University of Birmingham vacancies - Dubai, Student Recruitment Manager

University of Birmingham Dubai

Position Details

Student Recruitment Manager (Dubai) - Dubai Operations - 97053 - Grade 7 - (210001GY)

Dubai Professional Services, External Relations
University of Birmingham, Dubai campus
Salary: Competitive
Grade 7
Full time
Permanent
Location: Dubai, UAE
Closing date: 22 August 2021

University of Birmingham Dubai

Having established ourselves in Dubai International Academic City in 2018 we are now moving to a new and exciting phase of our development with the opening of our new state-of-the-art campus in September 2021. This post represents an excellent opportunity to join an ambitious World Top 100 University as we continue to grow our long-term strategic mission in Dubai, the UAE and the wider region. Our campus reflects the very best of Birmingham through our presence in Dubai.

Professional Services Ethos

Our ethos as a Professional Services team has been developed in line with the principles of being a Birmingham Professional. In particular, here in Dubai, this means that all Professional Services colleagues seek to collaborate effectively to ensure the needs of the whole campus community and our stakeholders are met. It also means that we work constructively together to provide a flexible range of service and support that adapt to the changing needs of the Campus as we grow. There are specific focal points in the academic cycle when all Professional Services team members will be expected to contribute regardless of their primary role, for example, Welcome or Graduation. In addition, the duties listed below are illustrative of the general nature and level of responsibility of this post which is likely to change over time in response to the needs of the Campus and as you develop your experience and skills. You will have the opportunity to develop and may also need to specialise your duties further, over time, in agreement with your manager.

In order to contribute to the success of the team and the University’s vision for the Dubai Campus the Professional Services team will be seeking to continue to recruit and develop colleagues who display:
a high level of intellectual aptitude;
strong agility and a portfolio of skills that can adapt to meet changing circumstances;
an innovative and creative mindset; and
both an enterprising and entrepreneurial nature to support our growth and pursuit of excellence.

Department Overview

The role of the Student Recruitment Manager is a key part of the Business Development and Engagement areas remit. This area is responsible for sales and marketing, business development, external engagement, communications, brand and reputation, and admissions for the Dubai campus. The team play a critical role in the future success of the University, delivering against student recruitment and other income targets, building key stakeholder relationships in the region and taking responsibility for the overall brand and reputation of the University’s only campus outside of the UK. It is a dynamic team which works closely with colleagues from across campus and in partnership with teams based in the UK, particularly the UK-based Admissions team. Team colleagues also have close connections to external partners in the UAE and other key recruitment markets (including China, India and Nigeria).

Job summary

The post holder will lead the Student Recruitment team and reports to the Head of Engagement and Business Development. They will lead the team responsible for delivering recruitment targets and for delivering business development strategies, particularly in relation to the delivery of CPD targets in partnership with the Business Development Manager. They will deploy a range of sales and recruitment tactics, including running events, attending exhibitions, building relationships with schools across the region, working with agents and managing scholarships in order to meet agreed targets. They will work collaboratively with colleagues across the team, and with academic colleagues in order to effectively deliver activities.

Main duties

General

• Promotes equality and values diversity acting as a role model and fostering an inclusive working culture.
• Actively manages equality, diversity and inclusion through monitoring and evaluation and actively challenging unacceptable behaviour.
• Undertake continuous personal and professional development.

Student Recruitment

• To deliver recruitment strategies in order to meet agreed recruitment targets
• To work with External Relations to ensure the effective delivery of the recruitment strategy for the Dubai campus, evaluating activities and providing suggestions for improvement.
• To closely monitor progress in meeting student recruitment targets on an ongoing basis and to provide regular reports against recruitment and marketing KPIs.
• Undertaking independent travel within the Emirates, the wider region and other key recruitment markets to attend education exhibitions, visit schools and universities, making promotional presentations to prospective staff, students and influencers (including parents, sponsors, agents, etc.).
• Work in partnership with colleagues in Marketing and Communications to deliver a seamless customer journey to prospective students. With input from others, help manage local social media channels to drive engagement.
• Establish strong relationships with government and private funding bodies, using experience and judgement to negotiate fee discounts where appropriate.
• Creating and maintaining mutually beneficial relationships with key contacts in each market in order to maximise recruitment. Such contacts may include school principals, counsellors, ministry officials, scholarship-awarding bodies
• Conducting one-to-one interviews with potential applicants to answer questions about the full range of undergraduate and postgraduate programmes offered at Birmingham, advising students on their suitability for admission in each case
• Manage relevant agent relationships in the region where agents’ primary remit is to recruit to the Dubai campus. Manage the process for nominating new agents to recruit to the Dubai campus and managing their performance.
• Take responsibility for delivering Open Days and other campus-based events, being a visible and knowledgeable presence at the events
• Engage with University of Birmingham academics to enhance the profile of key departments and subject areas with target audiences. Such engagement may include guest lectures, virtual applicant visit days, applicant webinars and University taster days.
• Manage scholarship / financial aid schemes to support recruitment campaigns. This will include monitoring competitor activity in this area, managing the promotion of scholarship programmes and overseeing the enquiry management and selection processes related to the schemes.
• To act as a source of information and expert advice about qualification in the market and in other key recruitment markets
• Support the Admissions function whenever necessary, ensuring that members of the team are fully trained on systems and processes in order to ensure the smooth delivery of admissions for UoB Dubai

