, caring and well-run institution, making sure learners receive education, healthcare and residential support that fit together, and that Campus resources are used responsibly.
The Head of School turns the institution’s vision into everyday practice, builds a positive and accountable culture, puts the right systems in place, and answers for results across all Campus functions.
Division of leadership. The Head of School is accountable for overall institutional leadership, the integration of Campus services, safeguarding, institutional culture, the annual Campus budget (with the Head of Finance), and relations with the Board and external stakeholders. The Head Teacher is accountable for academic quality and day-to-day school leadership. The Chief Medical Officer is accountable for clinical decisions and standards. The Head of Finance is professionally responsible for financial management, controls, accounting and reporting. The Head of HR & Operations is responsible for human resources and Campus operations. The Head of School supervises and supports each of them, and does not take over their professional responsibilities.
Key Responsibilities
Campus Leadership and Strategy
- Provide clear leadership and direction for the Campus, in line with the institution’s vision and approved strategic plan.
- Turn the strategic plan into an annual implementation plan with priorities, work plans, budgets and measurable targets.
- Lead the preparation and phased opening of the Campus.
- Set up management and decision-making structures that everyone understands, and lead the Campus Senior Leadership Team.
- Keep education, healthcare, residential and operational teams working towards shared goals, and hold each department head accountable for results.
- Report regularly on Campus performance to institutional leadership and the Board.
- Spot emerging risks, opportunities and resource needs early, and recommend action.
Getting the Campus Ready to Open
- Lead the development and delivery of the Campus operational readiness plan.
- Check that academic, medical, residential, administrative and support services are ready before each phase of opening.
- Take part in selecting key Campus staff and make sure every new staff member is properly inducted.
- Oversee the writing and rollout of essential policies, procedures, standard operating procedures (SOPs) and reporting systems.
- Confirm that staffing, equipment, supplies, infrastructure, licences and other requirements are in place before opening.
- Coordinate the commissioning of Campus facilities and their handover into use.
- Set up systems for maintenance, security, transport, catering, housekeeping, student accommodation and other shared services.
- Lead readiness reviews and make sure any gaps are closed before services start.
Education Oversight
- Develop Curriculum together with the Head Teacher
- Make sure the academic programme fits the Campus vision and meets national education standards.
- Review academic quality, learner outcomes, attendance, retention and wellbeing.
- Make sure the school has the staff, learning resources, facilities and systems it needs.
- Promote inclusive, learner-centred education, including suitable arrangements for learners whose health affects their attendance, participation or learning.
- Support good relationships with parents and guardians.
The Head of School does not replace the Head Teacher’s professional responsibility for day-to-day academic leadership.
Bringing Education and Healthcare Together
- Work closely with the Chief Medical Officer and the Head Teacher so that academic and medical teams coordinate well.
- Make sure learners can get the healthcare they need without losing learning time unnecessarily.
- Support individual health and learning plans where needed, and multidisciplinary review of complex learner needs.
- Make sure clear communication protocols exist between medical, residential and education teams, and that learner confidentiality is protected.
- Promote health literacy, self-management, independence and wellbeing among learners.
- Make sure emergency medical response is built into Campus operations.
Clinical decisions and professional clinical standards remain with the Chief Medical Officer and appropriately licensed health professionals.
Residential Life and Learner Welfare
- Oversee residential and boarding services.
- Make sure supervision and duty-of-care arrangements are in place at all times.
- Make sure residential life supports learners’ educational, medical, developmental and psychosocial needs.
- Promote a safe, respectful, inclusive and welcoming Campus environment.
- Make sure there are fair systems for learner complaints, behaviour management, recreation, extracurricular activities and learner participation.
- Make sure matrons, nursing staff, teachers and other learner-support staff work well together.
People and Culture
- Build and sustain a culture that is professional, accountable, inclusive and driven by the institution’s mission.
- Agree workforce plans and staffing levels with the Head of HR & Operations.
