Librarian – MYP/DP – GEMS Education

GEMS World Academy Abu Dhabi delivers the full IB continuum, and this role is for a Librarian supporting the older end of that continuum — the Middle Years Programme and Diploma Programme. As students move from PYP inquiry into MYP and DP-level academic research, the demands on a school library shift significantly, toward supporting extended essays, internal assessments, and genuinely independent research.

The role involves supporting MYP and DP students with research skills, academic referencing, and source evaluation, managing a collection appropriate to the more advanced needs of secondary students, and working closely with subject teachers and the DP coordinator to align library support with coursework like the Extended Essay and Theory of Knowledge. There’s a real academic-mentoring component to the role at this level, beyond straightforward library administration.

It suits someone with library or information science training and strong communication and interpersonal skills for working directly with teenage and young adult students on serious academic research, ideally with experience in a secondary or international school setting. Patience for coaching independent research skills, and genuine familiarity with how DP assessment works, both matter.

This is a role for someone who wants their library expertise to directly support the most academically demanding stage of the IB continuum.

MYP and DP students depend on strong research and referencing skills to succeed in the Extended Essay, internal assessments, and coursework across subjects, and a librarian who actively coaches those skills has a measurable effect on academic outcomes at exactly the stage where they count most for university admissions. A library that's genuinely equipped and staffed to support serious independent research also strengthens a school's academic reputation, since DP results and the quality of student research work are closely watched by both accreditation bodies and prospective parents. Where library support at this level is weak, students often struggle with source evaluation and academic integrity issues that show up later in assessed work; strong support here heads those problems off well before they affect grades. In a school this size, one librarian doing this well touches the academic development of every DP student passing through the Extended Essay process. Over years, the research habits built at this stage often shape how confidently a student approaches independent academic work well beyond their time in the DP programme itself.

This role builds a genuinely specialised and portable skill set: academic research coaching at the secondary and pre-university level, combined with deep familiarity with IB DP assessment requirements, is exactly the profile international schools look for when hiring library staff at this level. Working closely with subject teachers and the DP coordinator also builds strong cross-departmental collaboration skills and a real understanding of how an IB Diploma programme is assessed end to end, knowledge that extends beyond the library itself. Because DP research support is a recognised specialisation within international school librarianship, time in a role like this at a well-regarded GEMS school builds a credential that travels well to other IB World Schools internationally. The direct mentoring relationship with older students, coaching them through genuinely challenging independent research, also builds skills relevant to academic advising or curriculum coordination roles for anyone who wants to move in that direction later. For a librarian who wants their work to sit close to serious academic outcomes rather than purely operational library management, this role offers exactly that kind of impact. It also builds genuine expertise in academic integrity education, an increasingly important skill area as schools worldwide place more weight on original, well-sourced student research.

• Recognised qualification in library science, information science, or education, with relevant secondary school library experience
• Familiarity with the IB Middle Years Programme and Diploma Programme, including academic research and referencing standards
• Experience supporting students with independent research projects such as the Extended Essay
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills for working with secondary and young adult students
• Ability to collaborate closely with subject teachers and the DP coordinator on curriculum-aligned resourcing
• Strong organisational skills for collection management appropriate to MYP/DP academic needs
• Commitment to inclusion, safeguarding, and the school’s stated values