Academic Director

Description

Dragon. The American College of Torrelodones is a boutique school experiencing rapid growth, accredited by **NEASC (New England Association of Schools and Colleges)**, ensuring our excellence and alignment with the highest international standards in education. We follow an **American curriculum**, enhanced by an innovative approach grounded in **Mastery Learning** and **Qualia Based Learning**, enabling us to personalize learning and guarantee that each student reaches their full potential at their own pace. Our educational offering emphasizes the development of **soft skills**, instruction in small classes of up to 20 students, a safe and bullying-free environment, and a holistic approach covering everything from nutrition to promoting healthy lifestyle habits. With a maximum of **260 students**, we ensure personalized and transformative education. **Position Description: Academic Director** We seek an enthusiastic and committed Academic Director passionate about educational innovation and dedicated to academic excellence and the humanistic development of students. The ideal candidate will be responsible for leading and supervising the academic development of the school, ensuring effective implementation of our educational model and fostering a safe and enriching learning environment. **Key Responsibilities** ● **Management and supervision of the American curriculum**: Implement and adapt the **American Curriculum**, ensuring excellence-aligned education meeting international standards and promoting students’ global readiness. ● **Development and implementation of the Mastery Learning model**: Ensure each student progresses according to their actual mastery of subject matter, promoting deep and meaningful learning rather than a grade- or exam-based approach. ● **Ensure compliance with applicable national and international educational regulations**. ● **Integration of Qualia Based Learning**: Apply our educational methodology centered on experimentation and discovery, fostering creativity, curiosity, and enthusiasm for learning. ● **Leadership of teaching staff**: Coordinate, train, and support teachers to ensure effective application of innovative methodologies and continuous improvement in teaching. ● **Promotion of soft skills development**: Integrate key competencies such as resilience, effective communication, leadership, and critical thinking into the curriculum. ● **Management of a safe school environment**: Apply protocols such as the **Firewall Protocol®** to maintain a bullying- and microaggression-free environment, promoting respect, empathy, and students’ emotional safety. ● **Evaluation and continuous improvement**: Design assessment systems focused on each student’s individual progress, using metacognitive strategies and competency-based learning approaches. ● **Engagement with the educational community**: Maintain consistent communication with families and students, fostering collaboration among teachers, mentors, and families to ensure holistic student development. **Position Requirements** ● **Academic qualifications**: University degree in Education, Psychopedagogy, Pedagogy, or related fields. A master’s degree in educational management is highly desirable. ● **Experience**: Minimum of 5 years in academic leadership roles within international schools, preferably with experience in American curricula and innovative methodologies. ● **Languages**: Advanced proficiency in English and Spanish (C1 or higher). ● **Key skills**: Leadership, effective communication, teamwork, change management, and conflict resolution. ● **Knowledge of advanced educational methodologies**: Experience with Mastery Learning, Qualia Based Learning, and personalized education. **We Offer** ● **An environment of educational excellence**, accredited by NEASC and driven by a transformative vision of learning. ● **Ongoing professional training and development** in innovative methodologies and personalized learning models. ● **A safe and enriching environment**, featuring small class sizes and a focus on the holistic well-being of the school community. ● **State-of-the-art facilities** located in the Guadarrama mountain range, including eco-friendly classrooms, direct access to nature, and an environment specifically designed to enhance students’ cognitive and emotional development. If you share our vision of **personalized, innovative, and transformative education**, and possess the required experience and skills, we invite you to **apply** and join Dragon American School. Salary: 39\.000,00€\-39\.500,00€ per year Benefits: * Meals provided at work * Intensive working hours during summer * Option for an indefinite-term contract * Company-provided laptop Work location: On-site employment