Thank you for your interest in joining the vibrant learning community at Hong Kong International School! HKIS proudly serves around 3,000 students from over 45 nations from R1 (Pre-K) to Grade 12 and provides educational excellence with a difference. Within this diverse community, we focus on developing the whole child and are committed to nurturing each child to achieve his or her full potential.
Careers at HKIS
Together, parents, faculty, staff and students create the conditions for children's success and a healthy lifestyle. If those beliefs resonate with you, we welcome you to join our team of dedicated professionals at HKIS!
HKIS strives to expedite the recruitment process. Job interviews and hiring decisions are often completed by Christmas. Potential faculty may be required to provide a video of their teaching practice. We typically attend recruitment fairs by Search Associates and ISS in Bangkok, Boston, and San Francisco. Applications must be made through Schrole.
Faculty Profile
Prospective teachers should evaluate how well they “fit” the following profile:
- Excellence: motivated to serve children, in-depth knowledge of subject, ability to engage students, high standards
- Spiritually centered: committed to understanding and respecting Christianity and other religions
- Life-long learner: passionate about professional and personal growth and improving one’s teaching practices
- Collaborative and relational: enthusiastic about sharing professional practices and teamwork
- Focused: committed to the HKIS Student Learning Results
- Community builder: willingness to participate in HKIS community events
- Global minded: understands, respects, and appreciates diverse cultures, a sense of global stewardship and responsibility
The school strives to maintain an ethnically and culturally diverse staff to complement both its mission and character. Teachers model caring, celebrating and serving, and encourage others to do the same. Teachers should be conversant about their faith, supportive of the Christian values the school espouses, and interested in joining the religious conversation of the community.
HKIS fosters a collegial atmosphere among faculty to encourage their involvement in decisions about the educational program. North Americans comprise 60% of the HKIS faculty while the remaining are from private and public schools around the world. Teachers recruited in the U.S. who are members of the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod are appointed through the Board of Mission Services.
Professional Development
The underlying philosophy of the Professional Development program at HKIS is lifelong education. We believe that adults and students learn best when education is differentiated, relevant, participatory and applied.
HKIS aims to keep teachers equipped with the latest developments and best practices in curriculum, assessment and other relevant areas. Engaging students in creative ways requires active engagement in professional learning. HKIS commits resources (human, financial and time) towards its professional development program and provides opportunities for professional collaboration among educators in support of schoolwide and individual growth such as:
- Support from on-site instructional coaches.
- In-house lab sites.
- Collaborative time for divisional and schoolwide teams during designated Professional Development days.
- On-site visits by world class educational experts.
HKIS Administrators foster the objectives and educational goals of Hong Kong International School. HKIS' leadership team is composed of 24 administrators from diverse backgrounds whose collective efforts support faculty and staff colleagues in achieving the Mission, Vision and Student Learning Results. Administrators foster HKIS' educational goals while building and nurturing the school's culture and community.
In addition, they are expected to participate fully in the life of the school, and to perform administrative duties necessary to ensure the continued welfare of students and teachers.
HKIS Administrators are recruited in the following areas:
- Principals and Associate Principals
- Information Technology
- Admissions
- Finance
- Human Resources
- Advancement
- Curriculum and Professional Development
Administrator positions will be posted as they arise.
The management and operation of HKIS and its four Divisions demands a capable and committed team of support staff. This group of dedicated individuals helps to ensure that HKIS is able to deliver the educational and co-curricular programs and activities that contribute to a well rounded program. HKIS recruits throughout the year for full-time, part-time, and contract positions to meet the continuing and evolving needs of the organization.
Our staff are involved in the following functional areas:
- Finance Administration, Accounting and Purchasing
- Human Resources
- Admissions
- Advancement
- Marketing and Communications
- Facilities Management
- Information Technology
Staff positions will be posted as they arise.
Teacher Assistants play an integral role in the delivery of the educational program at HKIS. They provide a wide variety of services, including assisting faculty with instructional support in small groups or individual students, classroom preparation, supervision of students, administrative support, and other clerical duties.
HKIS Teacher Assistants respect and appreciate diverse cultures, languages and religious traditions and actively support the HKIS Mission Statement and Student Learning Results (SLRs).
Our Teacher Assistants possess the following qualities:
- Independence
- Initiative
- English language skills
- Collaborative; ability to work as part of a team
- Organization ability
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
- Basic computer skills (e.g. Word, Excel, PowerSchool)
We recruit Teacher Assistants throughout the year and positions are posted as they arise.
We recruit for Substitute Positions throughout the year.
Substitute Teacher
HKIS employs suitably qualified Substitute Teacher applicants who are:
- Fully qualified or experienced teachers
- Hong Kong Permanent Residents or Dependent Visa holders
- Registered or Permitted teachers with the HK Education Bureau
- If you fulfill the above requirements and would like to be included on our daily substitute list, please complete the application below and email to: [email protected]
Please see Current Openings to check for any long-term substitute vacancies.
