Assistant Head of Primary - Immediate Start

GEMS INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL - AL KHAIL; Dubai; On-site; AED 120,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

A prestigious international school in Dubai seeks an Assistant Head of Primary to support day-to-day operations and ensure positive experiences for all stakeholders. The successful candidate will have a professional teaching qualification and experience in the IB Primary Years Programme. They will mentor teachers, assist with school leadership, and foster a positive community culture. This role offers an excellent tax-free salary package, furnished accommodation, and additional benefits such as free schooling for one child.

Benefits

Competitive tax-free salary

Fully furnished accommodation

Free schooling for 1 child

Private medical insurance

Annual airfares to country of residence

Qualifications

• A certified professional teaching qualification at degree level.
• Proven effectiveness in teaching the IB Primary Years Programme.
• Experience in managing school operations internationally.

Responsibilities

• Support day-to-day operations of Lower/Upper Primary school.
• Assist with leadership tasks and strategic planning.
• Mentor teachers and support wellbeing initiatives.

Skills

Certified professional teaching qualification

Experience in IB Primary Years Programme

Curriculum design and management

Excellent relationship building

Experience in school operations

Passion for innovative education

Understanding of inclusive practices

Education

B.Ed, PGCE, PGDE or equivalent

Masters Degree or equivalent

Job description

GEMS International School (GIS) is located in the prestigious community of Dubai Hills in Dubai, UAE. Respect, Trust, and Ambition are values that guide the school community. The school is the epitome of internationalism, not only through the IB curriculum on offer but also through the multinational staff and student body. GIS is an international community of learners composed of students, faculty, and staff from over 98 countries. There is no dominant culture with the largest representation less than 14%.

GIS is an authorized IB World School providing the full IB continuum pre-k to grade 12, offering the PYP, MYP, DP, and CP programmes. The school will reach just over 2650 students at full capacity. GIS is also a fully inclusive school, meeting a diverse set of needs. 16% of students are part of our achievement center and receive some level of support. An alternative pathway (Tareeqi Center) was created in 2021/22 to focus on life skills for students on significantly modified programmes.

Assistant Head of Primary

The Assistant Head of Primary is a contributing member of the school-wide Executive Leadership Teams (ELT/PELT) as well as the Academic Leadership Teams (PALT and Academic Board).

Key Responsibilities

• Support the smooth day-to-day operation of the Lower or Upper Primary school and ensure positive experiences for all stakeholders
• Assist the Head of Primary with school-wide and phase-specific leadership tasks
• Contribute to ELT discussions, school policies, and strategic planning
• Foster a positive staff, student, and community culture, modelling high professional standards
• Oversee class schedules, class list allocations, staff cover, and community events
• Support admissions, conduct teacher appraisals (PELT), and lead parent workshops
• Mentor teachers and TAs; support wellbeing initiatives and manage student behavioural concerns
• Lead or contribute to professional development, curriculum coaching, and assessment data analysis
• Maintain strong communication across teams; contribute to newsletters, parent sessions, and key meetings
• Recommend appropriate programs, resources, and learning tools to support teaching and learning

Skills

The ideal candidate will have:

• A certified professional teaching qualification at degree level, such as B.Ed, PGCE, PGDE or equivalent
• Masters Degree or equivalent in related education and/or leadership is preferred
• Proven effectiveness as a teacher in the IB Primary Years Programme
• Excellent understanding of and experience in curriculum design, implementation, management and evaluation
• Passion for excellence and innovation in education
• Proven ability to develop effective management structures and build, lead and develop high-performance teams.
• Proven ability to establish and sustain strong relationships with parents, students, teaching and support staff, alumni and other stakeholders.
• Passionate about providing high-quality education to children and their families.
• Experience in successfully managing school operations
• Experience in living and working internationally, ideally in the UAE
• Embraces an appreciation for inclusive practices and positive approaches to behavior support along with the safeguarding and welfare of all children and young people
• Availability to start immediately

What we offer

All positions attract an excellent remuneration package, including competitive tax-free salary, individual fully furnished accommodation, free schooling for 1 child, private medical insurance, annual airfares to country of residence and end of Service Gratuity.

GEMS Teachers also have free access to our loyalty app GEMS rewardswww.gemsrewards.com which provides significant savings on day-to-day life in the UAE. We offer thousands of discounts and 2 for 1 offers on everything from flights, hotels, restaurants and retail outlets, making your salary go further and enhancing the opportunity to save whilst working overseas.

Next steps

Shortlisted candidates will be contacted. Those successful at the initial stage will be invited to interview. Interviews will be held as soon as possible, both in person and online.

We thank all applicants for their interest, however, only those shortlisted will be contacted for the next stage of the recruitment process.

Join us in shaping the future of education at GEMS International School. Together, we can make a lasting impact on the lives of our students and empower them to become world-class and world-ready individuals.