Regional Development Manager - West Africa at United Kingdom Educational Advisory Service - UKEAS

Location: UKEAS VI office, Lagos, Nigeria
Salary Scale: On appointment
Department: International Recruitment Team
Contract: Two year fixed-term, with extension option
Responsible to: West Africa Manager - University of Liverpool and UKEAS Country Manager
Expected start date: Monday 13th January 2019 (subject to notice period)

The University of Liverpool

• The University of Liverpool (UoL) is a world famous brand; it is one of only two UK HE institutions to have a campus in China; has launched an innovative new campus in London; and is one the largest providers of wholly online degrees in Europe. Our research expertise spans a broad range of disciplines and is world leading in a number of subject areas. We have a national profile for our contribution to widening participation in UK HE, ensuring that no student able to benefit from studying at a Russell Group University is deterred from applying as a result of financial constraints.
• The University has ambitious plans for growth and has been pursuing a transformation agenda for a number of years. This is manifest in part in significant development of our University campus and the introduction of award winning Central Teaching Laboratories and on-campus student accommodation; a £25m investment in our libraries; a £36m investment in our engineering facilities, and a recent overhaul of the Guild of Students building which has been transformed as a result of £12m investment.
• The University is at the heart of a world famous city, Liverpool, which has been energetically reinventing itself over the past 10 years. The award of Capital of Culture in 2008 led to a £14bn development programme and the city is now a world leading leisure, retail and tourism destination, recently voted in the top 3 cities to visit in the world by the Rough Guide. Liverpool is a city alive with students.  During term time they make-up more than 10% of the population and are welcomed by residents who are grateful for the contribution that the universities in the region make to the local economy and the vibrancy that an international community brings to both the city and the region.  Website: www.liverpool.ac.uk

External Relations, Marketing and Communications
External Relations, Marketing & Communications is a large department of 170+ staff in Central Professional Services which covers the following areas:

• Marketing: Marketing Communications; Digital Communications; Market Intelligence & Customer Insight; Pricing & Portfolio; Data Science
• Communications and Public Affairs: Public Relations; Internal Communications; Student Communications; Public Engagement with Research; Public Affairs; Corporate Events
• Student Recruitment, Widening Participation and Admissions: UK Recruitment; International Recruitment, Relations and Study Abroad; Widening Participation and Outreach; Admissions
• Development and Alumni Relations: Fundraising; Annual Giving; Alumni & Supporter Relations

International Recruitment, Relations and Study Abroad (IRRSA)

• Working as part of the wider Student Recruitment, Admissions and Widening Participation (SRAWP) directorate and in partnership with Faculties, IRRSA has primary responsibility for delivering targets for the recruitment of international students and for driving up numbers of University of Liverpool students studying abroad.

The Role

• We are now seeking an exceptional candidate to join the International Recruitment Team of IRRSA in the role of Regional Development Manager to manage recruitment activities in West Africa, specifically Nigeria and Ghana. The role will be based within UKEAS’ Lagos (VI) office, one of the University’s key worldwide agencies. This is a fixed term (2 year) posting that may be renewed at the end of the term, subject to an appraisal of strategic outcomes against original plans.
• This position represents an exciting opportunity to work with the University of Liverpool, an institution that enjoys a strong brand in West Africa, but where there is plenty of potential to grow recruitment volume to Liverpool’s two campuses in the UK. The role focuses on the expansion of the crucial West African market, conversion of already high application numbers from both potential undergraduate and postgraduate taught students as well as providing year-round support and advice for all referred applicants. The post holder will be responsible for coordinating with the University’s key partners and stakeholders in the region, including: UKEAS, UoL’s other educational agents, Kaplan International Colleges, schools, universities and colleagues from Liverpool's joint venture China campus (XJTLU) who are also active in West Africa.
• The in-country representative will be an employee of UKEAS in Nigeria with the sole purpose of supporting the University of Liverpool. Management of this position will be the responsibility of the UoLs West Africa Manager with day to day management and HR support coming from UKEAS Country Manager. The post holder will therefore have close contact with UKEAS agency staff, the UoL International Recruitment Team, members of University academic staff plus those involved with international recruitment, admissions and pathways recruitment.
• Although the University of Liverpool is rightly renowned for recruiting a large proportion of its international student intake through its key recruitment partnerships, including an embedded pathway college on campus (Liverpool International College) and a joint venture university in China (XJLTU), open market recruitment still typically accounts for around 40% of the overall international intake each year.
• The International Recruitment Team is responsible for delivering central international recruitment activities undertaken on behalf of the whole University. The main purpose of these activities is to generate enquiries and applications from suitably qualified students from around the world and then support conversion from academic offer to registration. Open market, or direct, recruitment involves careful collaboration and coherent engagement with a range of stakeholders including sponsoring organisations, a network of educational agents, international schools, universities, prospective students and their supporters, plus sector multipliers including the British Council. It also entails engaging in behaviours, strategies and tactics routed in marketing and business development best practice. The International Recruitment Team is located in the main Liverpool campus, with members of recruitment staff based in Liverpool’s Singapore and China campuses too. This role will be the third overseas hub for recruitment, based out of Lagos, Nigeria.
• The Regional Development Manager will manage direct recruitment in Nigeria (c.80%) and Ghana (c.20%) and might occasionally visit the wider West Africa region when opportunities identified.