Substitute Teacher Assistant, Nurse, Swimming Instructor and Staff
Please note that applications will only be processed when all documents are received:
- Your Hong Kong (HKID) card OR A copy of the Visa stamp in your passport, if not a Permanent HKID holder
- Copies of degree/diploma/teaching certificates/nursing qualifications, as appropriate
- Reference letters
- Curriculum Vitae
- Sexual Conviction Record Check (SCRC) from the Hong Kong police
Once the completed application and relevant documents have been received, only successful applicants will be contacted by the school. Thereafter, the Substitute Coordinators will notify you as soon as a suitable opening arises.
Faculty, administrators and staff come to HKIS first and foremost because of who we are, our educational program, and the attraction of working with exceptional colleagues and students. Our vibrant school community and the equally vibrant city of Hong Kong are great places to live and work.
Our aim is to honor our professional educators by providing a total compensation package that is globally competitive, rewards excellence, is commensurate with HKIS’ high expectation of its teachers, and delivers exceptional career opportunities.
New teacher hires are compensated based on level of education and years of relevant teaching experience up to a maximum of seven years. The annual salary is based on approximately 192 working days per school year and is paid over a 12-month period. Teaching contracts are for two years.Faculty members who are eligible for a housing benefit will reside in an HKIS-owned apartment. The apartment is based on family size and subject to availability. If all HKIS apartments are filled, then a housing subsidy is provided to the faculty member. Employees who receive relocation and/or housing benefits through their spouse's employer will not be eligible to receive those benefits from HKIS.
HKIS provides relocation assistance to faculty and administrators who are relocating to Hong Kong. This includes an airticket to Hong Kong and cash allowances to assist with the shipment of household goods and settling into Hong Kong.
Personal data collected will be used for recruitment purposes only. HKIS welcomes candidates who would like to apply for long-term or short-term substitute positions as Faculty, Teacher Assistant or Nurse, for all Grade levels.
Current Openings
Thank you for your interest in HKIS, we look forward to receiving your application. Please note that only short-listed applicants will be contacted. If you do not hear from us, please assume that your application has been unsuccessful for the current intake. Personal data collected will be used for recruitment purposes only.
See our full listings by division below. To view faculty listings using the Schrole platform for easy application submission, click the link below.
Daily Substitute Teacher
To apply to be a subtitute teacher, download this form and e-mail it to [email protected].
Warning on Recruiting Scams
Hong Kong International School does not ask or require teacher candidates to send money for application fees, visas, or any other costs associated with recruitment or moving to Hong Kong. We do not ask applicants for information related to bank accounts or other private information. If you have been asked by HKIS or another international school to send money to cover such costs, you may be the target of an elaborate scam. Several international schools have had their web sites cloned, and candidates have been asked to send money as part of the scam. All candidates are urged to use extreme caution if they have been asked for money or private information.
Living In Hong Kong
Get to know what makes Hong Kong a unique place to live and sample the many cultural events on offer.
HKIS’s campuses are located in the more rural beach and country park area on the south side of Hong Kong Island. However, Hong Kong is very much an urban center, and it is important that teachers and their families have the ability to adjust to living overseas and city life.
All about Hong Kong
Chinese and English are the official languages of Hong Kong. English is widely used in the Government and by the legal, professional, and business sectors. There is no shortage of well-educated competent bilingual or even trilingual professionals who speak English, Cantonese, and Mandarin in the city. These languages are vital for any enterprise trading in Hong Kong and doing business with Mainland China and internationally.
Hong Kong’s climate is subtropical, subject to monsoons and typhoons. Winters are cool and dry, while spring and summer are hot and humid. Temperatures range from lows of 50°F (10°C) in January to 95°F (35°C) in summer.
The currency is the Hong Kong dollar. It is readily convertible and is pegged to the US dollar at a current exchange rate of HK$7.8: US$1. Teachers’ salaries are paid 100% in Hong Kong dollars.
Hong Kong operates a simple, low and predictable tax system. Taxes are levied on three types of income – salaries, profits, and property. There is no value-added sales tax or capital gains tax. Only income earned in Hong Kong is taxable.
Everyone with a Hong Kong income is liable to pay salaries tax. The rate of tax after deductions and allowances is applied on a graduated scale, but the total salaries tax charged will not exceed 15% of a person’s total assessable income after deductions.
In order to enter Hong Kong for employment, investment, education, training, or residence you must obtain an entry visa prior to arrival. HKIS will apply for employment visas and, if applicable, dependent visas for family members. In the case of HKIS teaching couples, only one person needs to apply for an employment visa. The other can legally work on a dependent visa. Prospective employees must hold a passport that is valid for a minimum of 1 year; however, 2 years is preferable.
A wide range of living conditions exist in Hong Kong – from cosmopolitan areas with dense high-rise apartment blocks to low rise apartments neighboring modern alfresco dining outlets or traditional alley markets selling seafood and noodles. It is fortunate that wherever you live and whatever the condition of your dwelling, there are always open green spaces to unwind as approximately 40% of Hong Kong is reserved as country parks.
