School principal with the ability to unite people and the courage to set the direction

ABOUT THE JOB

We are seeking a school leader for one integrated special school with three departments on three sites. The school is commonly called The Special Educational Center. As school leader you have the overall responsibility for the school and are the leader of the three department heads, each handling the daily leadership of a department. There is also an administrative leader. At the same time you actively participate in the school's overall leadership and operation.

Your most important leadership task will be to set a common direction for the whole school and create coherence across the three sites. You do not lead alone through the department heads, but take an active part in the school's overall operation and leadership tasks close to staff and practice. You ensure good frameworks for professional learning communities, a safe working environment and children's and young people's learning, well-being and development.

We are currently working to strengthen cooperation with parents and with partners such as PPR and the Children and Family Department, a work we expect you to continue.

The school's three departments are the Holistic Offering Valhøj, Center Valhøj and Center Tinderhøj. Center Valhøj and Center Tinderhøj are located at Valhøj School and Tinderhøj School respectively, so you will have close collaboration with the principals of the two general schools. The school's total leadership team consists of you, the three department heads and an administrative leader. You are the leader of the leadership team, while the department heads are responsible for the daily leadership at each site.

Across the three departments the school has about 186 children and young people and about 90 dedicated and professionally strong staff. The number of children, young people and staff has grown in recent years. A central task will therefore be to unite the school so that children, young people and parents meet a clear common direction and a consistent quality, while each department has room to solve its particular task. It should happen with attention to a safe working environment, high professional quality and safe operation.

The school's target group is children and young people with various challenges. They may have difficulty concentrating, challenges in their social development or for other reasons need a more structured and individually tailored school day. It can be children and young people with e.g. ADHD, autism, behavioral or emotional challenges or academic challenges who need a different school offer than a general class.

In Rødovre Municipality we work in the school area based on a common view of children: “All children should have equal opportunities to be part of a learning community. Children are competent, and they usually do their best. The adults meet the children where they are.”

The view of children and young people gives us a common language and a common starting point for how we meet all children and young people every day. We also have three initiatives that support the area: 'Technology and Innovation', 'Health and Well-being' and 'Learning Communities for All'.

We are an ambitious municipality. We are ambitious in our work with the children and young people who for a period need something special. We place high value on decency toward children, young people, parents, partners and each other. We focus on creating psychological safety, where we speak up when something is difficult, and where we help each other solve it.

We therefore seek a school leader who is ready to stand on their toes, and who knows that our most important task is to create a strong foundation for the lives and futures of children and young people.

Rødovre Municipality is experiencing a large influx, and thus more children are on their way to Rødovre's schools. We therefore look toward an exciting future with new tasks with local utilization, – this happens in close collaboration with both the Child and Culture Administration and the Technical Administration.

YOUR PROFILE

Strategic and approachable school leader with responsibility for three departments

As school leader you are the overall leader for the entire school and the nearest leader for the four department heads. You are approachable, strategic and organized, know your craft in leadership and have solid knowledge of the special education child and youth area. You create direction for the whole school, give the department heads a clear leadership space and follow up to ensure decisions are translated into practice at all three sites. At the same time you actively participate in the school's leadership and operation and build trusting relationships with staff, children, young people, parents and partners.

School leadership craft

You must know your craft in school leadership and fundamentally master all central tasks in running a school – from legislation in the school area and the special education area, the school year's planning and task overviews to finances and resource management. You must have control of MED structures as well as visitation and revisitation and be able to apply your knowledge safely in everyday life.

It is the foundation for you to qualify the department heads' work and to take an active part in the school's operation and in the management of staff. You must also be able to lead pedagogical development and translate shared goals into practice.

