Skills:
Primary Curriculum Development, Academic Planning & Delivery, School Leadership Collaboration, Assessment & Learning Outcomes, Teacher Upskilling & Coaching, CBSE Academic Standards,
About The Job
Job Title: Head Primary Years (Product Owner - Grades 1-5)
Location: Bengaluru (with frequent travel to branches)
Reports to: Chief Academic Officer (CAO)
Grades Covered: Grades 1-5
Role Summary
We are seeking two mission-driven academic leaders to own and drive the Primary school program across 90+ branches of Orchids International Schools. These are Product Owner roles-you are accountable for delivering an exceptional learning experience from Grades 1-5 by aligning curriculum implementation, infrastructure, retention strategies, teacher enablement, and stakeholder delight.
Your focus is to transform vision into reality-great plans into great classrooms-through strategic oversight, cross-functional collaboration, and on-ground execution in partnership with school coordinators and principals.
Key Responsibilities
Academic Implementation
- Ensure effective curriculum delivery for Early Years and Primary (English, Math, EVS, Languages, Co-curriculars).
- Lead structured teacher training, classroom observations, debriefs, and coordinated interventions.
- Leverage feedback from coordinators and principals to tailor planning, drive excellence, and improve teacher practices.
Infrastructure & Learning Environment
- Spearhead infra upgrades across classrooms, activity rooms, libraries, Digi boards, sports zones, and art labs.
- Conduct regular audits and ensure SOP adherence across all grades.
- Collaborate with zonal heads, principals, and coordinators to close infrastructure and experience gaps.
Admissions & Marketing Enablement
- Strengthen academic storytelling and parent engagement during Grades 1-5 admission cycles.
- Co-design formats and showcases with marketing and academic teams to drive conversions and build trust.
Retention & Dropout Prevention
- Use real-time feedback to identify early exit patterns and develop proactive retention plans.
- Lead school-based events, parent showcases, and personalized interventions to improve satisfaction and trust.
- Address needs of at-risk learners through bridge programs, emotional connect, and counseling support.
Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Partner with curriculum, training, STEM, arts, assessments, and parent engagement teams.
- Operate as a thought partner to school leaders, driving last-mile delivery through influence, insight, and collaboration.
Success Metrics
- % improvement in student learning outcomes
- % of infra audits closed on time
- Parent satisfaction and orientation feedback scores
- Dropout % reduction across Grades 1-5
- Teacher implementation quality and academic audit scores
- Admissions conversion in key entry grades
Ideal Candidate Profile
Skills
- Deep expertise in Early Childhood and Primary education pedagogy
- Strong influencing ability and leadership without authority
- Operational agility and high empathy for on-ground teams
- Strong classroom intuition with structured academic thinking
- Problem-solving mindset with ability to drive change collaboratively
Experience
- 8-15 years in K-12 academic leadership, ideally with experience across multiple schools
- Proven track record of curriculum implementation, infra oversight, and teacher development
- Prior experience working closely with school coordinators and principals for on-ground impact
If youre passionate about shaping the foundation years of education at scale, thrive on both strategy and execution, and love being in classrooms as much as the boardroom-this role is for you.
