School Manager 1132 views

Location:        Bijilo, The Gambia (on-site)

Reports to:     Co-Directors

Oversees:      All teaching and support staff

Apply to:         info@joyacademygambia.com or WhatsApp +220 718 9966

About JOY Academy

JOY Academy is a private early-years school serving children from Daycare through KG3 in Bijilo, The Gambia. We provide a nurturing, high-quality learning environment supported by a small, dedicated team of educators and support staff. Our co-directors operate strategically, including remotely, so we depend on strong, trustworthy leadership on the ground.

Role Summary

The School Manager is the senior on-site leader responsible for running the school day to day. Operations, finances, academics, staff, and parent relationships all sit under this role. This person is the central link between the school community and the co-directors, and is trusted to lead the full team with warmth, accountability, and sound independent judgment.

Key Responsibilities

Operations & Administration

• Oversee the daily running of the school, ensuring a safe, clean, and well-functioning environment
• Maintain accurate records of enrollment, attendance, and student information
• Manage school supplies, equipment, and vendor relationships
• Oversee security and facilities, including surveillance and access systems

Academic Leadership

• Supervise the delivery of the curriculum across all year groups (Daycare to KG3)
• Support and mentor teachers on lesson planning, classroom practice, and child development
• Monitor learning quality and ensure age-appropriate, engaging instruction
• Uphold child safeguarding standards in every classroom and activity
• Organize the academic calendar, assessments, and school events

Financial Management

• Track daily income and expenses, and maintain organized financial records
• Manage fee collection and follow up on outstanding payments
• Coordinate payroll preparation and disbursement in line with co-director approval
• Provide regular petty cash summaries and flag discrepancies promptly

Staff Leadership

• Supervise all teaching and support staff, including scheduling and attendance
• Foster a positive, professional, and collaborative team culture
• Lead recruitment, onboarding, and performance management
• Coordinate staff coverage and resolve day-to-day issues

Parent & Community Relations

• Serve as the first point of contact for parents and prospective families
• Handle enrollment inquiries, tours, and registration
• Communicate clearly and professionally, escalating significant matters as needed
• Build trust and a welcoming atmosphere within the school community

Reporting & Coordination

• Provide regular updates to the co-directors on operations, finances, academics, and staffing
• Escalate significant issues promptly and exercise sound judgment on urgent matters
• Maintain strict confidentiality and act with integrity in all school affairs

Requirements

• Proven experience in school administration, operations, or management (education sector preferred)
• Demonstrated leadership ability with the capacity to manage a full team
• Strong organizational and record-keeping skills
• Comfort with excel, google doc and sheets
• Excellent communication skills in English; fluency in Wolof and/or Mandinka a strong advantage
• Reliability, discretion, and the ability to work independently under remote oversight
• Comfort with digital tools (email, spreadsheets, messaging, basic accounting software)
• A genuine commitment to early childhood education and child safeguarding

Desirable

• Background or qualification in early childhood education
• Experience working with international or remotely-managed organizations
• Familiarity with QuickBooks or similar accounting software

What We Offer

• A meaningful leadership role at the heart of a growing school
• A supportive team and the trust to run operations independently
• Competitive compensation, commensurate with experience

Apply to:         info@joyacademygambia.com  

Deadline: June 26, 2026