General Information 

Shu Ren International School is a private, Pre-K to 5th grade, coeducational day school in Berkeley, California, USA.  "Shu Ren" comes from a Chinese idiom suggesting the tremendous challenge in educating a whole person.  "Shu" originally means tree, and it also means cultivate, build, and rear.  "Ren" means a person. We chose Shu Ren as the name for our school to represent the mission of our school, which is to take on the challenging task of educating the whole person.

Shu Ren International School is committed to empowering students to become internationally-minded critical thinkers and lifelong learners. Through our engaging, inquiry-based environment students reach their full academic potential and become caring, multilingual, and culturally literate global citizens. 

Shu Ren International School is a bilingual (English/Mandarin) IB World School authorized for the Primary Years Programme (PYP).  Currently, Shu Ren is one of few authorized bilingual (English/Mandarin) IB/PYP schools in the United States.   Shu Ren is also an accredited school by Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC).

We are seeking an individual of integrity and passion who believes in the Shu Ren model and is willing to work hard and collaboratively with the Governing Board, another Co-Head of School, faculty, staff, and parents to lead our school to the next level.

Responsibilities for the position include:

• As a Co-Head of School reporting directly to the CEO of the School’s Parent Organization, and in partnership with the other Co-Head of School, provide leadership and oversight of the School’s day to day and overall operations.
• Primarily responsible for the elementary school, the English curriculum and PYP Programme while partnering with the other Co-Head of School who is primarily responsible for the Early Childhood Program and the Chinese curriculum.
• Develop a strategic vision for leading the school to the highest levels of excellence in all areas of the school’s operations; student outcomes, people management & development, enrollment retention and growth, fiscal and budgetary success. 
• Model the highest ethical, educational and professional standards.
• Recruit and retain excellent faculty, staff and administration.
• Collaborate with the administrative team and faculty to coordinate the development of effective administrative procedures.
• Manage the school’s annual budget set in conjunction with the School’s Governing Board with prudent financial policies, procedures and practices to remain within budget.
• Collaborate and liaise with the various stakeholder groups that comprise the school community.
• Encourage faculty to explore and initiate innovations in teaching practices.

Required Qualifications

• A university degree in education or related fields, preferably a Masters or Doctoral Degree in Educational Administration, Educational Leadership or equivalent
• Demonstrable personal and professional commitment to the ethos of the IB Programmes and knowledge of PYP 
• Familiarity with Chinese history and culture and a strong belief in the value of Shu Ren educational model as a bilingual (English/Mandarin) IB School
• At least three years of experience in a PYP Leadership position in an IB World school
• Strong knowledge of the management functions of an independent school, including finance, admissions, marketing, curriculum development, and faculty recruiting, supervision and retention. 

Preferred Qualifications

• Bilingual in English and Mandarin Chinese
• Experience as a PYP Coordinator

Desired Personal Characteristics

• A passionate, optimistic and dynamic educational leader
• Appreciation of diversity and culturally sensitive and an effective cross-cultural communicator
• Demonstrated kindness, integrity and moral character
• Ability to develop and maintain trust amongst constituent groups
• Warm and respectful to children and adolescents
• Focused on student learning, confident and goal oriented
• A pragmatic, flexible, versatile, and creative entrepreneurial innovator, principled in implementing solutions
• Proactive in analyzing, planning and implementing strategic action
• Consultative in style, leading responsibly and responsively through empowering the administrative team to make balanced, but sometimes difficult decisions
• An inclusive, articulate communicator who listens to and hears the opinions and concerns of community members and is able to address and respond to those opinions and concerns
• A visionary with the ability to embrace the bigger picture while paying appropriate attention to details

Salary and Benefits

Shu Ren International School is committed to attracting and retaining a highly qualified Head of School. The salary and benefits will be commensurate with qualifications and experience of the successful candidate. Benefits include; competitive salary, health insurance, retirement benefits, relocation allowance and others.

Process for Filing an Application

The ideal start time for this position is July 2021. Interested candidates should apply as soon as possible.

Candidates should submit the following information as soon as possible in the format requested:

• A letter of application explaining your educational philosophy, your strengths as a candidate and why you are interested in this particular position
• A current resume including a listing of three referees along with their e-mail addresses and phone numbers

Please note that all the above materials must be scanned into a single PDF file by the name of the applicant and sent to jie.moore@shurenschool.org.

Non-discrimination and equal employment opportunity policy:

Shu Ren International School is committed to equal employment opportunity. The School does not discriminate against any employee or candidate for employment on the basis of race, color, religious creed (including religious beliefs, observance or practice, including religious dress or grooming practices), sex (including gender, gender identity, gender expression, transgender, pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation (including heterosexuality, homosexuality, and bisexuality), national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, military and veteran status, marital status, age, medical condition, genetic characteristics or information, and physical or mental disability, or any other basis protected by local, state or federal laws. This policy applies to all aspects of the employment relationship, including recruitment, hiring, compensation, promotion, benefits, transfer, discipline, and termination. 

Conditions of employment:

Employees must satisfy all the pre-employment requirements prior to appointment, which include, but are not limited to, tuberculosis clearance, fingerprint processing, and verification of their legal right to work in the United States.