Head: Advtech Schools Sport

The Academic Centre of Excellence (ACE) represents a transformative milestone for Advtech. Conceived as a centralised, future-focused hub, ACE brings together key aspects of the academic value chain into an integrated ecosystem that fuses academic governance, teaching innovation, digital transformation, and institutional research advancement.

Through ACE, Advtech will amplify its academic edge by leveraging the rich expertise and capabilities across its extensive network of schools and tertiary institutions. The centre will provide a unified structure for academic governance, accreditation, and quality assurance, while delivering seamless EdTech integration, advanced data analytics, academic development initiatives, and institutional research. The outcome is a stronger, smarter, and more agile academic ecosystem that benefits around 100 000 students and 9 000 academic staff across South Africa and the rest of the continent.

ACE Schools are excited to invite applications for the role of Head: Advtech Schools Sport. Based at The IIE’s head office in Sandton, this role will support the ACE School team.

The purpose of the job:

We are seeking an experienced, innovative, and inspirational Group Head of Sport to provide strategic leadership for sport across our school group.

The successful candidate will be responsible for developing and implementing a future-focused sport strategy, aligned to the various school brand value propositions, that promotes participation, excellence, student well-being, and talent development across all schools. The role will focus on driving consistency, quality, and innovation in sport while supporting schools to deliver exceptional sporting experiences and outcomes.

In addition to leading sport strategy, the Group Head of Sport will play a key role in the professional development of sports staff and the creation of learning programmes, courses, and resources that build capability across the group.

Reporting to:

The successful candidate will report to the Executive: Advtech Schools Academics

**Main Outputs and Responsibilities for this Position:**Strategic Leadership

• Develop and implement a group-wide sport strategy, incorporating brand nuances and aligned with the organisation's vision and educational objectives.
• Establish and maintain a consistent sporting philosophy, standards, and expectations across all schools.
• Drive innovation and continuous improvement in sport programmes and practices.
• Monitor and report on participation, performance, and impact to support data-informed decision making.
• Identify emerging trends and opportunities within school sport to ensure the organisation remains a leader in the sector.

Sports Programme Development

• Lead the development and implementation of high-quality sporting programmes across all phases and schools.
• Ensure appropriate participation, development, and high-performance pathways for students.
• Support schools in offering inclusive, engaging, and competitive sporting opportunities.
• Benchmark programmes against national and international best practice.

Training, Professional Development and Course Design

• Develop and implement a group-wide sport training and professional development strategy.
• Facilitate workshops, conferences, and learning communities for sport staff.
• Establish coaching standards and support capability development across schools.
• Lead the design and delivery of sport-related courses and learning programmes.
• Develop practical resources, toolkits, and training materials for schools and stakeholders.
• Collaborate with experts to create relevant, high-quality learning content.
• Monitor and continuously improve the impact of training and development initiatives.

Talent Identification and Athlete Development

• Develop and oversee talent identification frameworks and athlete development pathways.
• Support schools in nurturing elite performers while maintaining holistic student development.
• Establish partnerships with sporting federations, clubs, universities, and development organisations.
• Promote athlete well-being, leadership, and long-term development.

Leadership, Stakeholder Engagement, Governance and Operations

• Provide leadership, coaching, and support to school-based sport teams.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with key internal and external stakeholders.
• Represent and promote the organisation at sporting events and industry forums.
• Develop and implement sport policies, standards, and best practices across the group.
• Support schools with planning, resources, budgets, and operational effectiveness.
• Ensure compliance with health, safety, safeguarding, and risk management requirements.
• Provide strategic reporting and insights to senior leadership.

Minimum Requirements

Qualification:

• Bachelor's Degree in Sport Management, Sport Science, Education, Human Movement Studies, or a related field.
• Postgraduate qualification advantageous.

Experience:

• Minimum of 10 years' experience in sport leadership, management, or programme development.
• Demonstrated leadership experience within a school, educational, sporting, or high-performance environment.
• Experience leading teams and managing multiple stakeholders.
• Strong project management and organisational skills.
• Exceptional communication, presentation, and facilitation skills
• Valid driver's licence and willingness to travel nationally and internationally.
• Experience within the independent school sector.
• Experience at a provincial, national, or high-performance sport level.
• Experience designing and facilitating professional learning programmes.
• Experience developing online and blended learning courses.
• Experience managing budgets, resources, and large-scale projects.
• Knowledge of governance, compliance, and risk management within sport.

Advtech Group is committed to employment equity and encourages applications from designated groups.