Principal / Centre Manager

Maple Bear Philippines; Makati; On-site; PHP 1,800,000 - 3,600,000; Full time

Job summary

MapleBear Philippines seeks a Principal / Centre Manager to lead overall operations, performance, and culture of the school in Makati. The role blends strategic leadership, people management, and operational oversight to deliver a high‑quality learning environment for students and families.

Open to experienced leaders from diverse industries; education experience is a plus but not required. The ideal candidate demonstrates strong leadership, business acumen, and the ability to uphold MapleBear’s

Qualifications

• Extensive leadership and management experience across industries.
• Strong people management, communication, and decision‑making skills.
• Proven ability to manage operations, budgets, and performance metrics.
• Comfortable leading teams in a structured yet people‑focused environment.
• Willingness to learn and uphold MapleBear’s educational framework and values.
• Adaptable, solution‑oriented, and resilient in a dynamic environment.
• High integrity, professionalism, and accountability.
• Strong customer‑service mindset (parents and students).
• Passion for leadership, team development, and organizational excellence.

Responsibilities

• Provide overall leadership and direction for the school, ensuring alignment with MapleBear’s mission, values, and standards.
• Set clear goals, priorities, and performance expectations across academic, administrative, and operational functions.
• Foster a positive, professional, and collaborative culture among staff.
• Oversee the implementation of the MapleBear curriculum, ensuring consistency, quality, and adherence to established standards.
• Work with academic coordinators and teaching staff to support lesson planning, assessments, and classroom practices.
• Ensure a child-centered, safe, inclusive, and engaging learning environment.
• Monitor program outcomes and collaborate with the academic team to implement improvements.
• Manage day-to-day operations of the school, including admissions, scheduling, facilities, and resource planning.
• Ensure compliance with local regulations, licensing requirements, and internal policies.
• Oversee health, safety, and facility standards to maintain a secure environment.
• Onboard and retain teaching and non-teaching staff in collaboration with HR and management.
• Conduct regular performance reviews, provide coaching and feedback, and address issues constructively.
• Promote continuous professional development and accountability across teams.
• Serve as the primary contact for parents on school matters; communicate professionally and empathetically.
• Build strong relationships with families through meetings, events, and regular updates.
• Oversee newsletters, emails, and social media in coordination with relevant teams.
• Prepare and manage the school’s budget, monitor expenses, and ensure accurate record-keeping.
• Collaborate on tuition structures, forecasting, and financial planning.
• Lead enrollment growth and retention initiatives; track KPIs.
• Develop strategies to increase enrollment and improve retention year over year.
• Represent the school within the community and coordinate with marketing on outreach and brand positioning.
• Aim to achieve or exceed annual enrollment targets.

Skills

Leadership

People management

Budget management

Strategic thinking

Communication

Decision making

Operations management

Brand development

Job description

The Principal / Centre Manager at MapleBear Canadian School (Philippines) leads the overall operations, performance, and culture of the school, combining strategic leadership, people management, operational oversight, and stakeholder engagement to ensure efficient operations and a high-quality learning environment for students and families.

This role is open to experienced leaders from diverse industries—including corporate management, hospitality, healthcare, operations, retail, or service sectors—and while experience in education is an advantage, it is not required; the ideal candidate brings strong leadership and business acumen, effective people management skills, and the ability to learn and uphold MapleBear’s educational philosophy and standards.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Leadership & Strategic Oversight

• Provide overall leadership and direction for the school, ensuring alignment with MapleBear’s mission, values, and standards.
• Set clear goals, priorities, and performance expectations across academic, administrative, and operational functions.
• Foster a positive, professional, and collaborative culture among staff.

Academic & Program Oversight (with Support)

• Oversee the implementation of the MapleBear curriculum, ensuring consistency, quality, and adherence to established standards.
• Work closely with academic coordinators and teaching staff to support lesson planning, assessments, and classroom practices.
• Ensure a child-centered, safe, inclusive, and engaging learning environment.
• Monitor program outcomes and collaborate with the academic team to implement improvements.

(Note: Deep curriculum expertise is not required; training and support will be provided.)

School Operations & Compliance

• Manage the day-to-day operations of the school, including admissions, scheduling, facilities, and resource planning.
• Ensure compliance with local regulations, licensing requirements, and internal policies.
• Oversee health, safety, and facility standards to maintain a secure and well-maintained school environment.

People Management & Team Development

• Onboard, and retain teaching and non-teaching staff in collaboration with HR and management.
• Conduct regular performance reviews, provide coaching and feedback, and address performance issues constructively.
• Promote continuous professional development and accountability across teams.

Parent & Stakeholder Engagement

• Serve as the primary point of contact for parents on school-related matters, ensuring professional, timely, and empathetic communication.
• Build strong relationships with families through meetings, events, and regular updates.
• Oversee communication channels such as newsletters, emails, and social media in coordination with relevant teams.

Financial & Business Management

• Prepare and manage the school’s budget, ensuring effective use of resources and financial sustainability.
• Monitor expenses, review financial reports, and ensure accurate record-keeping.
• Collaborate with management on tuition structures, forecasting, and financial planning.

Enrollment Growth, KPIs & Brand Development

• Lead enrollment growth and retention initiatives, tracking and analyzing key performance indicators.
• Develop and implement strategies to increase student enrollment and improve year-over‑year retention.
• Represent the school within the community and work with marketing teams on outreach, events, and brand positioning.
• Achieve or exceed annual enrollment and retention targets.

QUALIFICATIONS & SKILLS

• Extensive leadership and management experience in any industry (education experience is a plus, not a requirement).
• Strong people management, communication, and decision‑making skills.
• Proven ability to manage operations, budgets, and performance metrics.
• Comfortable leading teams in a structured yet people‑focused environment.
• Willingness to learn and uphold MapleBear’s educational framework and values.
• Adaptable, solution‑oriented, and resilient in a dynamic environment.
• High integrity, professionalism, and accountability
• Strong customer‑service mindset (parents and students)
• Passion for leadership, team development, and organizational excellence
• Openness to working in a child‑focused environment and supporting early learning