Risk Management Director

Overview

The Island School (islandschool.org), a not-for-profit organization based in The Bahamas, was founded to create and support transformational educational experiences with the vision of leadership effecting change, on the island of Eleuthera. The diverse educational initiatives, including our High School Semester and Summer Term, Deep Creek Middle School, Elementary Learning Center, and our Community Engagement and Partnerships, deliver unique educational journeys in conjunction with the authentic and meaningful work our organization undertakes in research and sustainable development at the Cape Eleuthera Institute, our research and innovation hub. We are reimagining what education is for, and redesigning how education is delivered.

Job Summary

The Risk Management Director is essential for continuing to shape the culture around safety and risk across educational programs, our research and initiatives, and our workplace. This role supports achieving our organizational safety objective while taking into account our remote island location. The person in this role serves as a leader for staff across the organization and works with other leaders to strive for continuous improvement and learning. They are responsible for continually updating the school’s policies, procedures, and other key systems that support program and workplace safety. In addition to those broad responsibilities, the Risk Management Director supervises an on-sight medical team and provides direct support for our sea kayak and expeditionary learning programs.

Responsibilities

Risk Management

• Oversee the proactive and ongoing development of strategies to support the school’s safety and risk management goals and mission.
• Responsible for maintaining and improving the key components of our risk management “infrastructure” including: policies and procedures, crisis response plan, and incident reporting system.
• Coordinate our crisis response team, including training, scheduling, and collaborating with our medical team to coordinate evacuations off the island if necessary.
• Coordinate periodic third party safety audits
• Manage the incident reporting data while seeking to maximize learning from incidents and near misses
• Serve as a member of the Department Heads team, including attending weekly meetings
• Serve as a member of the Crisis Response Team, including being a part of the on-call rotation
• Work with other managers and directors to assess risks in their areas and serve as a sounding board for planning new activities/programs in each of those areas
• Work the Risk Management Committee of the Board and serve as a liaison to ensure the Board of Directors stays informed
• Work with the Director of Admissions and other educational program leaders to ensure our risk management strategies are employed before students arrive
• Work with our operations team leaders to plan projects, make decisions about proper equipment, and continue to improve workplace safety

Expeditionary Learning

• Work with the semester leadership team to make sure student expeditions are meeting learning and safety objectives
• Responsible for ordering gear and equipment for expeditions
• Support the Expeditions Coordinator in making sure equipment is in good working order
• Occasionally lead/support sea kayak expeditions (depending on skill set)

Wellness Team

• Supervise our on-site medical team, including a nurse and EMT
• Work with our Wellness Center Manager to continuously improve strategies for caring for the physical and mental health needs of our students, staff, and community while taking into account our remote island location

Other Duties

• Other duties as assigned by your manager. Please note that this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job.

Education, Experience, and Skills

• A demonstrated passion for experiential education and the mission of The Island School
• Compassionate and effective communicator, both written and oral
• Comfortable and confident working across cultures
• Creative problem solver, who can work both independently and collaboratively
• Demonstrated ability to be a strong leader and team player
• Interpersonal skills and versatility to effectively build relationships across a broad spectrum of partners
• 5+ years in the field of experiential/outdoor education, preferably with NOLS, Outward Bound, or similar organization
• 3+ years of management/leadership experience preferred
• Experience with emergency response
• Computer proficiency, including with Microsoft Office and Google Suite
• Expedition experience, in particular sea kayaking, preferred
• Wilderness First Responder (or higher) certification
• Desire and willingness to work and live in a small, rural, mission-driven community
• Patience, flexibility, and a strong sense of humor are a must!

Compensation & Benefits

• Salary commensurate with experience
• Housing on Eleuthera, including utilities and internet
• Comprehensive medical insurance. The school pays 100% of premiums
• Life insurance
• 33 days of paid leave including: 15 vacation days, 11 National Holidays, 7 paid sick days
• Eligibility for matching retirement after two years of service
• Professional development opportunities
• Opportunity to live, work, and learn in a small community surrounded by passionate educators, marine scientists, and blue Bahamian waters

Application

Applicants should submit in pdf the following:

• Cover letter and personal statement
• Current resume/CV
• Three references (to include name, telephone number and email address)
• Submit through our BambooHR hiring portal: https://ceis.bamboohr.com/careers
• Or visit https://islandschool.org/employment/current-openings/
• Applications should be submitted no later than 5:00 pm EST on November 15, 2024

We are a Bahamian equal opportunity employer and preference will be given to suitably qualified Bahamians.

Keywords

Risk ManagementDirectorSafetyEducationLeadershipCrisis ResponseExpeditionary LearningWellnessExperiential EducationCommunicationEmergency ResponseMicrosoft OfficeGoogle SuiteWilderness First Responder