Admissions Manager

Orbitaled has partnered with Robert Walters on the search for an Admissions Manager to join their Marketing and Admissions Team based in Cheadle.

Role Purpose The Admissions Manager will be responsible to the Director of Marketing for the conversion of leads generated by marketing activity into new admissions for schools to support the achievement of double-digit organic growth targets for the Group.

The post holder will work directly with school-based teams, providing direction, support, training, and oversight to school-based teams in meeting their new student acquisition targets.

The post holder will support the implementation and embedding of a CRM package into Orbital Education Schools by reviewing and adapting processes and procedures and training staff in new ways of working.

Key Accountabilities
1. Admissions Management and Development
• Oversee all admissions activity for student recruitment across the group to meet and exceed group admissions targets and KPI’s, providing regular reports to the Director of Marketing.
• Drive and motivate the admissions teams in all schools, ensuring a high standard of service to parents and efficient and diligent management of admissions
• Support the implementation of new admissions strategies and processes which drive growth
• Implement and govern standardised enquiry handling and standard operating procedures across the group, with common admissions stages, ensuring consistency, effective management of admissions, and data integrity
• Train staff in schools in implementing best practice operating procedures
• Drive the provision of accurate and effective data which supports future decision making
• Analyse admissions data to identify creative strategies to grow admissions and meet group admissions targets

2. Optimise Admissions Funnel – Optimise every opportunity to efficiently grow new enrolment
• Measure key aspects of the admissions funnel (conversion rates by stage, lost sales, response rates, etc..) consistently across school sites to ensure data is accurately captured and improvements are made
• Evaluate, benchmark, and target the performance of individuals and teams to support improved performance
• Coach and train admissions staff to improve their performance
• Implement effective communication and engagement with families to promote conversion
• Identify the barriers to conversion and work with schools to overcome them

3. Management Information and Reporting - Responsible for ensuring the accuracy of Marketing Management Information
• Improve and develop the systems surrounding all aspects of reporting on admissions
• Prepare a monthly report containing performance metrics and statistics for each site
• Interpret and evaluate data to identify opportunities for improvement and development
• Develop further insights and metrics of customer experience and continue to drive school-based activity to act on these to achieve a measurable improvement in conversion

4. CRM Implementation – Support non-technical aspects of CRM implementation
• Ensure the opportunities of CRM implementation are maximised by embedding improved practice from all users of the system
• Support the Director Marketing and CRM Project Manager to re-define marketing and admissions processes and practices for CRM
• Train marketing and admissions staff in new or changed practices associated with CRM implementation

Person Specification Skills, Knowledge, and Experience
• Preferably degree Qualified or relevant Marketing Qualification/Sales Experience.
• Previous consumer marketing/sales experience
• Experience in a similar role, within a service environment
• Able to demonstrate commercial acumen
• Previous experience of managing and overseeing sales conversion and customer retention activities
• Familiarity with all Microsoft packages with competent spreadsheet skills
• Some prior experience of working with CRM packages
• Ability to work and manage conflicting priorities and challenges
• Excellent communication skills both verbal and written, with an ability to communicate and build relationships

Behavioural Competencies
• Available for occasional international travel as required across the Group
• Analytical and creative, able to maintain excellent standards
• Able to work in a collaborative team, supporting colleagues and communicating effectively with all
• Committed to promoting and ensuring compliance with the Group’s policies, vision and values, best practice, codes of conduct, and equality and diversity policies
• Works independently and flexibility and comfortable to manage any other duties as may be reasonably required by the Director of Marketing
• Solution focused with a can-do attitude
• Enthusiastic, flexible, and able to respond to change
• Takes accountability for own training / professional development as necessary