- Take part in recruiting and appointing senior and critical Campus staff.
- Set clear performance expectations for direct reports and oversee performance management and staff development.
- Support succession planning and leadership development.
- Promote staff wellbeing, teamwork and continuous learning.
- Make sure employment practices follow institutional policies and national employment requirements.
Finance and Sustainability
- Lead the annual Campus budget process with the Head of Finance, who prepares the financial detail, and present the budget for approval.
- Allocate resources according to institutional priorities and monitor how the budget is used.
- Observe financial controls and delegated authority limits, and make sure others do too.
- Review major procurement and spending requests within approved authority levels.
- Promote value for money and careful use of Campus resources.
- Support longer-term financial and operational sustainability plans, and make sure financial risks are identified and managed.
The Head of Finance keeps professional responsibility for financial management, controls, accounting and reporting.
Campus Operations and Services
- Working with the Head of HR & Operations, make sure these services run well: facilities and infrastructure; security and access control; transport and fleet; ICT infrastructure and support; catering and food services; cleaning and housekeeping; grounds and landscaping; utilities and waste management; maintenance and repairs; procurement and inventory; and emergency preparedness and business continuity.
- Make sure operational services meet the needs of both the school and the medical facility.
Safeguarding and Child Protection
- Hold senior institutional responsibility for making sure safeguarding is part of everything the Campus does.
- Make sure the institution safeguarding and child protection policies are put into practice.
- Set up clear reporting and escalation routes for safeguarding concerns.
- Make sure staff, volunteers, consultants and contractors receive safeguarding orientation, and that safeguarding is built into recruitment and staff management.
- Make sure allegations and concerns are handled promptly and through approved procedures.
- Help learners understand their rights and know how to raise a concern.
- Consider safeguarding risks in residential services, transport, healthcare, extracurricular activities, field trips, digital communication and visitor management.
- Report any allegation involving a member of the Campus Senior Leadership Team to the institutional Safeguarding Focal Person and Board Chairw ithout delay.
Governance, Compliance and Risk
- Make sure the Campus operates within education, health, employment, safety, environmental and other regulatory requirements.
- Keep an institutional risk register and make sure mitigation actions are carried out.
- Coordinate regulatory inspections, licensing and compliance requirements.
- Make sure institutional policies are put into practice and reviewed regularly.
- Keep working systems for incident reporting and corrective action.
- Support internal and external audits and institutional reviews, and make sure records and documents are properly kept.
Monitoring and Institutional Performance
- Set up a Campus performance management framework and agree institutional KPIs with department heads.
- Review academic, clinical, residential, operational, financial and safeguarding performance.
- Use data to decide where to step in or improve, and lead periodic performance reviews.
- Make sure management and governance reports are prepared on time, and encourage decisions based on evidence.
External Relations and Partnerships
- Represent the Campus where institutional leadership has delegated this.
- Build constructive relationships with parents, guardians, communities, government authorities, professional bodies and partners.
- Coordinate with the institution’s wider programmes and leadership.
- Support partnerships that advance the Campus mission.
- Protect the reputation and interests of the institution and the Campus
Qualifications and Experience
Minimum Academic Qualification
- Honors Bachelor’s Degree in any education related Courses, Business Administration, Public Administration from recognized higher Institutions of learning
- Master’s degree in any Education related course, Business Administration, Public Administration, Management or another relevant field from a recognized higher Institution of learning
Minimum Work Experience
- Minimum of 10 years of professional working experience from reputable Institution, of which 5 years should have been gained at Senior leadership role from a reputable organization.
Key Skills and Competencies
- Strategic Direction and Leadership.
- Risk Assessment and Management
- Stakeholder Management
- Monitoring and Evaluation
- People Management
- Financial analysis
- Change Management
- Creating high performing team
- Strategy Management
Work Hours: 8
Experience in Months: 120
Level of Education: postgraduate degree
Job application procedure
Application Link:
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