DEPUTY HEAD ACADEMIC
Exceptional Leadership Opportunity | International Heritage School | Japan

Job Title
Deputy Head Academic

Location
Japan

Salary Range and Package Details
This is a highly competitive, internationally benchmarked package commensurate with experience and designed to attract candidates of the highest calibre. The remuneration package includes:
* Competitive tax-advantaged salary

* Housing allowance or accommodation provided

* Annual flights home

* Comprehensive international health insurance

* Contribution to tuition fees for dependent children (subject to school policy)

* Professional development support

* End-of-contract gratuity

Start Date
August 2026

About the School
This is a rare opportunity to join one of Japan’s most distinguished international schools — a heritage institution with a long-standing reputation for academic excellence, cultural depth, and a genuine commitment to holistic education. The school occupies a proud place in the international education landscape, having served the expatriate and internationally-minded community for many decades.

The school offers a rigorous British-style curriculum framework, with students progressing through internationally recognised qualifications at IGCSE and A Level. The programme is enriched by the school’s unique cultural context, blending the precision and high expectations of a British academic tradition with the values, rigour, and respect deeply embedded in Japanese society.

The school is fully co-educational and serves students from Early Years through to Sixth Form. Class sizes are deliberately kept small to allow for individualised attention, and teaching standards are consistently high. Staff are well-supported, professionally respected, and expected to model a love of learning both inside and outside the classroom.

Who Thrives Here
This school is an ideal environment for educators who are intellectually curious, culturally sensitive, and genuinely motivated by the craft of teaching. You will thrive here if you are a collaborative leader who leads by example — someone who inspires colleagues as much as students, who values tradition without being resistant to innovation, and who finds energy in a high-expectations environment.

Candidates who demonstrate a strong pastoral ethic alongside academic rigour, who are comfortable operating with a degree of autonomy, and who have a genuine appreciation for the extraordinary opportunity that living and working in Japan represents, will find this a deeply rewarding appointment.

Location
Appi Kogen is one of Japan’s finest ski resorts, set in the mountains of Iwate Prefecture in the Tohoku region of northern Honshu. Renowned for exceptional snow quality and a season stretching from November through May, it offers over 20 courses across a stunning volcanic landscape. The resort is equally appealing in summer, with hiking, cycling, and golf drawing visitors year-round. Easily accessible via Shinkansen to nearby Morioka, and within reach of the UNESCO World Heritage site at Hiraizumi, Appi Kogen delivers a world-class mountain experience that remains refreshingly uncrowded by international standards.

Required Qualifications
* A recognised teaching qualification (PGCE, BEd, or equivalent)

* A relevant undergraduate degree, ideally at 2:1 level or above

* Significant and demonstrable experience in a senior academic leadership role (Head of Department, Assistant Head, or equivalent minimum)

* Proven track record of raising standards and driving whole-school academic improvement

* Substantial experience teaching within a British curriculum school, including at IGCSE and A Level

* Master’s degree in Education or a related field is desirable

* Experience working within a boarding school environment is essential


Essential Skills
* Outstanding classroom practitioner with the ability to model and support excellent teaching across the school

* Proven curriculum leadership experience, including timetabling, academic policy development, and assessment frameworks

* Strong data literacy and the ability to use academic performance data to drive school improvement

* Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to motivate, challenge, and support colleagues effectively

* Experience of leading, managing, and developing teaching staff through appraisal, coaching, and CPD

* Ability to build strong relationships with students, parents, and the wider school community

* Strategic thinker with the capacity to contribute meaningfully to whole-school leadership and planning

* A collaborative and solutions-focused approach to leadership challenges

* A clear understanding of boarding school life and the unique pastoral and safeguarding responsibilities it carries, with demonstrable experience of contributing positively to a boarding community


Safeguarding Skills and Qualities Required
Our client school is wholly committed to the safeguarding and welfare of all students in its care. All candidates must demonstrate a clear and genuine commitment to child protection and safer recruitment. The following qualities are essential:
* A thorough and up-to-date knowledge of safeguarding legislation and best practice, including an understanding of internationally relevant frameworks

* Commitment to upholding and promoting the school’s safeguarding and child protection policies at all times

* The ability to recognise potential indicators of abuse or neglect and a clear understanding of the duty to report

* Cultural sensitivity and an awareness of how safeguarding considerations may manifest differently across international contexts

* A professional and measured approach when handling sensitive information relating to students and families

* Experience of contributing to safer recruitment processes and safer school culture
Willingness to complete all required safeguarding training and maintain currency of knowledge throughout appointment