Job Description

About Woodstock School:
Woodstock School, founded in 1854 and set high in the Indian Himalaya, invites applications for the position of Principal. As one of Asia's oldest and most distinctive international residential schools, Woodstock is rooted in its Christian heritage and guided by Our Calling to pursue a holistic, whole-person education. Here, academics, arts, athletics, outdoor learning, service and community life are woven together to prepare young people who are resilient, compassionate and ready to serve with wisdom, creativity and courage in a complex world. While Woodstock is founded upon, and stresses the importance of strong service-oriented Christian values, staff members and students are drawn from multiple faiths.
Our Calling:
Woodstock School imagines education as a daring, whole-life journey. At home in the Himalaya and shaped by over 170 years of lived experience, we build on our Christian identity by raising young people with integrity and the capacity for generosity of spirit, bold questioning, and imagination; people who learn with excitement, grow in character and are ready to transform the world. At Woodstock, learning is not confined to classrooms but woven into the whole fabric of life. We seek wisdom through study, service, creativity, friendship, the responsible use of technology and caring for the natural world. Our accepting and nurturing community challenges and supports one another to thrive and grow in resilience, compassion and courage. Whether in academics, the arts, athletics, outdoor life, or daily living together, experiences are collaborative, formative and balanced. In this way, knowledge deepens into understanding, character is shaped through practice and students leave Woodstock imbued with both the joy of discovery and a fierce determination to positively change the world.
The Role and Key Responsibilities:
The Principal is the servant-leader of this vision, entrusted with stewarding Woodstock's legacy while leading it boldly into the future of education in India and beyond. This is an extraordinary opportunity to shape lives, strengthen a legacy school of renown and embody a mission that integrates excellence, faith and service.
The Principal will provide visionary servant-leadership across every dimension of Woodstock's life: from academics and the arts to outdoor learning, service and community life. This leader will safeguard excellence, nurture belonging and steward the whole-person education that defines Woodstock. Grounded in our Christian heritage yet welcoming of students and staff of all faiths, the Principal will embody Our Calling and guide the school with courage, humility and imagination into the next exciting chapter as one of Asia's most distinctive and future-oriented residential schools. We are looking for a head of school who is both a steward of our traditions and sees schools as evolving ecosystems, an individual who can nurture a culture of innovation where educators are empowered to experiment, reflect, and reimagine learning in ways that reflect our shared values.
Educational Leadership

• Implement Woodstock's curriculum (which is under review) to align its educational model with the school's mission and values. The school currently offers a dual pathway in high school comprising the Woodstock High School Diploma (WSDP) supplemented by Advanced Placements and the IB Middle Years (MYP) and Diploma Programmes (DP). In the Early Years (KG-Grade 5), learning follows a Montessori/Common Core-based curriculum.

• Safeguard academic excellence while ensuring Woodstock's holistic model of granting equal weight to the arts, music, outdoor education, service and residential life remains central to student formation.

• Champion teaching and learning that nurtures curiosity, creativity, resilience and character, preparing our students both for higher education and to live purposeful lives.

• Encourage innovation, inquiry and joy in learning while upholding rigorous standards of achievement, including leading accreditation cycles.

Community and Christian Identity

• Model a reflective Christian faith expressed with humility and kindness, welcoming people of all beliefs and backgrounds into a caring, inclusive community.

• Foster a vibrant culture of belonging, pastoral care and shared responsibility.

• Engage deeply with Mussoorie and the Himalayan region, embodying Woodstock's relationships with our wider community and the environment. Staff Leadership and Development

• Recruit, develop and retain outstanding and diverse faculty and staff.

• Build collaborative, motivated teams that embody Woodstock's Calling, vision and values.

• Lead systems that promote professional growth, accountability and staff wellbeing.

Governance and Administration

• Work in close partnership with the Board of Directors, faithfully advancing Our Calling and strategic priorities.

• Oversee fiscal stewardship, budgeting and responsible allocation of resources.

• Ensure operational excellence across facilities, IT, compliance and administration.

Institutional Advancement

• Strengthen alumni, parent and donor relationships in ways that advance Woodstock's mission.

