Aga Khan Schools - General Manager (Strictly Confidential)

STRICTY CONFIDENTIAL
AGA KHAN
SCHOOLS
GENERAL
MANAGER
CANDIDATE PACK
May 2020

Aga Khan Schools
General Manager
Candidate Pack – May 2020
Executive Summary
Within the area of education, AKDN seeks to ensure that children and young people are equipped with
the knowledge, skills, attitudes and values to help them interact effectively with the world and be
contributing members of a pluralist society. AKDN has five leading organisations in education that work
together to promote a continuous ladder of lifelong learning, starting from early childhood and
extending well into adulthood. These are: Aga Khan Education Services, Aga Khan Academies, Aga
Khan Foundation, Aga Khan University, and the University of Central Asia. Aga Khan Education
Services and the Aga Khan Academies will come together under the leadership of a newly created
structure of the Aga Khan Schools (AKS). The network of schools today includes some 6,000
employees (circa 4,000 teachers) across around 200 schools and three academies spanning Central and
South Asia and Africa. It provides education through programmes that encompass early child
development, national curricula, the IGSCE and the International Baccalaureate.
Reporting to the newly created Board of Aga Khan Schools, the General Manager holds ultimate
responsibility for delivering AKDN’s strategic vision in pre-tertiary education. They will drive forward
the recommendations emerging from the ongoing Education Strategic Review, currently underway, and
ensure effective change management of the new organisation through the creation of high functioning
teams globally. In addition, s/he will recommend and implement the strategies required to bring this
school system together into a coherent, integrated, efficient, and high quality network.
The ideal candidate for this position could come from a variety of different backgrounds. AKDN is
seeking proven leaders of transformational change with experience working across its key geographies.
Individuals should be able to demonstrate a deep passion for, and understanding of, pre-tertiary
education. Candidates must likewise possess a fundamental empathy for the mission, vision and values
of AKDN.
Applications should consist of a CV, accompanied by a covering letter addressing the criteria in the
Person Specification. These can be uploaded at www.society-search.com.
The deadline for the receipt of applications is midday (BST) on Friday, 29 May 2020.
The AKDN
The Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) is a network of private, non-denominational
development agencies founded by His Highness the Aga Khan. It works primarily in 30 countries across
South and Central Asia and Africa. The network focuses on the areas of health, education, culture, rural
development, institution building, and the promotion of economic development. AKDN employs over
80,000 staff, primarily based within developing countries.
The Aga Khan is the 49 th hereditary Imam or Spiritual Leader of the Shia Ismaili Muslims, a global
community of 15 million people. In the context of his hereditary responsibilities, His Highness has been

deeply engaged with international development and education for more than 50 years, particularly
across Asia and Africa.
AKDN currently has five leading organisations in education that work together to promote a continuous
ladder of lifelong learning, starting from early childhood and extending well into adulthood. These are;
Aga Khan
Education
Services
Aga Khan
Academies
Aga Khan
Foundation
Aga Khan
University
University
of Central
Asia
.
Aga Khan Schools
Aga Khan Education Services and the Aga Khan Academies are coming together under the leadership
of a newly created structure: Aga Khan Schools (AKS). This network of schools today includes some
6,000 employees, (circa 4,000 teachers) and 87,000 students, spread over around 200 schools and three
academies across Central and South Asia and Africa. It provides education through programmes that
encompass early child development, national curricula, the IGSCE and the International Baccalaureate.
The network includes a highly diverse mixture of schools; some urban and some rural, and some based
on purpose-built modern campuses, whereas others operate on sites dating back nearly a century.
The envisaged Aga Khan Schools system is currently undergoing a strategic review, led by a multidisciplinary
team. This review will report in June 2020, providing recommendations for how to organise
and realign the newly created structure into a more efficient portfolio. It is expected that the resulting
model will have the following principles at its core:
• innovation, sustainability, and relevance to AKDN’s core geographies;
• ‘fit for purpose’ management, agile enough to meet the current and future needs of beneficiaries,
and key stakeholders, taking into consideration differing cultural contexts and geographies;
• access for core beneficiaries.
The General Manager will contribute to this review (if appointed while it is underway) and will be
responsible for driving the implementation of the recommendations emerging from it. They will help
develop and implement the necessary measures in order to create a system which will truly deliver on
the vision of a high quality global network of schools.
The key strategic objectives of AKS include:
• ensuring student access to relevant quality education;
• rebalancing the portfolio of schools to align with the needs of all the constituencies from the
perspectives of academic offering and geographic presence;

• reviewing/realigning the current portfolio of curricula offerings to ensure academic quality and
relevance to the geographies and the needs of the core constituencies;
• enhancing the professional image of teachers in the AKS system in order to attract high quality
human capital, including educators who reflect the demography of the communities in which AKS
operates;
• ensuring a robust framework for quality assurance in teaching and learning with appropriate
professional development of teachers and school heads;
• leveraging contemporary approaches to education delivery, including use of new technologies to
enhance access and impact across diverse geographies;
• enhancing and upgrading quality, and contextualising all AKS curricula systems to their respective
settings, whilst incorporating the teaching of ethics as a fundamental component of education and
child development;
• establishing a sound financial footing for the long term sustainability of AKS, including resource
mobilisation and financial assistance, in order to ensure that meritorious and disadvantaged students
are still able to access high-quality education;
• ensuring that facilities, buildings and operations reflect the new developments in terms of
environmental and climatic sustainability;
• overseeing the establishment of new schools and academies in accordance with a systematic plan
which translates AKS’ vision of a high quality education system in each of the geographies in which it
operates.