Business Development

• Deliver agreed targets and activities for business engagement, particularly in relation to the delivery of a CPD strategy
• Build on existing relationships and help to establish strategic and corporate partnerships
• Identify and cultivate new opportunities for corporate engagement in country and the wider region that are in line with the University’s growing portfolio in Dubai
• Provide corporate partners with a ‘customer-led’ approach
• Provide professional advice and guidance to academic colleagues wanting to engage with business in the region
• Ensure integration with activities taking place from the team based in the UK

Other responsibilities

• Play a key leadership role in the Engagement and Business Development team, supporting other areas of the team and drawing on their expertise in order to meet agreed targets
• Play an active role in the wider Professional Service team, providing support at key times of year (including Welcome and Graduation)
• Manage incoming visits from academic staff who will support the recruitment and business engagement agenda, providing expert advice and guidance on the optimum ways to spend their time when in country

Line management responsibility

Manage relevant budgets. The post holder will monitor and forecast expenditure and provide reports on regular reconciliation of budgets.

Required Knowledge, Skills, Qualifications, Experience

• Understands the importance of equality, diversity and inclusion in the workplace
• Ability to identify and respond to equality and diversity issues in line with relevant policies and procedures
• Educated to degree level or equivalent relevant qualifications plus significant experience of working in a sales, recruitment or business development role, working to meet agreed targets
• Experience of presenting to external stakeholders
• Ability to work with initiative, take decisions and think creatively and laterally
• Problem solving and organisational skills to deal with complex and difficult situations autonomously as they arise
• Ability to work collaboratively with a range of stakeholders, partners based in Birmingham and/or Middle East

Cultural sensitivity

• Highly developed oral and written communication and presentation skills to deal with a wide range of contacts, both internally and externally, and at all levels from potential students to vice chancellors and diplomats
• Ability to work with Marketing and Communications colleagues to deliver seamless campaigns that achieve targets
• Capability to lead, motivate and facilitate
• High level of literacy and attention to detail to produce clear, concise reports and strategies
• Tact, diplomacy and negotiating skills
• The flexibility to work unsociable hours and travel outside of the Emirates when required

Dimensions

Planning and organising

• Organising events to attract students in order to meet recruitment targets
• In partnership with the Marketing and Communications team devise campaigns to reach target audiences

Problem solving and decision making

• Identifying appropriate recruitment channels in order to engage with a range of audiences, from prospective foundation and undergraduate students through to postgraduate and CPD.
• Review the impact of scholarships and make recommendations as to their future deployment

Internal and external relationships

• Recruitment and Business Development team
• Head of Engagement and Business Development
• Colleagues in Admissions and Marketing and Communications
• Businesses in order to build a CPD portfolio
• Agents and sponsors
• Academic colleagues
• Colleagues in the wider Dubai Professional Services team
• Colleagues based in the UK, in particular the International Recruitment team
• As interest in all of the advertised posts has been extremely high, we encourage you to apply online, tailoring your skillset against the listed criteria in the application form.

Valuing excellence, sustaining investment

We value diversity at the University of Birmingham and welcome applications from all sections of the community

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Primary Location: AE-AE-Dubai
Work Locations: Dubai Dubai International Academic City341799 Dubai
Job Manager
Organization External Relations
Schedule Regular
Full-time
Job Posting 31.07.2021, 6:00:00 PM
Grade (for job description) Grade 7
Advert Close Date 22.08.2021, 5:59:00 PM

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