International Recruitment Manager

Job Description

INTERNATIONAL RECRUITMENT MANAGER

JOB DESCRIPTION

Outline

The International Recruitment Manager is a highly visible Champion for Claremont, combining exceptional interpersonal and relationship-building skills with a proactive, commercially focused approach to international recruitment and business development for students from 11 years to 18 years of age.

The role requires an individual who can confidently represent Claremont School as its face and voice in international markets, proactively identify and convert opportunities, and build strong, trusted relationships with families, agents and partners. Equally, the postholder must be an exceptionally organised and dependable administrator, with the accuracy, discretion and attention to detail required to maintain highly sensitive student and immigration data, ensuring that records are complete, accurate and compliant with UK visa and immigration regulations and school systems. The role carries clear accountability for agreed KPIs including recruitment targets and reporting.

The International Recruitment Manager reports directly to the Head of Admissions and works closely with the Principal, Heads of School, Director of Boarding, and the Head of Marketing. The post holder will be expected to be a key point of contact effectively liaising with the full school community, including the Senior Leadership Team, plus partners, and families.

The International Recruitment Manager is expected to be the UKVI Key Contact for Claremont.

● Location: You will be based at our Prep School

● Line Manager: Head of Admissions

● Pay: Commensurate to experience + Bonus Scheme

ISP Principles

1. Begin with our children and students. Our children and students are at the heart of what we do. Simply, their success is our success. Wellbeing and safety are both essential for learners and learning. Therefore, we are consistent in identifying potential safeguarding issues and acting and following up on all concerns appropriately.

2. Treat everyone with care and respect. We look after one another, embrace similarities and differences and promote the well-being of self and others.

3. Operate effectively. We focus relentlessly on the things that are most important and will make the most difference. We apply school policies and procedures and embody the shared ideas of our community.

4. Learn continuously. Getting better is what drives us. We positively engage with personal and professional development and school improvement.

Key Responsibilities

1. Admissions, supporting proactive recruitment activities and achieve student recruitment targets

• Be responsible for the effective management of the whole admissions process for international students at the Prep and Senior Schools.

• Manage the enquiries from the Hubspot CMS database provided by the Head of Admissions, and subsequently track all steps of the admissions procedure.

• In dealing with enquiries from prospective families, respond quickly and with intelligent information relating to students’ specific needs, and ensuring warm, friendly, organised and efficient customer journey at all times.

• Arrange visits and interviews, including tours or online meetings, ensuring that staff are fully aware of expectations and organisation.

• Follow up each enquiry/visit/interview to secure a registration and formal application.

• Respond quickly to any enquiries received from agents who may enquiry on behalf of a particular family.

• Discuss and record the reasons why any family does not wish to proceed to a formal application.

• Ensure that all children wishing to be enrolled have either been assessed with an appropriate academic test or have been interviewed and met by the Head or a qualified member of the academic staff. (This may include a meeting with the Head of Learning Support for children with any learning difficulties).

• Where possible, arrange ´Taster Day´ experiences and ensure that all staff involved are fully informed with good notice given.

• Ensure that appropriate administration is completed for all new pupils joining, including signatures of parents on Acceptance Forms, Terms and Conditions, Medical Forms and other permissions slips as required by the School, as well as any CAS, student visa, flights, etc. for international students, and that they are accurately recorded on the MIS system.

• Provide a comprehensive ´Joining Pack´ for each new family prior to their child starting at the School. (To include academic results, summer reading preparation work, information on summer school etc).

• Liaise with the School Office on changes to current pupil numbers – whole school roll and individual classes and ensure the Heads of School and Director of Boarding are kept informed of all leavers and joiners.

• Coordinate the applications for scholarship assessments and communicate the details of those applying to the Heads of Schools and their PA, and, once the assessments are complete, to feedback the results to prospective parents and keep accurate records of those accepting, or not.

• Act as the Student Visa Key Contact to ensure compliance for Student Visa sponsorship and ensure that all UK Visa requirements are in place.

2. Support maximum student intake and retention

● Assist the Head of Admissions with the completion of regular KPI reports by tracking information and keeping records up to date at all times, providing real-time forecasting numbers for registered and prospective students.

● Liaise with the Heads of Key Stages and/or Schools to arrange transition events for parents, working closely with teaching staff in order to monitor movement, and with the Heads of School in arranging personal meetings with families in order to help with retention of non-natural leavers.

● Establish and grow relationships with educational agents globally, ensuring you maintain a good level of knowledge of the international student offer at all times.

● When appropriate, to visit new and existing markets to promote the school’s admission priorities.

● Be aware of market conditions, recruitment trends, emerging markets etc; keep relevant school staff updated and feed these into strategy and activities.

3. Engagement through brand awareness and external partnerships

● In consultation with the Head of Admissions and working closely with the Director of Boarding and Head of Marketing, devise and embed an effective international student recruitment strategy and action plan, including the identification of new markets and the brokering and development of new agent relationships.

● Work closely with the Head of Marketing to ensure relevance of messages to various international and domestic markets. Advise on the marketing collateral, translated materials, social media messages etc.

● Work closely with Heads of Schools and the Head of Marketing to best share Amazing Learning successes and progress with parents and the wider community to influence new leads retention.

● Assist with the organisation of Open Events and any corporate events involving local businesses with which the School is associated for pupil recruitment or retention purposes.