His Highness the Aga Khan is a global advocate for pluralism.
Through the institutions he has founded, encouraged and
nourished, he strives to improve the quality of life in the world's
most vulnerable societies and to foster hope and human dignity.

Role Description
Reporting to the newly created Board of Aga Khan Schools, the General Manager will drive forward the
recommendations emerging from the current Education Strategic Review. Arriving at a time of
significant change, they will lead and ensure a coherent approach to pre-tertiary education delivery
within AKDN, consistent with the core principles outlined above.
The General Manager will be fully accountable for delivering the strategic vision for pre-tertiary
education. They will ensure effective operational management of the new organisation, through the
creation a robust team at headquarters and effective local and regional management structures.
As a senior leader within the AKDN, the General Manager will also be expected to work as an effective
partner and collaborator with their peers across the wider network, building strong, trusting and ethical
relationships and thus contributing to the broader vision of AKDN.
Specific responsibilities will include:
• presenting to the Board proposed strategic and operational plans, and annuals budgets, to ensure
progress in delivering AKS’s agreed objectives;
• reporting regularly and advising the Board on the progress of these strategic and operational plans;
• identifying risks against agreed milestones and putting in place relevant mitigation plans in
accordance with approved frameworks, procedures and policies;
• ensuring effective oversight of the AKS system, through management teams at the headquarters and
at the country and regional levels;
• ensuring that core functions such as finance, audit, operations, human resources, construction,
resource mobilisation and communications are appropriately staffed and implemented at
headquarters and throughout the AKS system;
• proposing a development strategy to ensure AKS’ long-term financial sustainability;
• delivering approved academic strategies to ensure high quality learning outcomes;
• building and fostering relationships with both internal and external partners in order to identify areas
of possible collaboration and/or synergy to further enhance AKDN’s education activities;
• articulating the vision and purpose of AKS with passion and conviction, and representing AKDN’s
education activities to a wide range of audiences and stakeholders, including governments, other
NGOs, and potential partner organisations;
• working closely with other AKDN entities (particularly those involved in education), stakeholders
and partners and serving on various boards and committees as appropriate;
• ensuring that graduates of AKS are able to access high quality tertiary institutions of learning;
• contributing to both the global and national policy development of pre-tertiary education and
pedagogy;
• keeping abreast of developments in the education sector, especially in the areas of school
improvement, teacher development, pedagogy, curriculum development and education technology,
and fostering a climate of continuous enquiry and adoption of best practice.

The Aga Khan Development Network seeks to weave together
the beautiful, the practical, the spiritual, and the material, to
create a society where ethics, culture, faith and economics
consciously better the quality of worldly life for all human beings.

Person Specification
The successful candidate will be expected to demonstrate evidence of the following skills, capabilities
and experience:
• a proven track record of successfully leading large scale change initiatives;
• demonstrable experience and success in managing complex multi-country operations;
• substantial senior leadership and general management experience gained within an educational
context such as a network of schools;
• excellent stakeholder management and relationship building skills, enabling you to instil confidence
and build trust, both within and beyond AKDN;
• thorough knowledge of the international education sector, ideally in developing countries, and an
understanding of key global trends and challenges;
• a proven track record of successfully recruiting, motivating and developing high performing teams;
• fluency in English, with excellent written and verbal communication skills;
• sound judgement, strong critical thinking skills, and an ability to navigate complex situations and be
comfortable working with ambiguity;
• cultural sensitivity, coupled with the agility to adapt your leadership and communication approach as
appropriate;
• empathy for the work of AKDN and international development;
• some form of postgraduate qualification, ideally in education management or a related field;
• willingness to travel extensively;
• professionalism, commitment, integrity, resilience, patience, and humility.

Appointment Details and How to Apply
Aga Khan Schools is being assisted in this appointment process by the executive search firm Society.
Applications should consist of a CV, ideally accompanied by a brief covering letter addressing the
criteria in the Person Specification. These should be sent via email to clare.davies@society-search.com.
The deadline for receipt of applications is midday on Friday, 29 May 2020.
Society will conduct initial interviews with an agreed longlist of candidates in the first instance.
Shortlisted candidates will then be invited to hold discussions with senior colleagues within AKDN
during mid-June.
An appointment will be made subject to receipt of satisfactory references. The appointed candidate will
be offered a salary that is commensurate with their experience and the seniority of their new role.
The position will be based in continental Europe, but the postholder will naturally be expected to travel
regularly in order to visit individual schools.

Aga Khan Schools will seek to ensure that children and young
people are equipped with the knowledge, skills, attitudes and
values to help them interact effectively with the world and be
contributing members of a pluralist society.