While there is a wide variety of accommodation, in terms of size and type, one thing to bear in mind is that apartments are considerably smaller than what many people from overseas are used to. The average size of an apartment for a single person is 600 square feet for a couple, and for a couple with a child it is 900 square feet, and for a family of four or more it is 1,200 square feet. Most apartments come unfurnished. HKIS teachers live in many different neighborhoods from Stanley and Chung Hom Kok to Happy Valley and Midlevels. To get some understanding of the housing market in Hong Kong and which websites to search, please get in touch with your HKIS HR representative.
High quality, easily accessible health care services are readily available in Hong Kong. The public hospitals and clinics in Hong Kong provide comprehensive medical services and are staffed by English speaking professionals. There are also private hospitals, such as Adventist Hospital, Matilda Hospital, and Canossa Hospital.
The public transportation system in Hong Kong is excellent and rates among one of the most efficient and reasonably priced in the world. Public transport includes a system of buses, trams, trains, metro and ferries. Taxis are readily available and reasonably priced.
Public transport can be paid for on an cash basis, but most residents use a stored value ‘Octopus’ card. Value is purchased, stored on the card, and deducted each time it is used for payment. These cards are also accepted at vending machines, convenience stores and public car parks.
It is very common in Hong Kong for individuals and families to employ someone to help look after their household and children. These employees are sometimes known as amahs or domestic helpers.
There are many avenues to explore when looking to hire a helper such as through an agency or referral from a friend or colleague.
Most large chain supermarkets and other specialty stores carry a wide range of western and Asian foods. The two main supermarket chains are Park n’ Shop and Wellcome. These supermarkets have home delivery and on-line ordering. Seasonal fresh vegetables and fruits are also available at the local markets whose products are less expensive than the “western style” markets.
Shopping is a favorite past time in Hong Kong and no matter what you are looking for you should be able to find it. Wandering the streets you will find a plethora of little shops offering anything from local clothing to jewelry to electronics. There are also street markets that sell everything from souvenirs to household goods where you are sure to find a bargain. If you are looking for designer goods, you will be spoiled for choice. There are also a number of large department stores that sell a range of items and cater for both local and Western tastes.
Culture
Hong Kong is “Asia’s World City” and has no shortage of cultural events to enjoy. To see what exciting events are coming up in the city, visit the Hong Kong Tourism Board website.
Western tastes and trends have heavily influenced Hong Kong’s culture, although the city is deeply rooted in its eastern culture and traditions. Hence, Hong Kong’s reputation as the “city where east meets west.” Visitors to the city usually appreciate the “old and new” scenario presented to them everywhere they walk. It is common to see a gleaming new, state-of-the-art skyscraper adjacent to a hundred year old temple.
Hong Kong celebrates Chinese festivals as well as significant dates on the western calendar such as Christmas. Most festivals revolve around families getting together and celebrating. These events are exuberant and colorful.
Usually falling around the beginning of February, is Chinese (or lunar) New Year. It is an important festival and considered as the time to prepare yourself for the coming year. House cleaning, purchasing new clothes and getting a haircut are all common pursuits as the New Year approaches. People buy flowers from specially arranged flower markets in the city center (especially Victoria Park near Causeway Bay) and visit with their relatives. There are spectacular firework displays, and people give Lai See, or lucky money to children.
Learn the expression “Kung Hei Fat Choi”, for everyone will be saying it, and you should return the greeting. It means Happy New Year!
Ching Ming is the spring grave-sweeping festival in April in which families head to the cemeteries to spruce up their ancestors’ graves and make offerings that will ensure their deceased loved ones have sufficient money and food in the afterlife.
Hong Kong celebrates this festival with Dragon Boat races. The tradition began in the third century BC, apparently after fishermen tried to rescue a despondent government official who had thrown himself into a river. Dragon Boat races are an international event for Hong Kong, attended by thousands.
This festival takes place in September and celebrates the 14th century uprising against the Mongols. Children especially enjoy this festival as they make lanterns and parade them in front of their parents while watching the moon rise. Traditional moon cakes are eaten.
On the ninth day of the ninth lunar month (usually in October), Hong Kong people climb to the highest point they can find. The festival had little early significance until the British took possession of Hong Kong. Since then, it has grown in popularity. Today, the hiking trails become very crowded during this festival.
You will not be short of things to do in Hong Kong. If you are interested in sports there are plenty of options. Hiking trails also abound from the easy stroll to the strenuous uphill treks, and you could top your hike off with a touch of wakeboarding or swimming at one of the many beaches.
There are also a wide variety of cultural opportunities. Numerous galleries hold shows on a regular basis and other venues such as the Fringe Club showcase a variety of theater, music and art shows. There are comedy clubs to get you laughing. The city is also a popular stopping off point for visiting symphony companies, ballet troupes, dance groups, and rock musicians.