Strategy Delivery, Head

Salary: between 103.800 - 129.750 Euro gross annually (incl. 8% holiday allowance)

Job Type: Full-Time

Contract: Permanent (initial contract 12 months)

Location: IB (International Baccalaureate®) Global Centre, The Hague

Hybrid working opportunity

As a senior member of the Strategy team, theStrategy Development & Delivery Headisresponsibleforpartneringwith seniorexecutivesandmanagingateam of 2-3 Development & Delivery Managers to advance the organization’s strategy towards a flourishing future.

This role is a critical member of the Strategy Development & Delivery team within the IB, which is responsiblefordefiningorganizationalstrategy, translating them into measurable outcomes,shapingstrategicplanstoachieve them, and supporting execution to achieve our ambition.

Working in close partnership with the Chief Education Office, the role translates the IB's education priorities (curriculum, pedagogy, assessment and learning experience) into strategic choices and initiatives. In light of the major digital transformations taking place at the IB, this person will also play a critical role in reshaping the digital landscape of our IB ecosystem and bring an informed, practical view on how technology can scale educational impact.

Success in this role is grounded in strong strategic judgement, expert-level problem solving skills, and deep digital expertise. With a deep understanding of education, organizational dynamics, exposure to digital transformations, the Strategy Development & Delivery Head navigates institutional complexity, anticipates risks and interdependencies, and enables senior leaders to make informed decisions. They combine analytical rigor with pragmatic implementation planning, ensuring that strategy is not only well designed, but can be effectively realized.

All members of the Strategy team embody three integrated profiles essential to success, and the Strategy Development & Delivery Head, is expected to consistently role model and coach these behaviors:

• Navigator – Builds and leverages deep contextual, institutional, and stakeholder knowledge to move effectively within the IB’s complex landscape, aligning diverse perspectives around shared outcomes.
• Problem Solver – Applies agility, structured thinking, and analytical insight to tackle emerging challenges, resolve delivery barriers, and adapt plans in response to change.
• Conductor – Uses strong programme and portfolio management and delivery expertise to run the delivery engine with discipline, clarity, and pace—ensuring accountability, progress, and results.

The Strategy Delivery Head is a trusted advisor to senior leaders and a critical enabler of the IB’s transformation agenda, helping ensure that strategy, digital ambition, and execution capacity remain tightly aligned as the organization evolves for the future.

• Develop and lead the successful delivery of strategic initiatives with a focus on the education department and content, including strong digital dependencies and enablement (~50% of focus)

• Incubate and assess readiness of initiatives ensuring best practices are in place from the outset
• Act as a situational initiative leader — structured, planful, and proactive — alongside initiative core leadership team driving continuous progress and acceleration
• Be actively present as a full member of the project team during execution, leveraging consulting skills to challenge, problem-solve, and optimize the solution in real time
• Identify the strategic partnership and project management support each initiative needs on an ongoing basis, and allocate team resources accordingly
• Take the lead personally in the most complex and/or highest priority areas (e.g. strategic visioning for early-stage initiatives; planning for costly and high-risk priorities)
• Ensure initiatives receive the support they need to succeed — coaching team members to be effective partners and problem solvers, and stepping in to de-bottleneck when necessary
• Engage as a thought partner to initiative sponsors (Chief or Director level) to jointly address risks and plan significant course corrections
• Focus on ensuring initiative outcomes are aligned and impactful, maintaining a 'guiding star' orientation to prevent drift

• Support and enable strategy development and organizational planning, including acting as the Strategic Partner to the Chief Education Officer to support their office and deliver the outcomes of the IB's strategy (~25% of focus)

• Develop a deep understanding of the strategic objectives of their driver and align digital focus and capabilities of the organization
• Act as the primary strategy counterpart to the senior executives in Education office — brainstorming, problem-solving delivery challenges, identifying opportunities, and scoping new initiatives to achieve desired outcomes
• Regularly evaluate the portfolio of initiatives to manage dependencies and ensure they are on track to meet strategic outcomes as a whole
• Identify topics requiring engagement from strategy governance groups (within the Strategy Delivery System)
• Facilitate collaboration across initiatives/projects to ensure alignment toward shared goals; including active involvement and collaboration with Strategy Delivery Head peers
• Provide senior cover and support in navigating the IB Organization, acting as a visible champion of the strategy vision across the organization
• Actively communicate strategy vision and activities to the broader IB Organization on an ad hoc basis and via a deliberate communications strategy
• Work with the Education Office to develop their future Strategies – including considering distant opportunities and developing new offers.
• Support the development of insights and reporting across the IB and up to the Board on Education office and digital matters.
• Support annual organizational planning and prioritization processes
• Undertake strategic analysis, research, and planning aligned to departmental priorities
• Provide budget and management oversight across all strategic initiatives within remit
• Contribute to the IB's strategic development as a senior member of the Strategy Development & Delivery team — synthesizing insights from delivery to inform future strategy

