Job Title: Senior International Officer

THE UNIVERSITY OF NOTTINGHAM
Recruitment Role Profile Form

Job Title: Senior International Officer:

International Admissions and CRM

School/Department:International Office

Salary: £37,394-£45,954per annum, depending on skills and experience. Salary progression beyond this scale is subject to performance.

Job Family and Level:Administrative, Professional & Managerial Level 5

Contract Status:This is a permanent post

Hours of Work: 36.25 hours per week, full-time

Location:Jubilee Campus, University of Nottingham

Reporting to:Assistant Director, Directorate Team

The International Office

The International Office plays a central role in supporting the development and implementation of The University’s Internationalisation Strategy, focusing in particular on international student mobility (both the recruitment of students from overseas as well as the placement of UK-based students on study and internship opportunities with partners across the world), international teaching partnerships and international relations, including support for students, staff, overseas visitors and sponsors and an appointed network of recruitment representatives. The University’s UK campuses are home to around 10,000 international and EU students from more than 140 countries.

Being part of one of the UK’s leading International Offices, means you will gain experience across the full international portfolio, working in an office that encompasses international support and student integration, full degree partnerships and international recruitment, study abroad, international marketing and communications, international admissions, scholarships, sponsors and the University IELTS centre.

The role holder will work with a dynamic and highly committed management team and we are looking for someone who thrives on bringing energy, enthusiasm and initiative to the workplace and who will contribute fresh ideas and inspire others to achieve impactful results.

Job Outline:

The role holder will be driven by the Office’s guiding principles, with a particular focus on ethical approach and value for money and efficiency, and will provide a customer-centred, data driven, proactive service to all customers – external and internal.

This post hasan important role in the leadership and management of the International Office – determining KPIs, policy, tactical and operational direction for agent, incoming no award and international CRM / enquiries management activity, deputising on occasion for Assistant Directors across the office as needed, hosting inward visits and delegations and supporting sponsor applicants and student cohorts.

The International Admissions Team manages the University’s relationship with international recruitment agents and processes all incoming agent and bespoke sponsor and partnerapplications and related enquiries for full degree, study abroad and exchange students in a timely, customer focussed fashion. Outstanding customer service delivery and a drive for speed and quality of process and responseis key.

The role holder must have demonstrable strengths in relationship management and be process driven, with a focus on lean process development, people and systems management and have a track record of making things happen in an HE environment.

The role holder will demonstrate creative thinking and novel approaches to incoming non award student applications, agent management and CRM. They will have a solid HE background with significant experience in international office work.

Candidates must have studied in the UK, be educated to at least Bachelors level and be able to demonstrate sound business acumen and strategic thinking.

Occasional travel may be required to support wider office objectives, but will not form a significant part of the role. This would be an ideal opportunity for an experienced internationalisation professional keen to continue working in the international arena, to move to a more UK-based role.

A flexible and co-operative approach to working patterns isrequired.

The University of Nottingham

The University of Nottingham is a founder member of the Russell Group, the UK equivalent to the US Ivy League, which represents the leading 24 UK universities committed to maintaining world class research, an outstanding teaching and learning experience and unrivalled links with business and the public sector. The University of Nottingham's position as a world-class University is confirmed by its ranking in the global league tables. We are ranked in the top 1 per cent of all universities worldwide. As one of the first universities to establish overseas campuses in Malaysia and China, Nottingham’s student experience is a truly international one – offering life-changing opportunities to study abroad, links to employers across the world and a globally-recognised qualification.

Main Responsibilities / % time per year
1. / International Recruitment Agents and Admissions
To manage, direct and supportthe University’s appointed recruitment representatives, including contractual tendering, terminations and new appointments and all aspects of agent support, training, development and marketing communications, aligned to guiding principles outlined in the London Code and UKCISA Code of Ethics.
Fostering excellent working relationships with appointed recruitment representatives, ensuring agent focus and support in regional teams, leading best practice approach and fostering a strong partnership ethic in this area of our work.
Ensuring ongoing continuous service delivery improvement and regular monitoring and analysis of recruitment representatives’ performance and service delivery to prospective students.
To lead and implement customer service delivery policies and support to appointed representatives, partners and sponsors, including Service Level Agreement development and implementation for Nottingham teams.
To manage commission and spend forecasting, ensuring clarity and transparency of practices and policy both internally and externally, recommending change or updates to current practices and regular assessment of Value for Money.
To manage and direct statistical and trend data analysis of agents’ recruitment performance with resulting recommendations.
To develop a robust set of metrics to measure agents’ service provision, our service provision to them and to track the success of our agent training, marketing communications and engagement activity. / 25%
2. / International Admissions and MI Reporting
To lead and direct timely MI reporting on international admissions trends – agents, non award, and headline market/regional variations, reporting to senior colleagues as required and developing relevant written reports/analysis and guiding commentary.
To support bespoke sponsor application cohorts (full degree and occasional applicants) and supporting systems/processes, ensuring co-ordinated activity with the Sponsors and Scholarships and Regional teams and wider University stakeholders. / 10%
3. / Incoming Study Abroad and Exchange Students
To oversee the incoming non award student application process for all undergraduate and postgraduate students, including income generation projections, net margin and fee setting policy input as well as UKVI CAS issuing compliance.
To lead and ensure an ethic of constant evaluation and re-evaluation of partner incentives, assessing impact and recommending change as needed.
To direct, oversee and ensure continuous improvements to related systems/databases and stakeholder communicationsto ensure optimum service delivery and a quality applicant experience.
To liaise closely with Schools and Departments, negotiating significantly where necessary, to ensure agreed partner numbers and start dates are adhered to. Where this is not possible, to develop sound processes and policy guidance to request and progress non-standard start applicants and agreements.
To manage the provision of statistical and trend data analysis on incoming non award students, in a timely manner each semester. / 25%
4. / CRM / Enquiries Management
To work collaboratively with Marketing, Communications and Recruitment colleagues to ensure a targeted and segmented enquirer and applicant international CRM strategy, ensuring a strategic and evidence-based approach, managing relevant members of staff and leading insights analysis and directing MI reporting. / 15%
5. / To act as line manager for identified members of staff (both permanent and temporary) in the UK and to plan for seasonal peaks/troughs in workload in a timely manner.
This will also require staff selection, training, induction, goal setting, staff motivation, performance review and mentoring. / 10%
6. / To manage the international undergraduate late recruitment (Clearing) process. This will include supporting late recruitment processes in all markets, ensuring consistency of approach, clarity and accuracy of information capture and close liaison with Central Admissions Office and CELE colleagues, setting policy and procedure guidance for International Office Staff and Admissions tutors.
Monitoring and reporting on activity and admissions specific initiative effectiveness by market (in liaison with Regional Teams) will be key. / 5%
7. / To attend a range of internal and external events, including incoming agent, sponsor and institutional visits, Marketing, Recruitment and Admissions Forums, committees, staff training sessions, workshops, bespoke advice to academic Schools and Departments etc. / 5%
8. / To manage relevant areas of the annual planning and budgetary forecasting process. / 2.5%
9. / To project manage initiatives as required and to significantly contribute to the wider International Office remit, working across all teams, including participation in and/or management of cross-office activities as may be agreed from time to time. / 2.5%