Core Accountabilities And Duties
Key Accountabilities / Primary Responsibilities:

• Under the direction of the UoL West Africa manager, manage the  recruitment of West African students to UoL’s campuses in Liverpool and London
• To strive to meet the on-campus recruitment target assigned to West Africa for Entry 2019 and Entry 2020.
• To assist in the delivery of the recruitment strategy and implementation of the tactics, at Undergraduate and Postgraduate levels
• To develop and manage the events’ plan for recruitment. This will entail frequent domestic and international  travel (around 10-12 weeks per year) for education exhibitions, school visits and events in West Africa
• In conjunction with UKEAS staff and the International Recruitment Team, manage the admissions and support of international students
• To develop strategic links with the University of Liverpool’s main partners in the West Africa region including Kaplan International Colleges, visiting XJTLU colleagues and sponsoring organisations
• To account manage the UoL’s educational agents and target schools and colleges and to maintain productive relations with a broad range of sector bodies including the British Council and funding bodies.

Key Duties:

• To be a competent and professional representative of the University of Liverpool in all dealings with stakeholders, and handle any enquiries in an expert and timely manner
• To generate new applications for the University of Liverpool through the UKEAS network
• To generate new applications for the University of Liverpool through the wider UoL agent network
• To manage the conversion of referred applications with offers, offering a local contact point with advice and counselling for the rest of the application process
• To work with the Admissions Office at the University of Liverpool to ensure the complete application process runs as smoothly as possible.
• To assist in the provision of recruitment support for academic departments including advising on the suitability of qualifications
• To give professional one to one attention to prospective students and their parents and submit a weekly report on the status of all applications (referrals and UKEAS generated)
• To deliver engaging presentations to large groups of students, agents and stakeholders
• To provide expert visa advice and to manage the application process to ensure no visa refusals
• To assist in the preparation of University of Liverpool visits to Nigeria and Ghana, including promotional activity and contacting of existing enquirers and applicants
• To liaise with UKEAS colleagues in all the Nigeria and Ghana offices to ensure a high visibility of University of Liverpool offering
• To represent Liverpool at promotional events such as recruitment fairs, exhibitions, conferences and school visits in Nigeria/Ghana, and on occasion, other countries (subject to visa restrictions)
• Travel extensively across Nigeria, and to a lesser extent Ghana, to conduct student interview sessions, pre-departure briefings and counselling at agents’ and partners’ offices when necessary
• To manage a range of PR activities in Nigeria and Ghana to increase brand awareness and market visibility
• To assist with the creation of content for the University’s social media feeds
• To regularly update colleagues on developments within the West Africa Education sector and to suggest changes to the UoL portfolio of programmes and entry requirements in line with market demand and conditions
• To engage in joint-activity with Kaplan and XJTLU colleagues in the assigned markets. This could include – but would not be restricted to - joint exhibition attendance, visits to schools, agents, universities and sponsors.

Internal & External Relationships

• Internal: UoL (International Recruitment Team, Admissions, Development & Alumni & Marketing), UKEAS, Kaplan International Colleges and XJTLU
• External: Agents, International schools, universities, sponsors, embassies, British Council, University of Liverpool alumni.

Person Specification (Identified from - Application form, CV, Supporting Statement, Interview, References)

Experience
Essential Criteria:

• Experience of working in higher education or a fast paced business environment.
• Relevant experience of working in an account management or marketing or business development role.
• Experience of working within a cross-cultural environment with a wide range of stakeholders at all levels.
• Experience of writing and implementing marketing plans and tactics.

Desirable Criteria:

• University of Liverpool graduate.
• Experience of working in Nigeria for another Higher Education institution.
• Experience of using social media marketing.
• Experience of analysing data to inform strategic planning.

Education, Qualifications And Training
Essential Criteria:

• A degree (or equivalent qualification or relevant professional experience).
• Evidence of commitment to continued professional development.

Desirable Criteria:

• Marketing or communication qualification.
• Masters degree

Skills, General And Special Knowledge
Essential Criteria:

• Knowledge of the international education market and issues affecting the relative success of UK universities.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills with excellent spelling, grammar and punctuation.
• Excellent public speaking skills and ability to address large audiences to engage and influence.
• Excellent planning and organisation skills, ability to balance conflicting deadlines and multiple priorities.
• Exemplary interpersonal skills, including the ability to network and interact effectively to influence a wide range of stakeholders internally and internationally.
• Data manipulation skills to analyse and to present data in support of proposals.
• Experience of dealing with demanding clients and employing diplomatic, but assertive, approaches to ensure desired outcomes
• Excellent report writing skills.
• Methodical approach with keen attention to detail.
• Keen awareness of cross-cultural issues and ability to break down cultural barriers to aid effective communication.

Desirable Criteria:

• An awareness of the pressures facing the HE sector in the UK.
• Analytical and evaluative skills to contribute to strategy development.
• Experience of using social media in a business or commercial context.
• Counselling skills to work with students seeking advice about their study options.
• An understanding of how business is done, in West Africa.

Personal Attributes And Circumstances:

• Trustworthy and professional, with a mature attitude to instil confidence and inspire others.
• Commitment to undertake extensive travel to represent the University in the Nigeria or overseas. This is likely to be in the region of 12-weeks per year and could span weekends and evenings.
• Team player with a commitment to work towards team as well as individual objectives.
• Can manage a heavy workload and remain calm under pressure.
• Able to use initiative to solve problems. 
• Ability to establish good working relationships and engender confidence at all levels.
• Tact, diplomacy and ambassadorial qualities.
• Outgoing and engaging personality.
• Commitment to customer service excellence.
• Embodies and upholds the University’s vision and values.
• Knows when to utilise tact and discretion in everyday work.
• Takes ownership of personal development by identifying training needs and highlighting to manager.