Head of US Greenfields

ISP US Holdings Inc.; United States; On-site; USD 300,000 - 450,000; Full time

Job summary

International Schools Partnership (ISP) invites applications for Head of US Greenfields. You will lead a small, high-performing team and drive growth of new greenfield schools from site identification through opening, ramp-up and profitability, while delivering customer focus and strong KPI performance.

You will align with ISP Centres of Excellence, partner with property, admissions, HR and marketing heads, recruit the day-one team, and build a scalable school portfolio across the US region.

Qualifications

• Experience leading the growth of new greenfield schools from inception to opening.
• Ability to build strong partnerships with property developers, admissions and marketing teams.
• Proven leadership of senior school leaders and cross-functional teams.

Responsibilities

• Identify catchment areas and sites for new schools within the Greenfield strategy.
• Develop relationships with property developers and oversee construction.
• Lead market positioning and marketing strategies for each new school.
• Recruit and build the initial school leadership and SLT teams.

Skills

Driving continuous improvement

Commercial acumen

Revenue growth

Customer experience management

Enrolment management

Educational leadership

Values-based leadership

Stakeholder engagement

Team leadership

Safeguarding children

Policy compliance

Matrix management

Working collaboratively

Coaching ISP Principles

Job description

The Head of US Greenfields is accountable for the commercial growth, operational performance, and successful delivery of key commercial and operational KPIs under the US Greenfield strategy. Development of a portfolio of new greenfield schools from site identification through development, opening and initial ramp up whilst delivering ISP’s School of Choice continuous improvement model is the critical success indicator. The Head of US Greenfields is supported by a small, high-performing team of regional business partners, comprising a; Greenfield Head of Property; Greenfield Head of Admissions & Marketing; and Greenfield Head of HR. The Head of US Greenfields and their team, supported by ISP Group’s Centres for Excellence (who provide transactional and specialised support services), drive and support a greenfield school portfolio to deliver on the agreed KPIs and business objectives. This role offers the opportunity to collaborate with a dynamic team to drive growth and success as part of a fast-growing global schools’ group. Leading the team of School Heads and Regional Functional Heads, the Head of US Greenfields will be responsible for ensuring all our schools are positioned to become schools of choice in their catchment by delivering strong customer service, student enrolments and profitability growth, alongside managing local stakeholders and the wider student and parent community. The role also includes enhancing ISP’s reputation and mitigating key risks.

Key Responsibilities

• Portfolio Growth With the Greenfield strategy parameters, identify catchment areas and potential sites within those catchments that represent attractive opportunities for a new school opening
• Supported by the Greenfield Head of Property; identify and develop relationships with property developers to deliver new school sites and oversee the construction process
• Supported by the Greenfield Head of Admissions & Marketing and group marketing function, develop a tailored market position and marketing strategy for each new school
• Supported by the Greenfield Head of HR, recruit the day 1 team, including a strong founding School Head and SLT, and continuously build this team as the school scales

Learning Quality and Improvement

Supported by the ISP Learning team, ensure all schools have an embedded, learning focused culture, leading to great learning and outstanding academic achievement. Lead and model a growth and development mindset for all colleagues, and champion new initiatives, (e.g. Edtech initiatives). Work in partnership with School Heads to ensure schools maximise the customer experience for both students and parents.

Financial and Profitability Growth

Work with the regional, group and School teams to deliver the regional commercial strategy and successfully deliver agreed KPI’s. Operate effectively, delivering against commercial expectations such as enrolment and all financial targets, including annual budget, and EBITDA growth.

Student Enrolment Growth

Support ISP brand positioning by developing schools to be the School of Choice for families in the local catchment through exceptional customer experience. Leverage market knowledge to drive enrolment growth and regional positioning. Ensure agreed enrolment and retention targets are met through close management of Greenfield Head of Admissions and the respective Heads of School.

Operational Excellence

Work with Divisional leadership and ISP Centres of Excellence to drive operational improvements in their school portfolio. Deliver exceptional and consistent customer experience across all schools, ensuring that every parent interaction reflects our brand values and service standards. Collaborate with ISP group functional heads (Marketing, Learning, Admissions, IT, Finance) to align regional activities around ISP standards and a unified customer experience. Own and track regional CX KPIs (e.g., Net Promoter scores, satisfaction scores) and drive action plans for improvement. Take a hands‑on approach to operational leadership, stepping in when needed to support frontline teams and school‑based delivery. Accountable for Safer Recruitment and the delivery of the Group’s people strategy within their region to ensure employment compliance, employee satisfaction and retention of talent. Ensure the greenfield team is operationally efficient through setting individual school plans and KPIs to achieve Divisional and Group objectives.

Leadership

Lead the greenfield leadership team – Schools Heads and Functional business partners. Through close liaison with schools, students, and parents, monitor and drive student, parent and employee satisfaction. As part of a wider leadership team across ISP, work collaboratively with Divisional and Group colleagues and contribute to ISP initiatives. Be an ambassador for the schools, the region and ISP.

Key skills

• Driving continuous improvement
• Commercial acumen
• Revenue growth
• Customer experience management
• Enrolment management
• Educational leadership
• Values-based leadership
• Stakeholder engagement
• Team leadership
• Safeguarding children
• Policy compliance
• Matrix management
• Working collaboratively
• Coaching ISP Principles

ISP Principles

Begin with our children and students. Our children and students are at the heart of what we do. Simply, their success is our success. Wellbeing and safety are both essential for learners and learning. Therefore, we are consistent in identifying potential safeguarding and Health & Safety issues and acting and following up on all concerns appropriately. Treat everyone with care and respect. We look after one another, embrace similarities and differences and promote the well‑being of self and others. Operate effectively. We focus relentlessly on the things that are most important and will make the most difference. We apply school policies and procedures and embody the shared ideas of our community. Are financially responsible. We make financial choices carefully based on the needs of the children, students and our schools. Learn continuously. Getting better is what drives us. We positively engage with personal and professional development and school improvement.

ISP Commitment to Safeguarding Principles

ISP is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. All post holders are subject to appropriate vetting procedures, including an online due diligence search, references and satisfactory Criminal Background Checks or equivalent covering the previous 10 years’ employment history.

ISP Commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging

ISP is committed to strengthening our inclusive culture by identifying, hiring, developing, and retaining high-performing teammates regardless of gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation and gender expression, age, disability status, neurodivergence, socio‑economic background or other demographic characteristics. Candidates who share our vision and principles and are interested in contributing to the success of ISP through this role are strongly encouraged to apply.

Thank you for your interest in a career at International Schools Partnership.