The ADvTECH Schools Division leads the private sector in the field of education, contributing meaningfully towards the sustainable development of human capacity in South Africa.

Duties will include:

Development and Execution of the Academic Strategy (Macro)

• Leading review and development of the academic strategy for the Advtech schools
• Working with schools’ leadership to align brand value propositions with the academic strategy
• Setting performance goals against the strategy
• Selection of measurement tools for performance measurement
• Communication of strategy internally and externally
• Review and monitoring of strategy and strategic focus areas
• Definition and development of the tactics, goals and processes to achieve that strategy
• Oversight of professional development and associated activities to improve brand performance

Academic performance benchmarking and improvement

• Selection and implementation of benchmarking tools
• Communication of findings and collaborative agreement with school management of improvement strategies
• Monitoring implementation of the performance improvement strategies

Teaching and Learning

• Leading central and brand team of experts in the selection of progressive teaching and learning methodologies and technologies
• Oversight and leadership of implementation and impact monitoring of agreed strategies
• Develops and reviews a framework for the use of ICT in teaching and learning
• Oversight of implementation of appropriate technologies to support learning and teaching
• Drive and support adoption of learning management systems as next phase of blended learning
• Support development of teacher skills

Curriculum alignment and monitoring

• Design and development of appropriate differentiation and standardisation projects that will enable common assessments and benchmarking including but not limited to timetable efficiencies and models
• Develop and implement same scope and sequence framework for all schools across subjects to support impact and performance measurement
• Identify and support projects to share best practise and learning material
• Seek high impact, low cost solutions for offerings of strategic subjects such as FAL and for low impact, high volume subjects such
• Support the running of differentiated curricula

School effectiveness and efficiencies

• Collaborative work to ensure effective and efficient staffing and other resource models for schools aligned with impact assessments
• Develop sustainable co-operative relationships with national education structures to improve information and understanding of the schools and to provide leadership and guidance on educational matters for the schools
• Identify and promote implementation of common resources where suitable in context of brand differentiation – making use of both traditional and digital platforms
• Work with team responsible for STASY to ensure that it remains aligned with requirements and with strategy and provide final decisions related to academics within this system

Innovation

• Evaluate trends and products to identify those with the potential for impact on teaching and learning and guide adoption where appropriate
• Monitor and evaluate impact and adoption

Differentiation (brand and divisional)

• Ensure inclusion of divisional differentiators such as global competencies and RDI
• Develop and implement programmes/ competitions/ other differentiators such as Tournament of Minds
• Drive implementation of technology enabled learning

Data driven decision making

• Develop and administer common assessments as standardised assessments
• Use benchmark testing to compare and develop performance and align performance goals and strategies
• Embed a goal-oriented approach to results including deliberate use of data from Jumptrak baseline and benchmarking, ACER IEB and grade 12 final results
• Develop, review and implement school readiness test at Grade 0
• Develop, review and implement transition tracking tools for first year of each phase
• Develop a standardised framework for timetabling
• Develop BI capability through KITSO (working with ITSU team) and drive use of the tool to improve school management of performance

Research and Analysis

• Creates a dynamic and forward-looking research environment
• Conducts analysis of key areas of academic performance in through data collection and analysis
• Pilot projects and initiatives
• Keeps abreast of educational trends and assesses for impact and implementation where appropriate

Quality Assurance

• Develop and implement a quality assurance framework including performance measurement
• Establish a QA and growth-oriented mindset in the brand to support development of same in each school
• Ensures that the necessary evaluation and monitoring procedures and tools are in place to ensure both compliance and improvement
• Oversee authorisation and verification visits of newly introduced curricula
• Ensures teachers of new schools have mentors aligned to ensuring strong matric results in the “Road to Matric” programme
• Training and capacity development

People Management

• Manage the Schools CAT members for high performance aligned with strategy and goals
• Support brand management of staff and assist with senior appointments
• Give regular, actionable feedback to the brand and schools
• Support transformation objectives
• Budgeting and financial management for all associated activities

Stakeholder Relationship Management

• Partner with brand leadership to quality assure differentiation as well as divisional compliance
• Strategically manage relationships with principals, MDs, COOs and teachers
• Ensures and enables clear and open communication that includes regular feedback and information sharing
• Refine and improve functioning of communication and information sharing processes and places such as the Schools Hub
• Report to Board and Management Committees
• Provides and guides strategic partners regarding the division's objectives and marketing strategy
• Ensure that the compliance requirements for academic work across the division are known and understood and engage with the relevant bodies to ensure compliance
• Provides guidance on where the division's objectives require alignment to stakeholder objectives

Competencies required:

• Attention to detail and accuracy;
• Project execution
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to work in a matrix structure
• Exceptional communication skills – both verbal and written
• Curriculum
• Analytical skills exercised effectively in the pursuit of solutions and opportunities
• Advanced ability to work in a matrix and across systems
• Good judgement, unquestioned integrity and high energy levels
• Ethical behaviour and judgement
• Critical thinking
• Conflict handling and problem solving
• Persuasion and motivation
• Dependability
• Education and Training
• Needs Analysis
• Research