Overview

GEMS WELLINGTON ACADEMY – AL KHAIL
Job Description
GEMS Wellington Academy – Al Khail is seeking to appoint an outstanding Director of Sport from August 2026.
The Director of Sport provides strategic leadership for the school’s sporting provision, delivering a high-performance programme that promotes excellence, participation and wellbeing. The role focuses on developing elite athlete pathways, overseeing competitive and recreational sport, and positioning the school as a leading sporting institution locally and internationally.
Key Responsibilities:
- Lead the development and implementation of the whole-school sport strategy.
- Promote a culture of excellence, participation and wellbeing across all year groups.
- Develop elite athlete pathways in Tennis, Swimming and Football.
- Manage sports scholarships, including recruitment and performance monitoring.
- Oversee all competitive squads, fixtures and competitions (Year 3–Year 13).
- Ensure compliance with DASSA, DSG and BSME regulations.
- Provide a broad and inclusive recreational sports and ECA programme.
- Lead the organisation of national and international sports tours and events.
- Build and manage partnerships with external academies and providers.
- Oversee sports facilities, resources, budgets and equipment.
- Track participation and performance data to support athlete development.
- Develop student leadership opportunities within sport.
- Lead and support the PE and coaching staff team
Skills
- Proven leadership experience in a school or high-performance sports environment.
- Strong knowledge of athlete development pathways and sports programme design.
- Experience managing large-scale sports provision and external partnerships.
- Excellent communication, organisational and interpersonal skills.
- Ability to inspire both participation and elite performance.
- Relevant degree in Sport Science, Physical Education or a related field.
- Coaching qualifications and further leadership training desirable.
GEMS Education is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all of its students and staff. A UK-enhanced DBS or equivalent police check is a pre-requisite for all appointments.
Preferred Candidate
Mid Career – Over 2 years experience
About GEMS Education
Trusted for over 55 years and now a third generation education family, GEMS Education began in a single school room in Dubai. Today, we have the privilege of educating over 190,000 students from over 176 countries through GEMS owned and managed schools globally; over 270,000 students access resources through our services division; and we will impact 20 million by 2020 students through the initiatives of our Charity partner Varkey Foundation.