• Lead and develop a team of 2–3 strategy delivery managers (~20% of focus)

• Foster a culture of high-quality delivery, partnership, and problem-solving through critical thinking and influence
• Role model and actively coach the team on the Strategy team's shared mantras and ways of working
• Ensure direct reports have quantifiable performance and development objectives; coach and develop each team member consistently
• Provide strategic oversight across the team's portfolio — including incubation support for new initiatives and turnaround support where needed
• Actively build team harmony, effectiveness, and contribution through deliberate people leadership

• Build and support the Strategy Delivery System (SDS) (~5% of focus)

• Take ownership of the governance and systems that underpin the Strategy Delivery System (SDS); actively own this with your peers
• Continuously improve the tools, frameworks, and processes used by the team to manage and monitor strategy delivery
• Ensure growth, learning, and contribution from the team through the SDS

Experience

Proventrackrecordofsuccessfullyworkingina strategyrolewithseniorexecutives (ideally C-suite or Board level),andleadinga strategic initiative / project team (e.g. management consulting roles, corporate strategy roles)

Proven track record in strategy development, not only delivery: framing problems, building options and business cases, and securing executive decisions

Proventrackrecordofsuccessfullydeliveringcomplexportfoliosofstrategicinitiatives.

Experience in education (e.g. school systems, curriculum or assessment bodies, education non-profits, edtech, or education consulting), with a credible understanding of how schools, teachers and learners experience change.

Experience of technology in education or technology strategy more broadly (e.g. digital learning platforms, AI in teaching, learning and assessment, data and digital products), enough to challenge and prioritise technology-enabled initiatives; hands-on technical delivery is not required

Qualifications

Educationalbackgroundinbusiness,strategy, education, technology,orarelatedfield;MBA, Master's in Education, Technology or equivalent (including equivalent experience)isdesirable.

Knowledge

• Deepunderstandingofstrategic planning, strategy development, and project / portfolio managementmethodologies.
• Strongdataanalysisskills,withtheabilitytoderiveinsightsanddrivedecisions.
• Proficiencyinprojectmanagementsoftwareandtools, and comfort using data and AI-enabled tools to accelerate analysis and synthesis.
• Strong understanding of the international education landscape: curriculum, pedagogy and assessment, school and teacher needs, and policy and market trends (familiarity with the IB continuum is an advantage)
• Desirable: working knowledge of education technology and AI trends, enough to evaluate opportunities and risks (e.g. data privacy, ethics, academic integrity) and build / buy / partner options

Soft skills

StrategicLeadership:Exceptionalabilitytoinspireinitiativeteamsandleadersacrossthe organization, getting people excited about a vision for change and their role in it

Changeleadership:hasdiplomacyandinfluencingskillstodrivechangethroughothers,andthe courage to ask uncomfortable questions

Sharedleadershipandco-creation:givesrecognitiontoothersandisorientedtowardsserving others to empower them to succeed.

Relationshipbuilding:Abletoquicklybuildtrustandcredibilityasaleaderwithdiverse stakeholders who have very different experiences, contexts and expertise

Impactorientation:abletoseethebiggerpictureandprioritizethemostimportantdiscussions versus getting lost in details

Complexproblemsolving:Stronganalyticalandproblem-solvingskills,capableofnavigating and resolving complex issues.

Strategic thinking: frames ambiguous problems, builds hypotheses and options, and synthesises evidence into clear choices with long-term implications

Trusted advisor: earns credibility with senior Education leaders and subject-matter experts; brings a point of view and challenges constructively while respecting their expertise

Listeningskills:abletolistenactivelyandcompassionately,andreceiveandactonchallenging, often conflicting feedback

Communication:Excellentverbalandwrittencommunicationskills, includingabilitytostructure complex information / difficult decisions and communicate sensitively to diverse audiences (including Board and executive-level materials)

Adaptability:Quicklearner (able to build working knowledge of new education and technology domains quickly)withtheabilitytoadapttochangingconditionsandcontinuously improve processes

Situational leadership: able to lead and develop a team, adapting style (directing, coaching, delegating) to the individual, the initiative's maturity and the context; leads through influence where there is no formal authority

In addition to your salary, we offer an attractive range of benefits including:

employer pension contribution

25 Days annual leave, plus public holidays, with the choice to buy up to 5 days additional annual leave

Life assurance

Flexible working hours

Excellent continuous professional development

2.5% Flexible benefits allowance

Diversity and Inclusion Statement: We are committed to building a working environment that values respect, diversity, and compassion. The International Baccalaureate is proud to be an equal opportunities employer and we welcome applications from all suitably qualified applicants.