Vejle Municipality seeks a principal for Højen School

Do you want to lead a school of great importance to the local community from January 1, 2027?

About the job

We are seeking a leader who has the desire and ability to continue the good development at Højen School. You have experience with professional pedagogical leadership, and you thrive on creating direction and development in close collaboration with staff, students and parents. In addition, you have strong competencies in staff leadership and a solid grasp of the school's administrative and financial tasks.

As the head of Højen School you will lead the school in cooperation with the deputy headteacher. Your collaboration with the school board is also of great importance for the continued development of Højen School.

As the head of the school you will have responsibility for

• to set a clear strategic direction for the school's development,
• to lead the pedagogical development close to practice,
• to ensure professional staff leadership with focus on wellbeing, competence development and collaboration,
• to manage the school's administrative and financial leadership.

The pedagogical development of the school system in Vejle Municipality is framed in several professional strategies, which give the schools the opportunity to influence their development profile.

The leadership of the public schools in Vejle Municipality is among other things characterized by

• Prioritization of professional leadership close to the pedagogical practice and the schools' professional learning communities.
• Data-informed leadership with focus on continuous development of the pedagogical practice and on creating diverse learning environments with opportunities for participation for all.
• Collaboration in leadership networks across schools.
• Access to a strong administrative support system in relation to pedagogy and teaching, finance, law, planning, digitalization, communication and leadership support in general.

We expect from you

You are a present and visible leader who is close to the school's daily life and has their finger on the school's pulse. You are present among staff, students and parents, and you see it as a natural part of the leadership role to know the school's life from the inside.

You value the strengths of the smaller school, where relationships are close, the community is strong, and everyone knows each other. You understand the importance of preserving and further developing Højen School's unique culture, values and DNA while being able to set a clear direction for the school's continued development.

Your leadership style is based on trust, involvement and collaboration. You believe that the best results are created in partnership, and you are able through strong relational and communication skills to create following among staff, students and parents. You are clear in your expectations and decisions while listening and involving.

You can translate visions into concrete goals and actions that support the school's core task. You create frameworks that help staff in planning, implementation and evaluation of teaching, and you have a view for both academic quality, wellbeing and development.

As a leader you believe that all children can learn, and that all children do their best. You share the school's view of children and actively work so that all children experience themselves as valuable participants in strong, healthy and developmental communities. You meet children with an appreciative and curious approach, look beyond their behaviour and contribute to a culture where the focus is on resources, potential and possibilities.

You are able to create strong professional communities among staff and work from the idea that all children are everyone's children. You bring others along and exercise delegating, clear and trustful leadership, where responsibilities and tasks are carried out together.

Collaboration within the management team is crucial for you. You actively contribute to a close and trusting collaboration where shared reflections, strategic considerations and shared responsibility create the foundation for the school's development.

Finally you see the school as an important part of the local community and actively wish to strengthen collaboration with associations, local actors and other partners around the school. We expect you to be motivated to lead a school where community, presence, learning and wellbeing go hand in hand.

We offer you

• the opportunity to make your mark in the development of a school in Vejle Municipality, with great importance for the local community,
• the leadership of a positive staff group that works from the school's goals,
• the collaboration with a school board that actively engages in the work on the school's development.
• a strong leadership community and a solid support system in Vejle Municipality.
• to become part of a school system with high ambitions for children's and young people's learning, wellbeing and formation.

As a new school leader in Vejle Municipality you will be covered by an onboarding program that aims to ensure a good and coherent introduction to our school system and the leadership role. As part of the program you will meet relevant partners and gain familiarity with central interfaces and collaborative relationships. In addition you will be assigned a mentor among the other school leaders who can contribute with sparring, experience and help navigating the role and the organization.

Terms of employment

Salary and terms of employment according to the collective agreement and the principles of Ny løn. The salary is set based on the size of the school and your qualifications. The expected starting salary excluding pension lies in a range between 62,670 DKK per month and 67,966 DKK per month, excluding pension. It should be noted that final placement occurs based on a pre-agreement with the School Leaders Association and the collective agreement in the area.

Commencement on January 1, 2027.

About us

Højen School is located south of the town of Vejle and has 150 pupils from 0th to 6th grade, as well as an SFO with about 120 children. Højen forms the framework for a rich children's environment and an active leisure and cultural life, and the school thus has a strong profile as a central hub in the local community. Our new school leader will naturally be the outward-facing figure and an important representative in the local area.

Højen School has for several years worked purposefully to translate the school's view of children into actions in practice, so as to create the best opportunities for participation for the children at the school. The school has high pupil and staff well-being as well as parent satisfaction. The school has good physical facilities, including access to a multi-use hall and good outdoor areas. The school has a total of 24 staff, including teachers, pedagogy staff, teaching assistants, technical/administrative staff and a deputy headteacher.

More information

We look forward to receiving your application and hearing more about why you should be Højen School's new leader. You are welcome to contact the Head of Education & Learning - Ulla Riisbjerg Thomsen at tel. 2443 6041, or the chair of the school board Naja Carina Steenholdt at tel. 2889 2570, if you have questions about the job.

We encourage you to visit us, and in this context you can contact the deputy headteacher Helle Møller at tel. 2895 0608.

You can also use one of the links below if you want to know more about Højen School or the Vejle Municipality's school system.

School and education - Vejle Municipality

hoejen-skole

Application deadline and interviews

We must receive your application with relevant attachments no later than November 2, 2026.

It is expected that the first and second rounds of interviews will be held on November 10, 2026 and November 23, 2026.

A 1:1 interview will be conducted between the Head of Education & Learning and applicants between the first and second interview.

We use tests and cases in connection with the recruitment.

Certificates

We obtain a children's police certificate and a public criminal record.

Send your application

We prefer that you apply for the position online using the button “Send application”. Remember to attach your application and CV as well as other relevant attachments.

After you have sent the application, you will receive an email as a receipt.

Be aware that the email may be placed in your Junk Mail folder.

Vejle Municipality encourages everyone to apply for the position regardless of gender, age, ethnic background, disability etc.

Considering moving to Vejle? Then you can get help with relocation. See more at www.vejle.dk/tilflytter.