● Work with the Head of Admissions to organise Familiarisation Agent visits to the School, and attend fairs and events nationally and globally as required.

● Support the Heads of Schools in creating and maintaining mutually beneficial relationships with feeder schools, universities, local businesses, government entities, education agents and other organisations to maximise student recruitment and retention.

Other Responsibilities

● Undertake such other reasonable responsibilities and tasks that may be assigned by the Principal, Head of Admissions and the Regional Head of Admissions

Candidate Profile

1. Person specification

● Excellent organisation skills

● High proficiency with all Microsoft software packages including Word, PowerPoint and Excel, HubSpot and Engage would be preferable

● Strong customer service ethos and excellent problem-solving ability

● Cultural sensitivity and awareness

● A team player

2. Competencies

● High attention to detail

● Ability to multi-task

● Prioritises tasks and organises own time effectively

● Ability to communicate with all levels of seniority confidently

● Ability to deliver practical solutions to problems

● Reporting and analysing data

3. Qualifications

● Degree, professional qualifications or relevant work-related experience

4. Experience

● A minimum of 4 years’ experience working within a school’s admissions team would be preferable.

● Existing agent relationships would be an asset.

ISP Middle Leadership Competencies

1. Collaboration. You actively engage in leading your team; you are collaborative and is a genuine team player, developing positive and supportive relationships with colleagues to solve problems and maximise opportunities.

2. Learning & Getting Better. You continually demonstrate personal commitment and passion for learning and getting better using evidence and feedback; supporting others in their continual learning, development and growth.

3. Innovation Leadership. You help create an environment where ideas for learning initiatives and services are generated and can motivate and inspire others through the process of creation through to completion.

4. Resilience. You can deal with setbacks and challenges calmly and effectively.

5. Community Focus. You are committed to meeting and exceeding the needs and expectations of your students and their families.

6. Integrity & Ethical Management. You work ethically and with integrity; help others feel valued; uphold and model the ISP Vision, Purpose and Principles.

Safeguarding & Safer Recruitment

Claremont School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. All post holders are subject to appropriate vetting procedures and satisfactory Criminal Background Checks or equivalent covering the previous 10 years employment history.

About Claremont & ISP

Claremont School is an independent day and boarding school. The Nursery and the Prep School are based in St Leonards on Sea, and the Senior School is located in Bodiam, East Sussex. The school is non selective and welcomes children and young people from a large catchment area spanning 25 miles. In addition, one third of the students in the Senior School are international boarders.

Children join Claremont aged 2, and the school offers a British curriculum throughout with GCSEs and iGCSEs at KS4, and A Level and BTechs at KS5. In addition, the school delivers outstanding programmes in Performing Arts (winning an award for outstanding School for Performing Arts in 2021) and in football where students can join the Football academy and look to become professional players.

Results and Value-Added at Claremont are outstanding, with Senior School results beating national averages year on year, as well as more local independent selective schools. We believe that successful schools are the ones that put learning at the heart of everything they do, always aiming to create rounded individuals that can forge successful careers and lives, in a rapidly changing world. Claremont aims to be the School of Choice for the local area, and supports its young people to excel in all that they do in a safe and inspiring environment.

Claremont School is also part of the International Schools Partnership (ISP) group, comprising committed colleagues in financially responsible schools around the world, where learning is at the heart of everything we do for our students, colleagues, and parents. We are committed to getting better, all the time.

ISP was founded by an experienced team of committed educationalists and operators who have worked together over many years. ISP’s growing group of private schools are located across the world, including in the USA, Canada, Spain, Italy, India, Switzerland, Costa Rica, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Malaysia, Mexico, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru, educating children and students from 2–18 years of age. ISP has expanded to 105 schools that employ over 10,000 staff and deliver multiple curricula to over 80,000 students located across the globe.

ISP Commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging

ISP is committed to strengthening our inclusive culture by identifying, hiring, developing, and retaining high-performing teammates regardless of gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation and gender expression, age, disability status, neurodivergence, socio-economic background or other demographic characteristics. Candidates who share our vision and principles and are interested in contributing to the success of ISP through this role are strongly encouraged to apply.

ISP Principles

Begin with our children and students. Our children and students are at the heart of what we do. Simply, their success is our success. Wellbeing and safety are both essential for learners and learning. Therefore, we are consistent in identifying potential safeguarding

and Health & Safety issues and acting and following up on all concerns appropriately.

Treat everyone with care and respect. We look after one another, embrace similarities and differences and promote the well-being of self and others.

Operate effectively. We focus relentlessly on the things that are most important and will make the most difference. We apply school policies and procedures and embody the shared ideas of our community.

Are financially responsible. We make financial choices carefully based on the needs of the children, students and our schools.

Learn continuously. Getting better is what drives us. We positively engage with personal and professional development and school improvement.

ISP Commitment to Safeguarding Principles

ISP is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. All post holders are subject to appropriate vetting procedures, including an online due diligence search, references and satisfactory Criminal Background Checks or equivalent covering the previous 10 years’ employment history.

ISP Commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging

ISP is committed to strengthening our inclusive culture by identifying, hiring, developing, and retaining high-performing teammates regardless of gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation and gender expression, age, disability status, neurodivergence, socio-economic background or other demographic characteristics. Candidates who share our vision and principles and are interested in contributing to the success of ISP through this role are strongly encouraged to apply.