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Director
Casablanca American School (Morocco)

 

CASABLANCA AMERICAN SCHOOL
MOROCCO

SEEKS A NEW DIRECTOR

For July, 2016 

CAS is a registered Moroccan non-profit and part of the newly signed Moroccan-American Bilateral Agreement on American Schools. CAS was established in 1973and has ~700 students from nursery to 12th grade, offering upper school IB. 

The school is fully accredited by the Council of International Schools and the New England Association of Schools and Colleges and is authorized by the IBO to offer the Diploma Program. CAS is ~80% private paying and local, verses 20% international and expatriate corporate members.  It is governed by a 7-member Board of Governors, composed of at least two expats and two Moroccans to ensure best community representation, inclusiveness and diversity.

    

CAS strives to be the leading institution in the region for developing successful global citizens.

CAS is located in Casablanca Morocco, a beautiful country, globally renowned for its nice climate, vibrant culture and diverse landscapes (ocean, desert, mountains and plains). Morocco sits at the crossroad of many civilizations and is one of the most sought-after tourist destinations in the world. The Moroccan people are internationally recognized for their genuine hospitality. The local language is Darija, an Arabic dialect, although most Moroccans living in the city speak French.  Morocco is a peaceful Islamic country. It is also a country of youth and offers endless sports and entertainment opportunities: surfing, skiing, hiking and running trails, and other activities. Moroccans have a strong sense of community and will express much thoughtfulness, support and solidarity towards locals and foreigners.

In line with the ambition to achieve its vision, CAS has undertaken a series of changes during the last 3 years, culminating in the adoption of new Statutes and By-laws to ensure the highest governance standards and more effective school management. We now see the next 3-5 years as an opportunity to take the school to a new level of academic and institutional excellence in order to achieve our mission of "providing a challenging and innovative international program within a nurturing environment, motivating and inspiring every student to achieve academic and personal excellence ".

 

    

 

To accomplish this, the CAS community is seeking an experienced Director, who will fully commit to the school’s mission and vision, and has both an ecellent understanding of 21st century academics and strong business acumen. The ideal candidate will fulfill the qualifications and duties outlined below:

Qualifications and Duties

• School Director experience with minimum 4 years of academic, operational and financial management experience in a large student environment (over 300 students)
• A graduate degree (Master’s degree at a minimum) in administrative education or related field
• Clear record of demonstrated school academic performance and financial achievements
• Knowledge of IB and NEASC credential and standards (note: the school has just completed a 10 year accreditation process)
• Deep understanding of college entrance, with connections to top tier universities.
• Prior experience with leading and executing strategy, goal setting and organizational restructuring
• Work with principals, teachers and the staff to ensure the creation of an innovative educational environment, motivating and inspiring every student to achieve academic and personal excellence
• Continuously research, develop and implement appropriate educational tools in order to expand awareness, enhance education and broaden the standard curriculum and knowledge base
• Strong recruiter capable of attracting and retaining the best candidates and able to build a solid Senior Leadership Team 
• Maintain operating margins and manage expenses to ensure adherence to the school budget
• Act as the public face of the school
• Ensure an effective student admissions process in line with the school’s mission and vision
• Excellent communicator and motivator, with the ability to foster a professional and positive culture
• Clearly, concisely and timely present decisions in a format that can be easily read, evaluated and decided upon
• Be able to lead by example and to display business acumen at all times

Other preferred qualifications:

• 7+ years of full charge as a school Director with responsibilities for Academic, Operational and Financial management, preferably within an environment of +/- $10 million USD Revenue and +/- 700 Students
• 2nd foreign language abilities, in French or Arabic preferred, but not mandatory

Application Procedures:

In the interest of identifying the best candidates for this position, Casablanca American School has selected Search Associates to assist in this process. The deadline for applications is October 15, 2015. Candidates should note, however, that the search committee will begin reviewing applications as soon as they are received.  In the event an outstanding applicant is identified early in the search process, CAS reserves the right to make an appointment before the deadline. For this reason, it is inessential that interested candidates apply as soon as possible.

Candidates should send the information requested below, preferably in a single PDF attachment. Please DO NOT send any information other than that which is specifically requested:

• A letter of application, no longer than two pages, explaining your strengths as a candidate and why you are interested in this particular position; and discuss specific talents and skills which you can contribute.
• A current resume not to exceed two pages, along with a head and shoulders portrait or photo (optional).
• A one-page or two page statement outlining your educational beliefs and leadership ability and style
• A one-page list of references with phone numbers and email addresses
• A maximum of three letters of reference which may already be in your possession

Please note the preference that ALL the above materials should be scanned into a SINGLE PDF ATTACHMENT (low resolution preferred) and sent to Search Associates at both of the e-mail addresses listed below. Also, please note that it is important to limit the size of your SINGLE PDF to 6MB.

Admin@searchassociates.com AND a cc: to: JFM@searchassociates.com

CONSULTANT'S NOTE

As with most of us, there are things I would do differently if I had my life to live over again. That said, one of the things I would never change is the extraordinary experience of having lived and worked in Morocco

for 5 years. They were the most wonderful, exciting, exotic, fascinating, and glorious years of my life. Morocco is a politically stable and beautiful country with a rich culture, and a tradition of warm hospitality and generosity. For an experienced school head the Directorship of CAS presents a great opportunity. 

John F. Magagna
Founding Director
Search Associates

For further information about CAS please see
www.cas.ac.ma

For further information on Morocco, please see
marocbeauty.brinkster.net/morocco-information.asp
OR
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morocco