Job title

Head of Faculty – Boarding and Welfare

Country

Rwanda

Job Category

Full time

Location

Kigali

Time

2 years renewable contract

Salary

Negotiable

Starting date

Mid-August 2021

Institution Information

Rivera High School is an international secondary boarding school in Kigali Rwanda, a private education institution that was established in 2007. It was founded in response to the President’s appeal for investors to enter the private education sector. It is a high-quality secondary boarding school with a capacity of 600 male and female learners.

Our Mission is “to produce in large numbers a special quality of student whom universities and employers will compete to enroll, due to their high levels of performance, ethics and good citizenship”.

Our vision is to “deliver a student-centered education underpinned by established teaching skills and a strong school culture which ensures that it is high-performing, disciplined, ethical, self-developmental and aware of its educational and social environment”.

We are one of the few schools in Kigali that offer 3 curriculum – the Rwanda National Curriculum, BTEC, and Cambridge International. We are also an accredited BTEC and SAT center. We are proud of the diversity of our students and staff, with over 10 nationalities represented.

Discipline is highly prized and well maintained at three levels – spiritual, social, and academic.

Reporting Relationships

The Head of Faculty – Boarding and Welfare report to the Principal as a member of the Senior Management Team (SMT). He/she works closely with the Principal, Deputy Principal, HR, and Heads of Faculty. He/ She is supported by the Dean of students, wardens, matrons, caretakers, nurses, and security

Job summary/overall goal of the position

The Head of Boarding and Welfare is in charge of what happens in the life of the learners outside the classroom. The areas where the learners are likely to be found outside the classroom, and what is expected of them in those areas: in the dormitories, playfields, dining hall, mentorship, discipline, health, staff welfare, church services, community services, and events planning)

Duties  and responsibilities

Dormitories – This is a nerve center of any boarding institution as it defines the quality of life for the learners away from home. The HoB/W is expected to:

• Draw clear programs and procedures to guide boys and girls in the boarding areas
• Work closely with the Wardens, Matrons, Caretakers, Security to ensure total order and tranquillity in the dorms
• Set clear time – tables to guide activities in the boarding areas
• Supervise the efficacy of the wardens, matrons, caretakers, security, and any other employee (s) working in the boarding areas
• Design and execute the modes and times of entertainment for boys and girls especially on weekends
• Ensure that the highest standards of cleanliness and order are maintained in these areas at all times.
• Organize regular inspections of the dorms to get rid of unwanted materials/ items
• Set clear bedtime and wake-up time and ensure they are strictly observed.

Play Fields – The playfields include all the pitches, the swimming pool, the main hall, and any other place where a game or a sporting activity may take place. The HoB/W is expected to:

• Draw a clear schedule, in collaboration with the Dean of students, for games and all other sporting activities.
• Promote healthy and competitive sporting activities among the learners
• Organize tournaments internally and externally
• Draw season calendar for all sporting activities

Dining – A very busy area during school terms with high sensitivity to time management and learners’ orderliness. The HoB/W is expected to:

• Coordinate with the wardens, matrons, and caretakers to ensure learner punctuality to all meals
• Ensure meals are served according to set standards and rules
• Keep the policies governing the dining hall and where necessary effect changes after consulting with the Principal.

Mentorship – It has been established that learners who are emotionally and socially stable perform better in class. The HoB/W is expected to:

• Draw a teacher/ learner mentorship schedule
• Coordinate and regulate the mentorship program
• Organize mentorship seminars, workshops, and forums
• Develop materials and handbooks for mentorship

Discipline – RHS prescribes three levels of discipline namely spiritual, social, and academic disciplines. A learner who is spiritually strong is naturally strong socially and in the majority of cases, such learners are also strong academically. The HoB/W is expected to:

• Strictly apply the existing rules and regulations to maintain high standards of discipline
• Ensure all learners, old and new, read and sign the school’s code of conduct handbook
• Develop strategies and mechanisms that prevent or pre-empt misconduct
• Deal with cases of misconduct according to the laid down rules
• Involve parents early enough whenever a learner with odd tendencies is identified

Health – The school has a clinic or an infirmary to take care of all ailments. Severe cases are referred for specialized treatment from here, The HoB/W is expected to:

• Ensure smooth and efficient operations at the clinic
• Give health updates to the Principal and relevant departments
• Strictly apply the school’s health policy

Staff welfare – The staff is made up of teaching and non – teaching members. Most of them are accommodated at the campus while others commute. Their welfare has a direct bearing on their performance. The HoB/W is expected to:

• Regulate staff accommodation
• Ensure proper maintenance of the staff quarters
• Conduct intermittent surveys on matters affecting staff members

Church services – Every learner in RHS has the liberty to choose their religion. The school only provides the necessary support to enhance their faith. The HoB/W is expected to:

• Draw a clear time – table for all church services
• Encourage all learners to attend church services
• Provide counseling on matters of religion

Community services – The school is part of the community and vice versa, hence a symbiotic relationship is inevitable. The HoB/W is expected to:

• Develop a community service schedule
• Moderate and regulate community service activities
• Create functional connectivity with the community around us.

Events Planning – In our normal school calendar, a series of events take place in the year. They include Graduation Day, Annual Parents Meeting, Monthly Visitation Days (DVDs), and public holidays. The HoB/W is expected to:

• Work in collaboration with the relevant offices and departments to organize these events
• Draw clear programs for the day of these events
• Perform other duties as assigned and any other administrative tasks needed.

Person specifications

Qualifications, skills, and experience needed

Essential:

• Bachelor’s degree in Education, Management, Human Resources Management or related field
• At least 5 years relevant experience in the Education sector
• Efficient and organized
• A skilled communicator and a relationship builder – able to work effectively with colleagues and students
• IT literate
• Smartly and professionally dressed
• Good at prioritizing your time
• Able to work under pressure
• A quick learner
• A willingness to work unsociable hours, including weekends and evenings
• Proactive, flexible, trustworthy, dependable, and reliable
• Internationally aware and culturally sensitive
• Good team player, but also able to work autonomously
• Willing to play a part in the wider life of the school community
• Fluent in English is a must, Fluency in Kinyarwanda and French is an asset;

Desirable:

• Experience in High School Management
• Regulations and other relevant legislation
• Proven management skills
• A logical, structured, and organized outlook on life
• High levels of energy, an even temper, and a sense of humor
• The ability to relate to young people
• Ability to take initiative, work well under pressure, and carry out work independently;
• Team player who drives a culture of learning and servant leadership;
• Ability to use analytics for effective personnel management;
• Excellent oral and written communication in English and Kinyarwanda;
• Cross-cultural communication skills;
• Stress management and ability to multitask