Job Summary
The University of Birmingham is a global institution, offering an inspiring education to our students, and undertaking critically important research. We are a place of open, critical thinking, and the creation, sharing and dissemination of knowledge. With our ambition to be a leading global university, we will tackle global challenges, so that our research extends beyond regional and national boundaries to have international impact. Our students form an international community, and we will provide them with an outstanding international experience, both at their home campuses and through high levels of mobility. Professional Services play a crucial role by providing outstanding support to our researchers, enable an exceptional educational experience for our students, and help the University to grow its influence regionally, nationally, and globally. They ensure the University’s resources are used wisely, manage and improve the infrastructure which sits at the heart of the institution, and support decisions to be made quickly and based on sound evidence. Our Birmingham Professional programme operates across the University, supporting colleagues to network and collaborate, offering opportunities to learn and develop, contributing to the delivery of the University’s objectives, and helping everyone to understand the broader context within which we work.
External Relations is the division responsible for delivering our University to the world and prides itself in seizing opportunities that will enhance the profile and reputation of the University. We engage with many different audiences to build purposeful relationships internally, locally, nationally and internationally. We enable those who wish to apply to study on our courses to make informed choices. We recognise that we are strongest when we work together and take pride in upholding our core values of being ambitious, innovative, open, collaborative and responsible.
The Regional Manager for South Asia and the Middle East is responsible for delivering the University of Birmingham’s strategy for the region.
The postholder will work to a regional strategy which delivers on the University’s priorities and targets, recognising the inter-dependencies, in areas such as student recruitment, international partnerships, new business opportunities (spanning training and education), and facilitating student mobility. Other priorities for the region defined by the University may include supporting student careers and employability, alumni relations and philanthropy. The regional strategy will directly contribute to the universities ambitious strategy to grow its global profile and reputation and become a top 50 global university.
The postholder will formulate and implement recruitment and marketing strategies to achieve stretching and ambitious targets across a range of markets in the South Asia and Middle East regions. They will develop innovative approaches to attract new students to the University of Birmingham from across a variety of recruitment channels.
The postholder will work closely with academic and professional service colleagues across the University of Birmingham’s campuses in the UK and Dubai, and with senior members of staff across the university.
The role will require a significant amount of travel within the regions, often for long periods of time and including weekends and public holidays. They will make regular visits to UoB’s campuses in UK and Dubai.
Regional implementation
- With the Regional Director, implement a comprehensive and coherent regional strategy that aligns with institutional priorities across multiple agenda and delivers on agreed targets and key performance indicators (KPIs). The postholder will work effectively in a matrix structure to Directors with functional leadership responsibilities.
- Ensure that the team are undertaking regular market insight to inform UoB colleagues, including changes in market conditions, new opportunities, and competitor activity.
Student recruitment and mobility
- Oversee recruitment activities which drive applications to programmes across the University of Birmingham portfolio covering the UK and Dubai.
- Formulate and implementing innovative recruitment strategies and plans for the agreed markets and review and revise on a regular basis
- Identify recruitment opportunities based on the analysis of data from internal / external sources, monitoring of developments across key markets and feedback from in-country partners
- Manage the University’s network of recruitment agents in designated markets. Use experience and judgement to identify, assess and recommend suitable agents for appointment as the University’s representatives and lead on the negotiation of contracts.
- Set ambitious targets for agents on annual basis and monitoring performance throughout the recruitment cycle, ensuring that application and conversion expectations are achieved. Where required, underperformance will be addressed by the post-holder swiftly
- Act as a key point of contact for academic and professional staff across the University’s five colleges for expert advice on the market portfolio. Provide broad advice on recruitment activities based on strategic priorities and handle queries from colleagues within the Colleges.
- Alert colleagues to recruitment and marketing opportunities where they arise in specified markets related to specific subject areas. Providing advice on responding to such recruitment opportunities using innovative marketing and recruitment method
Partnership building and stakeholder management
- Develop and manage relationships with key partners, sponsors, agents, ministries, schools and other stakeholders that support delivery of strategic priorities.
- Act as a first point of contact and relationship holder with regional stakeholders and represent the University as appropriate.
- Ensure that an up-to-date stakeholder database is maintained.
- Create and maintaining mutually beneficial relationships with key contacts in each market in order to maximise recruitment. Such contacts may include school principals, counsellors, Vice chancellors, ministry officials and scholarship-awarding bodies
- Managing visits from senior staff (senior academics, partner representatives, government officials, and Embassy staff). Within this, oversee and deliver the preparation suitable programme of activities.
- Staff and infrastructure management
- Provide leadership and line management for professional services staff located within the region.
- Managing the performance of direct reports with student recruitment and other targets for countries in the post-holder’s regions
- Lead on the recruitment, selection and induction of new staff as appropriate
Budget management
- Prepare budget proposals to support the delivery of strategies on an ongoing basis and closely monitoring expenditure against agreed budgets on an ongoing basis. The post-holder will be expected to identify and rectify any potential deviations from the agreed budget quickly and effectively
Essential
- Qualifications at least to first degree level
- At least 5 year’s previous experience of international student recruitment or international sales / marketing
- Line management experience
- Highly developed oral and written communication skills to credibly deal with a wide range of contacts, both internally and externally, and at all levels from potential students to vice chancellors and diplomats
- Excellent presentation skills
- Excellent interpersonal skills e.g. capability to lead, motivate, facilitate, communicate effectively with colleagues from around the world
- Extensive experience of managing a range of diverse stakeholders
- High level of enthusiasm, personal commitment and independence to undertake lengthy periods of travel overseas without supervision
- Problem solving and organisational skills to deal with complex and difficult situations autonomously as they arise
- A high level of literacy and attention to detail to produce clear, concise reports and strategies
- High level of numeracy and prior experience of managing budgets and analysing basic statistical information
- Tact, diplomacy and negotiating skills
- Cultural sensitivity
- IT skills, particularly Microsoft office packages
Preferred
- Previous experience of working in an HE environment or similar
- A professional qualification in, or previous experience of, marketing
- Experience of formulating and / or implementing marketing or recruitment strategies
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