Head of College

Cognita Asia Holdings Pte Ltd; Singapore; On-site; SGD 250,000 - 350,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Relocation benefits

Housing support

Comprehensive medical coverage

School fee discount

Variable pay

Job summary

Brighton College Singapore, part of Cognita, seeks an inspirational Head to drive expansion and build a world‑class all‑through school from Pre‑Nursery to Year 13. The role requires a proven senior leader with UK or international experience, strong strategic and commercial acumen, and the ability to engage diverse stakeholders.

The Head will shape educational excellence, school strategy and parent experience, collaborating with Cognita and Brighton College UK, while leading safeguarding, culture

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Education or PGCE required.
• NPQH or Master’s in Education advantageous.
• Experience in a successful British or British international school preferred.
• Proven track record of senior school leadership in an international setting.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership for the school’s ongoing development and growth.
• Lead academic, pastoral and teaching excellence across the Prep and Senior School.
• Drive growth, operational excellence and financial stewardship.
• Lead People & Culture initiatives and foster a positive school culture.
• Oversee performance and capability development of staff and programmes.
• Engage with parents, communities and multiple stakeholders to build trust and partnership.

Skills

Strategic thinking

Leadership

Communication

Commercial acumen

Safeguarding

Stakeholder management

Emotional intelligence

People & culture

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Education or PGCE

NPQH or Master’s in Education

Job description

About the School - Brighton College Singapore:

Brighton College and Cognita areseeking an inspirational charismatic, and ambitious Head to drive the expansionof Brighton College (Singapore) into one of the region’s leading all-through schools(from Pre-Nursery to Year 13). This is an incredible opportunityfor a proven senior leader to shape the ongoing development and growth of theschool and work as part of a talented and experienced team of Heads across Cognita and the Brighton CollegeGroup. The successful candidate willcombine a track record of highly successful leadership experience in educationin the UK or internationally, with the cultural awareness and globalperspective to inspire the entire College community and manage diversestakeholder relationships. We are looking to appoint a Headwith the energy and vision to lead a world-class academic institution,distinctive in its own right but with the Brighton College DNA at its core.First-class communication skills, with the gravitas to act as a visible leaderand ambassador, are crucial, as is the commercial drive to build upon theschool’s success. The Head of College is alsoaccountable to a Board of Governors comprising representatives of Cognita andBrighton College UK. The Head of College will be responsible for the deliveryof educational excellence, school strategy and parent experience, while workingalongside central teams for marketing, human resources and finance support. Therole reports into the Managing Director, Singapore Cog. The school is regulatedby the SDWA in Singapore and has EduTrust Certification. TheCognita Asia team plays a vital role in managing this regulatory relationshipeffectively. This opportunity represents acareer-defining, professional challenge for an educational leader, who shares our aim of developingwell-educated, respectful, and intellectually curious young men and women ready to take a full,active, and positive role in the world.

Executive Summary

The position is available from August 2027.

About Cognita:

Cognita is a global family of 84 schools in 20 countries,with around 100,000 students, 22,000+ colleagues, 14 curricula and ninelanguages of instruction.

Within Cognita, Brighton College is part of the SingaporeCog, alongside other schools across the region. Our strength lies in ourdiversity. Education is inherently local, so each Cognita school reflects thefamilies and community it serves. When families choose a school, they aremaking a deeply personal and community-based decision, and Cognita givesschools the freedom to express and protect that local identity.

What unites us is a shared ambition to deliver consistentlyhigh-quality education alongside an exceptional experience for students andparents. Cognita provides the expertise, investment, systems, leadership andglobal learning that help schools become stronger, while allowing each schoolto remain true to what makes it distinctive.

Cognita’s vision is Thriving Schools, InspiringFutures. Our mission is to build the world’s most trusted global schoolsplatform, creating the conditions for schools to thrive; measurably andmeaningfully

About the Role:

The Head of Brighton College (Singapore) will be responsiblefor leading a successful and thriving school, looking to build on the strongfoundations already established in its Prep School and the formative years ofits Senior School. Like all Brighton College leaders and teachers, they willunderstand the values of a British independent school education, theexpectations of parents for the highest educational standards, and the needs ofpupils who are very motivated to learn. This role will also oversee successfuldelivery of programmes that are integrated with its mainstream offerings, suchas the Preparatory Course Primary and Secondary for intensive English Languageacquisition.

The Head’s primary, over-arching responsibility will be to manage the school’s ongoing development, encompassing the following prioritytasks:

• Strategic Leadership
• Academic & Pastoral Leadership & Teaching Excellence
• Growth & Operational Excellence
• People & Culture
• Performance & Capability
• Community & Stakeholder Engagement

Who we are looking for:

• First-class strategic thinker with the capacity to provide clear leadership in a changing and complex external environment.
• First-class communication skills with a demonstrable abilityto act as an effective and compelling ambassador for Brighton College in achanging, competitive market.
• High levels of commercial acumen and a strongunderstanding of the business aspects of successful Headship.
• Firm understanding of the role of a Head of College inrelation to the leadership of safeguarding, building a strong safeguardingculture and the development of a safe environment.
• Highly visible leader with charisma, energy, stamina andambition to inspire and motivate others.
• High levels of emotional intelligence together with thecultural sensitivity and global perspective required to relate well to peopleat all levels and from diverse backgrounds.
• Empathetic relationship-builder with a sophisticatedunderstanding of how to work effectively with multiple stakeholders, buildstrong teams, delegate effectively and bring out the best in colleagues.
• Sound judgement and a strong sense of personal andprofessional integrity.
• A genuine commitment to the Brighton College values, ethosand educational philosophy.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Education or Bachelor’s degree with PGCE.
• NPQH or Master’s in Education is advantageous
• Experience in a successful British or Britishinternational school will be an advantage in demonstrating an alignment withthe educational philosophy and standards which characterise Brighton College.
• Track record of highly successful school leadership whichdemonstrates an understanding of the challenges faced in an internationalschool setting.
• Experience of leading, developing and motivating highcalibre, diverse teams with a strong commitment to the continued professionaldevelopment of all colleagues.
• Proven track record of successful delivery of the Britishcurriculum and a demonstrable commitment to the importance of a broad learningenvironment.
• Evident commitment to educational innovation, includingthe opportunities and challenges presented by AI.
• Strong academic and intellectual credentials to commandthe respect of staff, pupils, parents and the wider community.

The Application Process

The deadline for applications for the position is 10am October 14, 2026.

Compensation and Benefits

The most important thing is that we find the rightcandidate, and we will ensure that the salary and benefits package will becommensurate with the role.

The benefits package will include relocation benefits,housing support, comprehensive medical coverage, school fee discount andvariable pay.

Safeguarding and equal opportunities

Cognita Schools are committed to safeguarding and promotingthe welfare of children and young people and expects all staff, volunteers andother third parties to share this commitment. Safer recruitment practice andpre-employment background checks will be undertaken before any appointment isconfirmed. The College is committed to ensuring that the recruitmentand selection of staff is conducted in a manner that is systematic, efficientand effective and which promotes equality of opportunity.