Description
Established in 1961, Dakar Academy (DA) is a leading international Christian school system in West Africa that functions under the governance of the International Schools of West Africa (ISWA), providing an evangelical Christian North American-style, college-preparatory education across multiple campuses in Dakar and broader West Africa. ISWA serves families from a wide range of nationalities, cultures, and backgrounds, maintaining a strong legacy of academic excellence, community engagement, and Christ-centered education. DA’s mission, “So All Can Serve,” drives the school’s commitment to supporting ministry workers through accessible, high-quality education, while providing excellent opportunities for all students. DA’s vision emphasizes developing well-rounded students with an evangelical Christian worldview who are equipped for university, leadership, and service.
While DA was founded to serve missionary families, since 1963, the school has also been a trusted educational home for a diverse international community, including expatriate professionals, NGO personnel, diplomatic families, and local families seeking excellent Christian education. This blend of backgrounds strengthens our learning environment, reflects the global context in which our students live, and allows our staff to also function as missionaries. The Superintendent serves as the chief executive officer of ISWA, reporting to the School Board and overseeing strategic, operational, financial, and educational leadership across four campuses and partner co-ops.
The Superintendent is responsible for ensuring organizational health, alignment to mission and vision, and compliance with accreditation and legal standards. The role requires a leader capable of guiding a complex, multi-campus system while maintaining a strong spiritual and academic culture.
The ISWA Board welcomes applications from experienced, mission-aligned educational leaders who are passionate about Christian schooling in a multicultural context. The board seeks a Superintendent who will bring spiritual maturity, strategic leadership, and a heart for serving both missionary and international families as they guide ISWA into its next season of growth and impact. For more information or to submit an application, please contact Robbie Crane at robbie.crane@dakar-academy.org.
Key Leadership Responsibilities
Strategic Leadership
Lead long-range planning, campus development, and organizational growth. Ensure alignment with DA’s mission, vision, and core values. Oversee accreditation processes and continuous school improvement. Execute the Board’s purposes under a policy governance model
Operational Oversight
Supervise administrative teams across all campuses. Manage systems for finance, facilities, human resources, risk mitigation, and compliance. Maintain high standards for academic programming and student services.
Community & Partnership Engagement
Build positive relationships with families, representing mission organizations, international professionals, NGOs, and the local community. Strengthen partnerships that support enrollment, school culture, and long-term stability. Build and sustain donor, mission, and organizational partnerships.
Professional Culture & Excellence
Promote faculty development, leadership growth, and recruitment of high-quality staff. Support data-driven decision-making and evidence-based educational practice. Lead with integrity, transparency, and stewardship of resources.
The successful candidate will demonstrate:
A daily walk with Christ exemplified by authentically loving Jesus, God’s Word, and people everywhere Proven leadership in school administration or organizational leadership. Ability to execute the Board’s purposes. Capacity to manage multi-campus educational systems. Strong communication, relational, and team-building skills. Commitment to organizational excellence, accountability, and Christian education. A servant-leader approach marked by humility, strategic insight, and cultural sensitivity.
Requirements
Essential Qualifications
- A committed follower of Jesus Christ, demonstrating a strong personal faith, biblical worldview, and daily walk with Christ.
- A clear calling to Christian education and a commitment to serving as a Christ-centered role model in attitude, speech, and actions.
- Minimum of 7 years of senior leadership experience in an educational institution or comparable organizational setting.
- Demonstrated experience in organizational leadership, strategic planning, and financial oversight, including budgeting and stewardship of resources.
- Proven ability in faculty and staff recruitment, professional development, leadership development, and retention.
- Strong capacity to foster healthy school culture, community engagement, and effective communication with diverse stakeholders, including families, staff, mission organizations, and board members.
- Passion for integrating faith and learning, ensuring that Christian principles are embedded across all areas of school life.
- Holds minimum a master’s degree from an accredited institution.
- Holds, or is willing to obtain, ACSI Administrator Certification.
- Demonstrates evidence of spiritual leadership within current and previous schools, churches, missions, or organizations.
Desired Qualifications
- Visionary leadership with the ability to translate strategy into effective action.
- Strong financial acumen, including experience with budgeting, financial planning, and fundraising or donor engagement.
- Transparent, thoughtful, and effective communicator across cultures.
- Collaborative leadership style that values faculty, staff, parents, students, and board partnership.
- Sound decision-making skills grounded in biblical wisdom and integrity.
- Ability to navigate complex and cross-cultural challenges while preserving the mission, values, and foundational documents of Dakar Academy (ISWA)
