External Relations

Location: University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham UK

Grade: 9

Full Time, Permanent

UK and International travel may be required for this role

People are at the heart of what we are and do.

The University of Birmingham is proud to have been a part of the City of Birmingham and the wider region for over 100 years, and we are equally proud to be recognised as a leading global university. We want to attract talented people from across the city and beyond, support them to succeed, and celebrate their success.

We are committed to helping the people who work here to develop through our sector-leading Birmingham Professional programme which provides all professional services staff with development opportunities and the encouragement to reach their full potential. With almost 5,000 professional services jobs in a wide-range of functions in Edgbaston and in our campus in Dubai, there are plenty of opportunities for you to be able to develop your career at the University.

We believe there is no such thing as a typical member of staff and that diversity is a source of strength that underpins the exchange of ideas, innovation, and debate. We warmly welcome people from all backgrounds and are committed to fostering an inclusive environment where diversity is at the heart of who and what we are, and how we work.

Supporting our people to achieve a healthy work/life balance is important both to our employees and to the success of the University and, depending on the role, we offer a variety of flexible working arrangements. We therefore welcome discussions on all forms of flexible working. In addition, you will receive a generous package of benefits including 40 days paid holiday a year, one paid day a year for volunteering, occupational sick pay, and a pension scheme. We also have three high quality subsidised day nurseries.

The University is situated in leafy Edgbaston and there are excellent transport links to our beautiful campus, including main bus routes and a train station on site. On campus we have a state-of-the-art sports centre with pool, shops, places to eat and drink, our own art gallery, museum and botanical gardens.

Find out more about the benefits of working for the University of Birmingham

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 Associate Director, International Student Recruitment will be responsible for the development, leadership, and execution of the University’s international student recruitment strategy. This senior position will lead an internationally located, high-performing team and work collaboratively with senior leadership, academic departments, global partners and other key stakeholders to attract high-quality students from around the world and ultimately meet our ambitious recruitment targets.

Develop and implement a comprehensive international student recruitment strategy aligned with the University’s global ambitions, to meet the institutions international recruitment targets (covering all levels of study and recruitment to UK and Dubai campuses).

Lead and manage the International Recruitment team, setting performance targets, providing professional development, and fostering a culture of excellence.

Play a key role in influencing the University’s approach to international student recruitment. Use data and insight to influence new markets, target setting and an optimum programme portfolio; work with other departments and key internal stakeholders to ensure a seamless applicant journey and a high-quality experience for students joining the University. 

Oversee the planning and execution of international recruitment activities including fairs, school visits, virtual events, open days and conversion events, and campaigns, identifying and prioritising key markets using data-driven insights.

Ensure effective pipeline management, maximising the use of CRM and other data platforms.

Monitor and report on recruitment performance, market trends, and competitor activity to inform strategic decisions, including effective allocation of scholarship spend across a diverse set of markets.

Manage the international recruitment budget, controlling cost of acquisition and ensuring return on investment across activities.

Build and maintain strategic partnerships with agents, sponsors, international schools, governments, and other external stakeholders.

Represent the University at high-level international education events, consortia, and diplomatic forums. 

To work collaboratively across the External Relations Leadership Team to ensure that activities are coordinated and aligned.

Develop and implements a culture (including policies and procedures) that promotes Equality and values diversity and inclusion. 

Support the University’s sustainability agenda through resource efficient working. 

Any other duties commensurate with the grade.

Significant experience in international student recruitment within higher education.

Proven track record of developing and delivering successful recruitment strategies across diverse international markets, based on data and insight.

Excellent leadership and people management skills with experience in leading high-performing teams.

Strong commercial awareness and understanding of international market dynamics and student decision-making processes.

Familiarity with CRM and student recruitment platforms (e.g. Microsoft Dynamics, Salesforce).

Exceptional interpersonal, communication, influencing and negotiation skills with an ability to build relationships across cultures and sectors.

Proven experience of working across different international markets, and demonstrating strong cultural awareness.

Knowledge and experience of managing large and complex budgets.

Strong planning and project management skills.

Ability to travel internationally as required.

Educated to Degree level (or equivalent level qualifications), or extensive experience of working in a complex organisation plus substantial relevant managerial experience.

Ability to exercise a substantial degree of independent professional responsibility and discretion.

Ability to lead and manage diverse groups of staff through intermediate managers.

Excellent literacy and numeracy, with the ability to write for different audiences and for different purposes, and to produce and analyse complex source material, information and data.

Actively promotes equality and diversity to internal and external stakeholders.

Able to use data to identify equality and diversity issues. 

Experience of developing interventions to address equality and diversity issues

Working at this level you will be able to develop and successfully demonstrate the core competencies/transferable skills outlined in each of the areas shown below. You will be expected to take ownership for getting things done, including calling on others to join you in collaborative working groups as necessary. You will need to be flexible in supporting your department and wider University. 

lead and manage a functional area, taking responsibility for staff and resources, tackling planning and operations over the medium to long term;

shape strategic direction for own area, and make significant contributions to departmental strategic planning; 

set quality and professional standards for others; 

take accountability for the quality and delivery of a service or for the provision of expert professional advice; 

take the initiative and manage large-scale changes; 

make decisions and judgements on conflicting data/information;

as appropriate, research and develop drafts of papers, taking account of the final audience, socialising ideas and seeking input and producing final drafts;

lead and manage projects which are complex and significant in terms of time and financial resources.

evaluate service provision and implement innovative solutions to improve quality, efficiency and continuity;

ensure effective resolution of all issues in own area, often requiring complex problem solving through others; 

identify trends which could have an impact on the area, and identify and implement approaches to these trends;

deal effectively and sensitively with significant and substantial people management issues, such as major change programmes and lead staff through change whilst maintaining motivation.

quickly develop an in-depth understanding of their own area and an excellent understanding of the contribution other areas make to success of the University; 

quickly develop an excellent understanding of how the University and academia operate in the UK (and beyond as appropriate);

demonstrate empathy with the academic endeavour and encourages others to do so. 

interact effectively at senior levels within the University;

network with fellow professionals in the wider community to stay up to date;

promote own/department’s work at internal and external opportunities;

inspire and motivate others (often large teams) through multiple intermediary managers; 

provide expert input for internal/external meetings, influencing and facilitating different opinions to reach consensus;

consult with service users/others to establish service requirements, standards and priorities for change. 

Informal enquiries to Hadil El-Agami, email: hadil@thepieexecsearch.com

View our staff values and behaviours here 

We believe there is no such thing as a 'typical' member of University of Birmingham staff and that diversity in its many forms is a strength that underpins the exchange of ideas, innovation and debate at the heart of University life. We are committed to proactively addressing the barriers experienced by some groups in our community and are proud to hold Athena SWAN, Race Equality Charter and Disability Confident accreditations. We have an Equality Diversity and Inclusion Centre that focuses on continuously improving the University as a fair and inclusive place to work where everyone has the opportunity to succeed. We are also committed to sustainability, which is a key part of our strategy. You can find out more about our work to create a fairer university for everyone on our website.

Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis, so we encourage you to apply as soon as possible. Due to the high volume of applications received, only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.