Director
Colegio Albania (Colombia)

Colegio Albania is an independent, company owned, co-ed day school which offers a bilingual English/Spanish education to children of the employees of Carbones de Cerrejón LLC in La Guajira, Northern Colombia

The school was first established in 1983 and is located in the small, picturesque town of Mushaisa. Purpose-built for the employees of Cerrejón, Mushaisa (which means “land of coal” in the local indigenous language) is in the center of La Guajira, nestled within a range of low-level mountains and only a short distance from the Caribbean Sea.

         

Colegio Albania has been accredited by the Southern Association of Schools and Colleges (SACS) since 1985 with the most recent accreditation occurring in October 2012.  At this time, the visiting team noted that the school “enjoys high quality throughout its entire operation”. 

Enrolment currently stands at 420 students with the majority being Colombian and drawn from a variety of regions within the country.  The teaching staff is comprised both of Colombian nationals and teachers from a number of English speaking countries such the USA, UK, Canada and Australia.  The close-knit nature of the community means that the school is at the center of family life and benefits from a high level of support from parents.   Similarly, the relationship with the founding company, Cerrejón, results in a high level of financial stability and support with the benefit of expertise in legal, financial, business and technological issues together with the opportunity to participate in large-scale social and environmental projects.  

Colegio Albania Vision

The vision of Colegio Albania is establish itself, both nationally and internationally as a leading educational institution, characterized by exceptional student achievement and by the formation of responsible and ethical individuals.  To achieve this, the school holds each student to high expectations while also taking an inclusive approach, and nurturing the development of individual talents and strengths.  Small class sizes, together with dedicated staff and a strong learning support program ensure that Colegio Albania meets the specific needs of learners and provides multiple pathways to student success.

The school has three main blocks of academic buildings organized by section into Preschool, Elementary and Secondary. Specialist rooms are set aside for the Arts, including spaces for Drama, Dance, Music and Design.  Computer labs for both Secondary and Elementary are situated close to a well-stocked and welcoming library and the school is currently remodeling the science building to provide two modern and attractive laboratories. 

Students and staff have access to excellent sports facilities including a number of soccer fields together with basketball and volleyball courts; a multi-purpose auditorium; tennis and racquetball courts; a softball pitch; two swimming pools (one olympic size); a well-equipped gymnasium and a 9 hole golf course.  

 

Curriculum

 

Curriculum at Colegio Albania combines the best elements from the Colombian National Program, US standards and the International Baccalaureate (IB) with students having the opportunity to graduate not only as Colombian Bachilleres, but also with the additional benefit of a US High School and/or IB Diploma.

 

As an IB world school, Colegio Albania has been authorized to offer the Diploma Program since 2010 and the Middle Years Program since 2011.  Having recently hosted a verification visit, the school is also looking forward to being able to offer the Primary Years Program, and becoming one of only a handful of schools within Colombia to offer the whole IB continuum.

 

      

A high quality extra-curricular program provides a variety of opportunities for students to participate in sports, music and drama while the extension program offers activities as diverse as robotics, astronomy, aviation, music production and culinary skills.

 

 

The future

 

As Colegio Albania looks towards the future, the school, with the support of its Board of Trustees plans to consolidate its capacity to offer dynamic, inspirational learning experiences to all students.  Strategies include:

• Building upon the strong curriculum programs already established,  to place further emphasis on inquiry based learning, conceptual understanding, and personalized programs of study.  
• A focus on improving the quality of STEM education, implementing best practices to reach learners in new and innovative ways.
• Continuing to promote sustainable progress and development in La Guajira, through shaping and improving local communities with strong institutional support and the direct action of students.

 

Candidate Profile

 

General Summary

 

Colegio Albania seeks a committed, dynamic, educational leader whose energy, vision and strategic capabilities will guide the school to the next level of excellence. 

 

The Director has day-to-day oversight of every aspect related to the running of the school, including academic, administrative and financial operations; staff and faculty supervision; facilities management, and the safety/security of all members of the educational community.

Preferred Qualifications and Experience

 

• Masters, PH.D or Ed.D in Education, Educational Leadership or other relevant field.
• 10 + years in education with  3+  years in educational leadership positions
• Proficient Spanish language skills (verbal and written)
•  Experience working in bilingual schools in Latin America
• Familiarity with AdvancED (SACS) accreditation and IB programs 

Key Abilities and Attributes

• Proven instructional leadership with a focus on global citizenship and the development of 21^st century skills.
• Ethical, honest, open and transparent.
• Strong and effective communicator with good listening skills.
• Models behavior consistent with the school’s mission and values.
• Excellent interpersonal relationships with the ability to engage, inspire and involve stakeholders in meaningful and productive ways
• A strategic thinker with the ability to set objectives and monitor institutional and student learning progress.
• Ability to inspire confidence and motivate others by recognizing and drawing upon their strengths.
• Able to take decisions and delegate responsibilities as and when necessary.
• Innovative but conscious of the need to effectively manage change. 
• Committed to the development of mathematics, technology, science and the arts.
• Sensitive to cultural relations and conscious of the school’s responsibility to the wider community. 
• Builds relationships and organizational structures which effectively support learning and ensure long term financial stability and mission protection.
• Continuously refreshes professional skills and knowledge.

Compensation and Benefits

The initial term of the Director’s contract is three years with the option to extend. The remuneration and benefits package is commensurate with the responsibilities of the position and is competitive within Latin America.

Application Procedures

Colegio Albania’s Board of Trustees has selected Search Associates to assist in the director search process.  Interested and qualified candidates should submit the following material in a single email message as soon as possible, but no later than August 31, 2015, to Bridget McNamer at bmcnamer@searchassociates.com.  Please do not submit applications directly to Colegio Albania.

1. Cover Letter:  addressed to the Chairman of the Colegio Albania  Board of Trustees expressing interest and describing reasons for perceived fit.
2. Resume:  include education, experience, related professional experience, roles and responsibilities, accomplishments, and value added.
3. Statement of Professional Philosophy:  include your perspective regarding leadership practice and style, organization/school management, and teaching and learning.
4. List of Five References:  include names, phone numbers, and email addresses.  The current board chairperson of your present school or organization should be included as a reference.
5. Letters of Recommendation:  include up to three letters that you may already have in your possession. 

Applications will only be accepted in electronic form.  All documents should be submitted in one .pdf document, no larger than 3MB.”

Please note:  the Board of Trustees reserves the right to shorten the search timeframe in the event a truly superior candidate emerges during an early phase of the search process.  To that end, it is in the best interest of serious applicants to apply as early as possible.