Head of Early Years

Job Title: Head of Early Years (Product Owner – Pre-Primary)Location: Bengaluru (with frequent travel to branches)Reports to: Chief Academic Officer (CAO)Grades Covered: Pre-Nursery to K2Role SummaryWe are seeking a mission-driven academic leader to own and drive the Pre-Primary school program across 90+ branches of Orchids International Schools. This is a Product Owner role - you are accountable for delivering an exceptional learning experience for Pre Primary grades 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 ResponsibilitiesAcademic Implementation- Ensure effective curriculum delivery for Early Years. - 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 Pre-Primary 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 Pre-Primary - Teacher implementation quality and academic audit scores - Admissions conversion in key entry gradesIdeal Candidate ProfileSkills- Deep expertise in Early Childhood 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 collaborativelyExperience- 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 impactIf you’re 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.