Knowledge, Skills, Qualifications & Experience

Essential / Desirable
Qualifications/ Education /

Educated to degree level, 2.1 classification or equivalent.
A professional qualification in, or significant previous experience of, international marketing, recruitment and/or admissions.

Masters degree
Professional marketing qualification

Skills/Training /

Highly organised, self-motivated and committed, with the ability to work efficiently with minimal supervision and find solutions to complex issues as they arise
Numerate with statistical analysis experience
A passion for outstanding customer service delivery and a drive for speed and quality of process and response
Demonstrable strengths in customer relationship management
Strong external environmental awareness, an ability to see the bigger picture and strategic perspectiv
Strong understanding of UK University admissions systems and processes
An inherent focus on ROI, data driven decision making and ongoing trend analysis
Well-developed administrative and organisational skills, attention to detail and an ability to manage conflicting priorities and meet tight deadlines
Process driven, with a focus on lean process development, people and systems
A personable, engaging approach to problem solving and relationship management
Ability to work methodically and thoroughly, maintaining high standards of accuracy and consistency, including significant data manipulation
Excellent literacy, presentation and interpersonal skills with evidence of building effective working relationships at all levels and communicating across a wide range of internal and external audiences
IT skills, highly proficient in the use Microsoft Office, excel, powerpoint and access particularly.

Project Management skills
CRM systems knowledge
CMS systems knowledge
E-marketing techniques, systems and metrics

Experience /

Considerable specialist experience of international student recruitment, admissions and/or marketingin an HE environment
Significant experience of overseas education systems / qualifications and in the provision of overseas qualifications equivalencies guidance
Solid understanding of the UCAS process and direct recruitment practices
Autonomous decision making responsibility and negotiation skills
Experience of study abroad/exchange
Sound understanding of Exchange/Study Abroad in the international context particularly in relation to quality assurance and immigration.
Staff management experience
Experience of relevant legislation, including bribery act, data protection and EU procurement law
Experience of UKVI CAS issuing regulations and student visitor visa vs student visa nuances
Demonstrable track record of making things happen in an HE environment
Experience in preparing marketing communications to ensure optimum conversions
Experience of monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of activity, implementing change as required.

Experience of working or studying outside the UK
prior experience of budgetary management (in excess of £500K)

Other /

A flexible approach towards working patterns is needed which may include working some weekends and evenings.
Occasional overseas travel may be required. The person appointed must therefore hold a valid passport.
Cross cultural sensitivity and experience of working with other cultures

Proficiency in other languages

Decision Making

i)taken independently by the role holder

Process and systems development and improvements relating to agents, incoming non award students and operational CRM related decision making.
All non award application processing outside agreed start dates
Straight forward agent appointments, renewals and terminations

ii)taken in collaboration with others

More complex agent contract issuing, renewal, termination etc. or any amendments to agreed contractual wording
Non award application processing outside agreed start dates – complex cases (e.g. Strategic institutional partners)
CRM strategy development, including defining aims, objectives and corresponding metrics

iii)referred to the appropriate line manager (please name) by the role holder

Staffing issues where necessary – including agent disciplinary action.
Commission award policy

Due to the requirements of the UK Border and Immigration Agency, applicants who are not UK or EEA nationals and whose immigration status entitles them to work without restriction in the UK will be considered on an equal basis with UK and EEA nationals. Other non-UK or non-EEA nationals whose employment will require permission to work subject to a resident labour market test may only be considered if there are no suitable UK or EEA national candidates for the post. Please visit for more information.

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