GEMS
Director of Future Schools
- Permanent
- Dubai, United Arab Emirates
- Experience 10 - 15 yrs
- Urgent
Job expiry date: 21/11/2025
Job overview
Date posted
07/10/2025
Location
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Salary
AED 40,000 - 50,000 per month
Compensation
Comprehensive package
Experience
10 - 15 yrs
Seniority
Director
Qualification
Bachelors degree
Expiration date
21/11/2025
Job description
The Director of The Future School at GEMS Metropole School â Motor City is a strategic leadership role responsible for bringing future-ready, enterprise-focused education to life by fostering entrepreneurial thinking, real-world experiences, and student agency. The postholder designs, delivers, and evaluates enterprise and employability programmes aligned with school strategy, leading flagship initiatives such as Enterprise & Employability Week, the Student Careers Fair, and Future School Work Experience, while embedding entrepreneurial learning across curriculum, enrichment, and co-curricular activities. The role line manages the Careers Lead to align career education and enterprise goals, conducts annual programme reviews for relevance, quality, and progression, and provides 1:1 and group coaching to students exploring self-employment or startup ventures, tracking individual progress through enterprise portfolios and coaching goals. Community engagement includes building partnerships with entrepreneurs, incubators, HEIs, and local/international businesses; organising real-world learning opportunities (visits, panels, projects, internships); sourcing and securing sponsorships to support student initiatives and school enterprise programmes; and developing an alumni network to provide mentoring, talks, and work-related opportunities. The Director leads parent engagement via workshops, newsletters, and briefings; ensures clarity on programme goals, student expectations, and future options; collaborates with SLT and staff for consistent messaging; promotes The Future Schoolâs mission, events, and student achievements via social media; and showcases impact using platforms such as GEMS4Life, internal communications, and school media channels. Programme expectations include ensuring all eligible students access enterprise or work-related learning opportunities each year and that student businesses, projects, and portfolios are developed and tracked. Safeguarding compliance requires a UK-enhanced DBS or equivalent police check prior to appointment.
Required skills
Key responsibilities
- Design, deliver, and evaluate enterprise and employability programmes aligned with school strategy to develop studentsâ skills, confidence, and pathways into employment or self-employment.
- Lead flagship initiatives including Enterprise & Employability Week, the Student Careers Fair, and Future School Work Experience to provide real-world exposure and opportunities.
- Embed entrepreneurial learning across curriculum, enrichment, and co-curricular activities to foster student agency and practical enterprise experience.
- Line manage the Careers Lead to ensure alignment of career education with enterprise goals and coordinated delivery across the school.
- Conduct annual programme reviews to assess relevance, quality, progression, and impact, and implement improvements accordingly.
- Provide 1:1 and group coaching to students exploring startup ventures or self-employment and track progress through enterprise portfolios and coaching goals.
- Build partnerships with entrepreneurs, incubators, HEIs, and businesses to secure visits, panels, projects, internships, and other real-world learning opportunities.
- Source and secure sponsorships to support student initiatives and school enterprise programmes, ensuring sustainable programme funding.
- Develop and maintain an alumni network to provide mentoring, talks, and work-related opportunities that enhance student outcomes.
- Lead parent engagement through workshops, newsletters, and briefings to clarify programme goals, expectations, and future options.
- Collaborate with SLT and staff to ensure consistent messaging and integration of enterprise across school life and strategic priorities.
- Promote The Future Schoolâs mission, events, and student achievements via social media and showcase impact through GEMS4Life and internal channels.
- Ensure all eligible students access enterprise or work-related learning opportunities annually, and that student businesses, projects, and portfolios are developed and tracked.
Experience & skills
- Demonstrate proven experience in enterprise, youth entrepreneurship, or future skills education relevant to programme leadership.
- Hold a qualification in business, education, or enterprise leadership (or equivalent) supporting programme design and delivery.
- Exhibit understanding of mentoring, start-up culture, innovation, and student agency to guide entrepreneurial learning.
- Show experience working with partners, funders, and sponsors and familiarity with employment trends and the evolving world of work.
- Possess strong interpersonal and coaching capabilities and be an effective communicator and confident public speaker.
- Demonstrate high-level organisation, planning, and reporting skills, attention to detail, and the readiness to drive innovation and impact.
- Satisfy GEMS Education safeguarding: UK-enhanced DBS or equivalent police check is a pre-requisite for appointment.
