Secondary Principal

Vientiane International School is seeking a Secondary School Principal to lead its grade 6-12 division while supporting students, families, and a highly dedicated staff. We are looking for a collaborative leader committed to inclusive learning and one who believes in and displays the personal values of caring, humility, kindness, resilience, and courage.

The key responsibility of the Secondary Principal is to ensure the delivery of a high-quality educational program for students in grades 6 - 12. Through collaboration as a member of the Schoolwide Instructional Leadership Team, the Secondary Principal ensures that all pertinent procedures are in place, to honor the school’s mission, vision, values, and definition of learning. 

The VIS Secondary Principal is passionate about learning, possesses strong organization and communication skills.

Pedagogical Leadership 

• Serving as a pedagogical leader promoting a shared understanding of high-quality learning 

• Being highly visible in the classroom as one aspect of leading pedagogical change 

• Leading professional learning connected to divisional and school wide priorities 

• Ensuring consistency of assessment practices to support learning, including leading the reporting and student-parent-teacher conference processes 

• Playing a leading role in helping to direct VIS’ inclusion practices 

Organizational Leadership 

• Providing pastoral leadership in Grades 6-12 

• Building capacity and supervising faculty according to the VIS Professional Growth and Evaluation guidelines 

• Leading divisional and whole school curriculum initiatives 

• Preparing and managing a mission-aligned academic budget for the secondary division 

• Communicate effectively in writing and orally with students, parents and faculty

• Promoting a positive attitude towards the school in the school community 

• Engaging parents in the educational process 

Program Leadership 

• Fostering the continuous improvement of the school’s programs and performance through: 

  • Oversight, in partnership with IB MYP and DP Coordinators, the secondary curriculum delivery and review, including programme changes and reauthorizations 

  • Support the school staff in the effective provision of student learning and support services o Evaluation of the performance of students, programmes and curriculum against the expected school standards and policies. 

• Engaging with parents to improve their understanding of VIS’ mission, values and practices that support high quality learning 

• Performing other related tasks and assume responsibilities as required by the Head of School

• A master's or doctoral level (Ed.D. or Ph.D.) degree in Educational Leadership or a relevant educational field.

• Minimum 3 years of administrative experience as a Secondary Principal or Assistant Principal, preferably in international and/or independent schools.

• Teaching in and leading International Baccalaureate Diploma Programs is desired

• A principled community builder who leads with humility, curiosity, clarity, and inclusivity.

Personal Attributes

• Visionary:  A forward-thinking and culturally responsive leader who inspires others and fosters educational excellence through an innovative and evidence-based approach.

• Communicator:  Consistently practices a communication style that builds a culture of collaboration, trust, transparency, and safety by actively seeking and providing feedback, listening deeply, and communicating  in ways that ensures that all feel heard, valued, and respected.

• Learning Leader.  Demonstrates a commitment to ensuring all students are learning through the MYP/DP  frameworks while also supporting  belonging and well-being in the community they serve by co-constructing safe and inclusive environments.

• Student Centered. Inclusive and learner-centered with a demonstrated commitment  to developing authentic connections with students, amplifying student voices, and co-constructing experiences that honor their diverse needs, interests, and identities. 

• Reflective.  Demonstrates self-awareness and makes decisions with transparency and clarity while fostering a culture that values openness to feedback and ensures that feedback leads to meaningful, actionable improvements when needed.

• Community Builder. Actively builds relationships throughout the school community and fosters a culture of trust and belonging that empowers others to share their opinions, take initiative, and lead.