Head / Pedagogical Director – ISR International School on the Rhine Kindergarten Düsseldorf

An outstanding opportunity for an experienced, dynamic leader to lead teaching and learning, as well as the day to day running, of a thriving Kindergarten of 110 pupils in a high-achieving, academically-focussed school.

ISR International School on the Rhine is very distinctive among European international schools. Within an inclusive and holistic education environment, it focuses strongly and boldly on academic achievement and preparing students for admission to top universities worldwide. ISR aims to produce multilingual students who have excellent academic results, are equipped with critical thinking and logical reasoning skills, and have a love of learning and a commitment to being active and responsible global citizens – ‘We enable great minds and strong characters’ is the guiding principle at ISR. Across all its programmes, ISR’s results are well above the German and global averages.

ISR is located at the heart of the Düsseldorf-Neuss-Meerbusch region of North Rhine-Westphalia, with its main 140,000 square metre campus in the picturesque and historic city of Neuss. There are Kindergartens in Düsseldorf and Meerbusch and an Elementary School campus will open in Düsseldorf in 2026. The school has more than 1,000 students from 60 nationalities and 200 staff – giving a whole-school staff: student ratio of 6:1. ISR is committed to this size – big enough to support a wide range of academic and extracurricular opportunities, small enough for the connections and relationships that help students to thrive.

The Proprietor, Peter Soliman, operates ISR with a lean leadership structure, effective decision-making, a fast-paced environment and resources focused on the continued development of teaching and learning, professional development and outstanding facilities.

ISR is seeking an Early Years specialist with maturity and commitment, a strong record of pedagogical leadership, and most likely with international experience (although candidates coming out of national systems, the UK in particular, may be appropriate if they can demonstrate the mindset and personality for a role in such an international environment). The successful candidate will be comfortable collaborating, inputting and, when necessary, compromising in a dynamic, proprietorial environment. As well as having expertise in Early Years leadership and pedagogy, the Head /Pedagogical Director will possess outstanding communication skills, be outward facing, relish working closely with colleagues (including the CEO), and align strongly and enthusiastically with the overall ethos of ISR, including ‘It’s Cool to be Good’ and ‘Great Minds-Strong Characters.’

The incoming Head /Pedagogical Director will need to be able to provide the sort of strong and clear leadership that will enable the Kindergarten to maintain and build its profile in Düsseldorf. This will be essential for admissions to the Kindergarten, and until ISR’s Düsseldorf campus opens, it will be the Kindergarten that ‘flies the flag’ for ISR in the city. This will require the Kindergarten to have an increasingly strong public image and a Head /Pedagogical Director who is enthusiastic about engaging more widely in the community. When the Düsseldorf school opens, the new challenge will be to ensure that the Kindergarten can provide a seamless transition into both elementary schools.

ISR will offer a highly competitive package to the successful candidate. The position is to start January 2026 (or as soon as possible afterwards).

For a preliminary, confidential conversation with Jean Sullivan, Head of International Search, please contact JeanSullivan@rsacademics.com with a copy of your CV/résumé. 

The deadline for applications is Tuesday 21 October 2025 at 10:00 (UK) / 11:00 (Germany).

Preliminary interviews with RSAcademics may commence before the applications deadline and the school reserves the right to appoint a candidate in advance of the intended timeline; early applications are therefore encouraged.

To apply, candidates should complete an application form electronically and submit it to RSAcademics, together with a letter of application, CV/résumé, and completed data sharing agreement. Please click the Apply Now link on the right side of this page. You will be taken to an online portal where you will be able to download the application materials.

Please follow the instructions provided to complete your application. Guidance on the letter of application can be found in the candidate information. Please make sure your letter is tailored to this role; an application letter that is largely generic is discouraged and may lead to your application not being considered.

Should you have any queries relating to uploading your application documents, please contact Alison Hooper, Project Coordinator, at applications@rsacademics.com. Alison can also be reached by calling +44 (0) 204 6269 791.

ISR International School on the Rhine is committed to safeguarding and promoting the wellbeing of all our students, and we expect all staff to share this commitment. We follow safer recruitment practices according to international standards. All applicants must be willing to undergo child protection screening, including checks with past employers and international child protection authorities; safeguarding-related questions will be asked throughout this appointment process.

The safeguarding responsibilities of the role are indicated in the candidate information.

RSAcademics is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and to promoting diversity and inclusion in schools.