Regional Advisor supporting Buckinghamshire New University (BNU)

Title-

Experience- 8+ years

Education- Educated to degree level or equivalent, preferably in the UK or Ireland

Location- India

About Buckinghamshire New University:

Buckinghamshire New University (BNU) is an ambitious, modern university that is always open to fresh ideas and thinking. We believe in the transformative power of education, and in doing the right thing by our students, people and communities we serve. That’s why our BNU community is a special place to work and study, and where people who want to make a difference can contribute and succeed.

Our University’s DRIVE values are at the heart of all that we do. We are united in being dynamic, responsible, inclusive, visionary and empowering to ensure that we provide the best experience to our learners and offer excellent service to our partners and to each other as colleagues. Our commitment to these values is unwavering and they are central to our mission.

BNU’s main campus is situated in High Wycombe, 25-minutes by train from central London, UK, with other campuses located in Aylesbury and Uxbridge. BNU offers a broad range of industry-focussed undergraduate and postgraduate degrees, and is well-regarded in the UK for the high levels of support given to students. 

About OneStep Global:

OneStep Global, a market entry firm specialized in the higher education sector. OneStep global helps global universities, colleges, government organizations to land and expand across Asia, through stake holder management and in country representation. OneStep global has been working with some very prestigious universities and colleges across the world. The solutions vary from market development, market entry and market presence. 

The Role

BNU’s International Student Recruitment team is responsible for the planning and implementation of effective recruitment strategies to build the University’s brand and profile in key regions, and for to meeting ambitious student number targets. Reporting to the Head of International Student Recruitment, the role holder will make a key contribution to building BNU’s brand and reputation across South Asia, securing the University’s income through international student enrolments, engaging with multiple recruitment channels and stakeholders, and capitalising on business development and partnership opportunities.

The new post will help to set and achieve challenging recruitment targets for the region, and will be responsible for developing and delivering the associated recruitment strategy and tactics. The role holder will work closely with colleagues across the wider Marketing, Recruitment, Admissions and Compliance teams to support the management of the University’s UKVI Sponsor Licence obligations with respect to responsible student recruitment and agent management. In addition, the post holder will also work closely with marketing colleagues to assist with profile raising and publicity activity for the region; be responsible for budget management; and co-ordinate in-country visits for academic and professional services colleagues as appropriate. It is intended that this post will also include line management and supervision of recruitment advisors elsewhere in the region in line with the University’s current and future global engagement ambitions.

This is a front facing role that requires excellent interpersonal skills, a strong aptitude for management (both self and other) and experience of working strategically within an international environment. The post holder will be required to undertake significant travel across South Asia and, on occasion, may be asked to assist with activity across the other region. The post holder will be based in India, with the precise location to be decided depending on the location of the preferred candidate. 

Key Responsiblities:

·      Be responsible for the design and delivery of effective recruitment market plans and strategies to maximise student and revenue growth from region.

·      Carry out the day-to-day activity required to realize the objectives of this marketing and recruitment strategy: attending exhibitions, undertaking school and college visits, visiting agencies, scoping potential university partners etc.

·      Develop and maintain positive working relationships with key external stakeholders in the region: education agents, school and college counsellors, Visa office, government bodies, sponsorship bodies, accreditation bodies, alumni, etc.

·      Develop and maintain positive working relationships with key internal stakeholders at the University; in particular, the Head of International Student Recruitment , International Admissions Manager,  Compliance Manager and Academic colleagues as appropriate.

·      The incumbent will work closely with the University’s existing agent network developing and maintaining these relationships whilst building new agents partnerships across the region.

·      The incumbent will attend education fairs and recruitment events across the region and the Subcontinent to meet and advise prospective students and offer-holders on a range of matters including programs, entry requirements and application processes.

·      The incumbent will work closely with colleagues across the University to implement and manage robust recruitment and admissions processes in line with the University’s UKVI Sponsor Licence obligations.

·      Organize and support recruitment-focused events like offer-holder briefings and pre-departure events by booking venue(s), sending invitations, attending events across the region etc.

·      Event Management – Organising and supporting agent workshops, recruitment events with schools, alumni and other stakeholders, University visits in the region and across the Subcontinent.

·      Support promotional campaigns such as promotion of scholarships to offer-holders through creation and distribution of materials to relevant stakeholders.

·      Conduct market research by gathering contact information for high school counsellors and competitor institution entry requirements from the region. Source, analyse and provide region wise market intelligence.

·      Develop business cases and budget plans for forthcoming years, including requirements for overseas expenditure, partnerships and overseas staffing requirements.

·      Manage regional budgets and track expenditure in line with agreed budgets with a focus on impact and return on investment.

·      Lead, manage and develop team members based in the region.

·      Be responsible for planning own travel schedule and the travel schedule of visiting colleagues as appropriate.

·      Participate in the activities of the wider Directorate and carry out other duties or project work as directed by the Head of International Student Recrruitment from the university. 

Person Specifications:

·      Educated to degree level or equivalent, preferably in the UK or Ireland.

·      Understanding of the opportunities and challenges affecting the global higher education market.

·      Demonstrable (8+ years) student recruitment experience of working in overseas, preferably to the UK or Ireland.

·      Strong relationship management skills with a focus on customer service.

·      Previous line management experience, with a proven record in planning workloads for recruitment support colleagues.

·      Proven experience of planning and implementing effective recruitment and conversion plans to maximise student growth from priority markets.

·      Experience of managing an extensive agent network for student recruitment purposes.

·      Understand the importance of service delivery and show a willingness to work with colleagues across the University to collectively work towards the strategic goals of the University.

·      An in depth understanding of UK immigration policies, and how this translates to effective and responsible recruitment practices.

·      Highly developed written and oral communication and presentation skills, including use of digital and social media for business purposes.

·      Good IT skills, with the ability to produce reports based on understanding and manipulation of complex statistical data.

·      Creative and positive attitude, with the ability and confidence to respond quickly to meet changing customer and market demands.

·      Strong organisational skills and the ability to prioritise demanding workloads and meet deadlines in a pressurised environment.

·      Willingness to adopt a flexible working approach by working unsocial hours, weekends or occasional public holidays when required.

·      Ability to undertake business-related travel in market on an unrestricted basis (indicative 20 weeks per year), and undertake visits to the UK for training purposes.

·      Overseas travel will be required therefore the candidate should possess a valid Passport.

Availability and start date

Immediate, however any notice period for the right candidate will be honored.

NOTE:

OneStep Global is an equal opportunities employer and is committed to the employment policies, procedures and practices which do not discriminate on grounds such as gender, marital status, family status, age, disability, race, religious belief, sexual orientation.