The Centre Director has the overall responsibility for ensuring the delivery of a safe, structured and high-quality programme. This involves participating in, overseeing and checking every aspect of the course such as administration, operations, student welfare, staffing, teaching & learning and the activities and social programme. You will be responsible for upholding the reputation and good name of Bede’s and will be expected to put the needs of the school and its students first at all times.
Working very closely with the Academic Manager, Welfare Manager, Activities Manager and Administrator, you will have excellent interpersonal skills and will be able to build a team of positive and motivated staff members who will take responsibility, both individually and collectively, for the smooth running of the course and for physical and mental well-being of the students. You will have proven management experience and will lead and manage your team dynamically, professionally and fairly.
The Centre Director has direct and regular contact not only with the centre managers, staff and students, but also with the many other stakeholders connected with the Summer School. These include parents, agents and group leaders and there will be constant communication with Head Office. As such, the ability to communicate with clarity and professionalism is essential.
The working day is extremely varied and no two days are the same. The Centre Director’s office is the nerve centre of the Summer School and it can be busy and intense, especially during student free time and on arrival and departure days, when many things can be happening at once. There will be issues and problems to resolve, constant interruptions from staff, students and visitors, paperwork to complete, phone calls to take and meetings to attend. In spite of this busy environment and the hectic nature of the job, the Centre Director is expected to ensure high standards are maintained, deal promptly with any incidents or issues and to anticipate any potential problems. As such, close attention to all aspects of the day-to-day running of the school is essential.
Each manager will have their own area of responsibility but they must also work transparently and cohesively to ensure the success of the course as a whole. It is the responsibility of the Centre Director to ensure that the whole course, as well as every individual aspect of it, meets the expected standards and requirements of the Summer School Principal and of the British Council.
The day will be long, tiring and often quite challenging due to physical and mental pressures of the job, but it will also be extremely varied, spontaneous and fast-moving and you will feel a real sense of achievement, camaraderie and teamwork at the end of course.