• Support fundraising that aligns with Woodstock's Calling and long-term vision.

• Serve as Woodstock's leading voice, communicating Our Calling compellingly to audiences worldwide.

Candidate Profile
The Principal we seek is first and foremost a servant-leader: anchored in Christian faith, yet generous in spirit toward people of every background. They embody humility, courage and integrity, modelling a life of reflective faith, true compassion and service. They are an accomplished educator with the wisdom to balance academic excellence with the distinctive breadth of a Woodstock education, where the arts, outdoor learning, service and community life are as formative as the classroom. They will inspire students and staff alike to pursue curiosity, creativity and character with equal passion. This leader thrives in relationship building. They listen deeply, communicate openly and build trust across cultures, forging a community marked by care and belonging. At ease on the global stage yet firmly grounded in our location of the Himalaya, they bring cultural fluency and sensitivity, and are able to implement our vision of a school that bridges traditions and futures. Above all, they are resilient and strategic, able to navigate the challenges of finance, governance and regulation in a complex community without losing sight of the greater purpose: shaping Woodstock as a place where young people discover who they are and how they can transform the world.
Required Qualifications and Experience

• Advanced degree in education or a related field (Master's required; Doctorate preferred).

• Minimum 5 years of senior leadership experience as Head of School, Principal, or Division Head in an international or boarding school setting. International school experience outside India would be an advantage.

• Commitment to Woodstock's Christian heritage, lived through personal faith and professional practice.

• Experience in the International Baccalaureate (MYP and DP) or Advanced Placement or UK or Commonwealth curricula such as "A" Level and IGCSE programs.

• Experience in residential education, including safeguarding, pastoral care and student well-being.

• Demonstrated ability in strategic planning, financial stewardship and operational management.

• Proven success in faculty recruitment, development and retention.

Preferred Qualifications

• Doctoral degree or leadership certification in educational leadership or related field.

• Experience with international accreditation (MSA, CIS, IB).

• Background in fundraising, advancement and institutional development.

• Proven ability to lead in diverse, multicultural and multilingual contexts.

• Flexibility, creativity and resilience in a global residential school environment.

Leadership and Personal Qualities

• A visionary and strategic thinker who can articulate bold direction while inspiring faculty, students, alumni and partners to share in the journey.

• A servant-leader marked by humility, courage, and care, who builds trust through openness and authentic collaboration.

• A visible, approachable presence in classrooms, residences and daily life, embodying the whole-person model of Woodstock education.

• Skilled in organizational leadership and problem-solving, yet always balancing rigor with compassion.

• Deep commitment to cultivating belonging across cultures, with respect for equity and Woodstock's Christian heritage.

• Integrity and authenticity in word and action, with exceptional communication skills as both a speaker and a listener.

• Empathy, cultural fluency and a keen appreciation for India's history, context and place in the world.

• Resilience, adaptability and joy in the shared adventure of residential school life in the Himalayas.

Reporting Structure and Terms
The Principal reports to the Woodstock Board of Directors, officiates as the Executive Secretary to the Board, and serves as a non-voting member. The role is fully residential on campus, with competitive salary and benefits commensurate with international school leadership.
Application Process
Woodstock has appointed Search Associates to assist in this recruitment. Interested candidates should submit the following as a single PDF file not exceeding 5 MB:

• Letter of application outlining strengths and interest in the role.

• One-page statement of educational philosophy.

• Curriculum vitae (maximum two pages).

• One-page Statement of Philosophy of Life outlining how their faith informs their personal values.

• Contact details of at least four references (three must have directly supervised the applicant, including the current supervisor).

• Up to three optional letters of reference (scanned at low resolution).

Application deadline is November 21, 2025.
Applications
Applications should be submitted to:
Tim Stuart ( ) and Rajiv Bhat ( ).
Early applications are strongly encouraged, as the committee may close the process if a suitable candidate is identified. Semi-finalists will be identified by Search Associates, and their dossiers will be forwarded to the Search Committee for review. References will be contacted as part of the confidential leadership review process.

Skills Required