We know that no one can know everything, but we seek a leader who

• Can set direction and create followers and coherence so that everyone is motivated to do their best and commit to our view of children and the school's core task.
• Has experience of both leading leaders and staff and of creating common direction across several departments or sites in a politically governed organization. A relevant leadership education would be an advantage. You must be able to practice distributed leadership so that the department heads have clear responsibility and latitude within the school's common direction, while you yourself take responsibility in the overall leadership and operation.
• Has knowledge of and experience with the special educational child and youth area and can continue and develop the school in close cooperation with the four department heads, staff, children, young people and parents as well as with general schools, PPR, the Children and Family Department, etc.
• Can drive strategic change processes, where strategies, goals, legislation and knowledge must be translated into concrete actions in practice. Including among others realizing the initiatives in the agreement on the quality program for public schools – freedom and depth.
• Is a strong communicator to all participants and partners of the school and can build relationships, networks and strong collaborations across these. In that regard that you can create equal and trusting collaborative relationships, where there is an open dialogue, e.g. regarding being an important player in the overall school leader team.
• Is a present leader with respect for everyday practice. You are part of the leadership team and at the same time the leader of it, and you take active responsibility in the concrete operation when needed. You must be able to maintain an overview and support the department heads, even when urgent tasks require adjusting the day's program.

It is important that you have a good and infectious mood, as we at The Special Educational Center would like to laugh together.

THEREFORE YOU SHOULD CHOOSE US

Rødovre Municipality and The Special Educational Center offer

• Opportunity to make a clear difference for all children, young people and their families at the school.
• Opportunity to further develop one unified special school on three sites in close collaboration with three experienced department heads, an administrative leader and many different partners.
• An workplace that focuses on a high level of professionalism, a good working environment and a strong community.
• A staff group that is dedicated and competent, who collaborate on the learning, well-being and development of children and young people.
• A leadership team with three department heads and an administrative leader, where engagement, expertise, generosity and a good humorous tone are central.

You will report to the head of schools and become part of a sharp school leadership network that meets three times a month with the head of schools.

Together for the Public School

You will find that the politicians in Rødovre Municipality prioritize the public school highly, including with an ambitious effort around realizing the Public School's Quality Program, 'Learning Communities for All', 'Health and Well-being' and 'Technology and Innovation'. For example, 'Technology and Innovation' has since August 2018 been a subject and a dimension in all subjects in our schools.

In addition we have our technology laboratory, TekX, where all children and young people in Rødovre's public schools can experiment in new learning spaces with the latest technology across ages and schools. Read more about the effort at www.tekxrk.dk and about the whole school area at www.rk.dk.

The above is only part of the overall whole that makes leaders, staff, children, young people and boards proud of The Special Educational Center. We therefore offer a special opportunity to lead one unified special school on three sites.

SALARY AND EMPLOYMENT TERMS

In accordance with applicable collective agreement and after agreement with the negotiating organization.

IF YOU WANT TO KNOW MORE

See more at www.rk.dk . It is always good to get more words about your possible new workplace, so please call the recruitment consultant from School Leadership Recruitment Søren Hübbe Oxholm on phone number 6056 2600 or to the acting school leader at Center Valhøj Rikke Frederiksen on phone 2289 4900. The acting school leader is not applying for the position.

APPLICATION

We must have your application with relevant attachments and references no later than 25 October 2026. Click the button "søg job" to send your application.

We expect to hold 1st interview on 3-4 November 2026 and 2nd interview 17-19 November 2026.

We expect our new school leader to start no later than 1 January 2027.

ABOUT US

Rødovre Municipality has a smoke-free working time. We see diversity as a strength. Therefore we encourage everyone regardless of age, gender, disability, lifestyle, religion or ethnic background to apply for the job. We offer our employees a wellbeing and health scheme including physiotherapy, health checks and massage.

Rødovre Municipality is a geographically small and centrally located municipality with a high level of ambition for citizens and the city. Also for this reason we are an attractive and exciting workplace, and we see diversity as a strength. Therefore we encourage everyone regardless of age, gender, disability, lifestyle, religion or ethnic background to apply for the job.

We offer our employees a wellbeing and health scheme with physiotherapy and group training. Note that Rødovre Municipality has smoke- and nicotine-free working time, which means we may not smoke or use equivalents like vapes or snus during working hours.

Our positions are advertised full-time unless stated otherwise in the job advertisement.