Managing Director, Central and Eastern Europe

Lausanne, CH

Managing Director – Central and Eastern Europe

Nord Anglia Education is looking for a Managing Director to provide strategic and operational leadership across our schools in our newest sub region – Central Eastern Europe.

This newly established sub‑region sits within the wider Europe region and reflects Nord Anglia’s continued commitment to focused growth. The Managing Director will take full responsibility for the operational, educational, and commercial performance of the five existing schools in Budapest, Bratislava, Prague, Warsaw, and Moscow — while also leading the successful integration of future acquisitions. Working in close partnership with the Regional Managing Director, Europe, the role will support both current schools and regional expansion, ensuring sustained success for our students, teachers, parents, and investors.

You will work closely with School Principals, the Europe Regional Office, and global stakeholders to ensure the effective delivery of key performance objectives, including educational quality, student wellbeing, health and safety, employee engagement, operational excellence, and financial performance. The Managing Director is expected to demonstrate outstanding people leadership, disciplined operational execution, and strong commercial acumen, while enhancing the reputation and impact of Nord Anglia Education across the region.

Reporting directly to the Regional Managing Director, Europe, this role is a member of the Global Senior Leadership Team, contributing actively to group‑wide strategy and shaping the future direction of the organisation.

As Nord Anglia Education continues its ambitious growth journey, we are looking for a leader who can balance educational excellence with commercial performance, drive regional consistency while respecting local context, and successfully lead a geographically diverse portfolio of schools.

Key Accountabilities & Measures of Success

Success in this role will be demonstrated through:

Operational Delivery

• Ensuring delivery of financial targets and balanced scorecard outcomes across all schools in the sub- region, including:
• Quality of education
• Student enrolment (FTEs)
• Health & safety and student wellbeing
• People engagement and development
• Operational efficiency
• Reputation and parent satisfaction
• Proposing aspirational budgets, analysing performance against KPIs, and implementing corrective actions where required.
• Driving improvements in educational outcomes, employee engagement, and parent satisfaction year‑on‑year.
• Maintaining a strong understanding of local market dynamics and working with Principals to address growth opportunities and challenges.

Strategic Development

• Leading the strategic development of the region by identifying opportunities and addressing risks.
• Implementing Nord Anglia’s organisational strategy through School Principals and senior leadership teams, ensuring alignment between school development plans and the wider European strategy.
• Actively contributing to regional and global strategic discussions, influencing the direction of the wider organisation.
• Building strong external relationships, including with developers and landlords, to support long‑term growth.

Expansion & Integration

• Providing strategic oversight and leadership for the integration of new schools, ensuring alignment with Nord Anglia’s standards, culture, and operational processes.
• Playing an active role in identifying and supporting expansion opportunities across the region.
• Ensuring newly acquired schools are successfully onboarded across people, processes, and systems within their first academic year.

Talent & Performance Management

• Proactively identifying, developing, and sharing talent across the region and Group.
• Supporting succession planning and cross‑regional talent mobility in partnership with HR and the Regional MD.
• Actively managing performance, addressing under‑performance, and fostering a culture of continuous improvement.
• Leading diverse leadership teams with integrity, inclusivity, and high expectations.

Safeguarding & Compliance

• Ensuring safeguarding is always prioritised and that all schools comply with Nord Anglia’s global and local requirements relating to safeguarding, health and safety, and educational compliance.

The Successful Candidate Will Have

Essential:

• Degree‑level education with a strong history of senior leadership and management experience.
• Demonstrable success managing multiple locations at a distance.
• Experience running a materially sized business unit with full operational responsibility.
• A proven track record of delivering large‑scale, complex projects and driving organisational change.
• Strong people leadership capability, including talent development and performance management.
• The ability to turn around underperforming teams, functions, or schools.
• An inclusive, collegiate leadership style, balanced with the confidence to address difficult people issues.
• High integrity, resilience, and a values‑led approach aligned with Nord Anglia’s mission.
• A clear affinity with, and interest in, education.

Desirable:

• Extensive P&L management experience.
• Experience within international education or a comparable consumer‑focused service sector.
• Broad knowledge of finance, HR, marketing, and communications functions.
• Confidence operating at Group SLT level with clarity on decision‑making accountability.
• Willingness to travel extensively across the region

See full job descrption here.

To Apply

Closing date: 15th May 2026

Application process: Please apply via SuccessFactors including a cover letter and CV.

At Nord Anglia Education, we are an equal opportunities employer dedicated to creating a diverse and inclusive workforce. In our schools and offices around the world, we treat all colleagues fairly based on their skills and qualifications, without discrimination.

We value individuals from all backgrounds, including those with different abilities and neurodivergent conditions, as well as those who identify with protected characteristics.

Nord Anglia Education is committed to ensuring the highest possible safeguarding standards in our schools and we expect every employee to share this commitment.