Zurich International School: Director of Inclusion and Challenge
Zurich International School is an inclusive non-profit day school in the Greater Zurich area, dedicated to providing comprehensive bilingual and international educational programs for both local and international students aged 3 to 18.
Position Overview
The Director of Inclusion and Challenge plays a critical role in developing personalized, inclusive, and appropriately challenging learning experiences for all ZIS students. As a strategic leader, this individual oversees a well-established learning support, English as an Additional Language (EAL), and allied services, implementing two key whole-school initiatives:
- Developing a coherent approach to challenge and differentiation for high-ability learners.
- Designing data systems that facilitate the wise, ethical, and effective use of evidence to enhance learning outcomes.
This role will provide cross-campus guidance to ensure consistent, equitable, and aligned student support programming and serve as a key advisor to the Leadership Team regarding inclusion, challenge, and well-being. Initially, this position is defined as a two-year role, with the potential for its scope to evolve as the challenge and data systems mature.
Key Responsibilities
1. Strategic Leadership & Program Development
- Lead and align Student Support Services across campuses, including learning support, EAL, counseling, and psychological services to ensure equitable access and high-quality delivery.
- Oversee the admissions process for students with previously identified learning variations.
- Maintain coherence across divisions through regular campus visits, faculty meetings, and program evaluations.
- Ensure student support programming reflects the ZIS Mission and curricular goals, contributing meaningfully to whole-child learning.
- Research and promote best practices in inclusion, challenge, and student wellness.
- Design and implement school-wide systems for identifying, tracking, and addressing individual learner needs, such as IEPs and screening tools.
- Chair crisis management and counseling teams, leading initiatives to strengthen our holistic response to student needs.
- Stay informed about educational trends and research to drive innovation and instructional practices.
2. Challenge & Differentiation Leadership
- Develop and oversee a mission-aligned approach to academic challenge, ensuring high-ability students are engaged within an inclusive framework.
- Embed differentiated teaching and learning practices across grade levels through coaching and faculty development.
- Collaborate with divisional principals and curriculum leaders to integrate challenge into curriculum planning and pedagogy.
3. Educational Data & Evidence-Informed Practice
- Build systems for gathering and analyzing learning data to inform teaching and intervention practices.
- Partner with divisional and curricular leaders to ensure data systems support instructional decision-making and long-term school improvement.
- Approach data critically, aligning with ZIS values by prioritizing student growth and well-being.
4. Leadership of Personnel & Operations
- Supervise and appraise student support faculty and program leaders, focusing on hiring, performance evaluations, and professional development.
- Coordinate professional development initiatives concentrated on inclusive education, advanced learning, and social-emotional wellness.
- Manage the departmental budget, ensuring effective resource allocation across programs and campuses.
- Maintain and regularly update handbooks, manuals, and policies related to student support and inclusion.
5. Communication, Collaboration, and Community Engagement
- Serve as a collaborative leader across campuses, engaging regularly with support staff, faculty, and families.
- Ensure transparency in communication with all constituencies regarding strategic plans and program updates.
- Represent Student Support Services within the Senior Leadership Team and in external forums when appropriate.
- Maintain and update the Student Support section of the ZIS website to reflect current programs and guidance for families.
- Cultivate a network of local educational professionals to enhance internal services with external expertise.
Required Skills and Qualifications
- Demonstrated expertise in differentiated instruction, inclusion, and curriculum leadership across preschool to grade 12.
- Proven leadership experience in international school contexts, including system-level or cross-divisional coordination.
- Deep understanding of Universal Design for Learning, multi-tiered systems of support, and student well-being needs.
- Track record of designing and implementing educational data systems.
- Experience supervising staff and leading multidisciplinary teams.
- Strong facilitation, coaching, and adult learning skills.
- Excellent organizational, communication, and digital literacy skills.
- Master’s degree in Special Education (or related specialist certification); minimum five years of leadership experience preferred.
Apply online using the form below. Only applications matching the job profile will be considered.