Student Recruitment Specialist
This role is responsible for the seamless execution of student recruitment activities under their remit.
Job Responsibilities:
1. Planning, preparation, coordination and management of a range of domestic student recruitment activities and events including Higher Options, IGC conferences and regional fairs, Open Days, on-campus information days, school fairs, presentations and webinars.
2. Planning, preparation, coordination and management of a range of international student recruitment activities and events such as Non EU applicant and offer holder webinars, international visits incorporating school visits, presentations, university fairs and agent visits, counsellor visits to RCSI, prospective student campus tours and international guidance counsellor networking conferences and events.
3. Representing RCSI at internal and external events including the preparation and delivery of presentations to different audiences.
4. Developing and building on existing partnerships in key regions (domestic and international) including guidance counsellor and school networks, recruitment partners and educational agents.
5. Identifying and initiating links with external stakeholders such as EI and other government agencies and professional bodies, schools and agents in assigned regions and managing and monitoring the effectiveness of these partnerships over time in terms of ROI, improvements to 'profile raise' and enrolments.
6. Working collaboratively with colleagues across the university to optimise success of domestic and international student recruitment activities and events.
7. Establishing and maintaining connections with the Higher Education community to enhance student recruitment efforts.
8. Managing and delivering project based work that advances the objectives of the student recruitment team including oversight of in-country agents and educational representatives in assigned regions.
9. Working closely with in-country representatives to ensure they are targeting their activities appropriately and provide regular communication and, where appropriate, carry out planned visits with existing and prospective agents to build strong and productive relationships in the recruitment of international students.
10. Assisting with inward visits from partners (e.g. guidance counsellors, agents etc.) in key regions.
11. Providing regular performance related reports, demonstrating an in depth knowledge of assigned markets based on in-country experience and data analysis.
12. Capturing market intelligence through horizon scanning, competitor analysis and other methods (i.e. technical tools such as CRM) to advise the Head of Student Recruitment on recruitment requirements and opportunities abroad.
13. D Delivering against agreed ambitious student recruitment targets and developing opportunities aligned to the student recruitment strategy as agreed with the Head of Student Recruitment.
14. Collaborating with Student Recruitment colleagues on a range of activities including the creation of in-house region-specific marketing collateral and collaborations with Marketing on EU and Non EU prospectuses, website editing and email marketing.
15. Developing an extensive knowledge base and understanding of the University's undergraduate degree programmes, application procedures, funding arrangements and support mechanisms to support the Student Recruitment team in their efforts to deliver an outstanding customer service experience both in-house and via external activities and events.
16. Supporting the day to day operations of the Student Recruitment office including assistance with incoming enquiries through the admissions inbox, departmental telephone service, campus visit requests from prospective international students and unscheduled visits to the office by members of the public interested in studying at RCSI.
Qualifications:
Candidates must hold a primary degree and possess substantial relevant work experience (Student Recruitment, Sales, Marketing, Higher Education).
Knowledge & Experience - Essential:
* The successful candidate should have a high level of energy, adaptability and self-motivation and should be able to demonstrate the following:
* Excellent verbal and written communication skills including the ability to effectively negotiate, persuade and influence. Experience delivering high quality presentations and an ability to tailor communication style to various audiences.
* Proven capacity to make well informed decisions, understanding their impact and implications.
* Evidence of providing high quality customer care by focusing on the delivery of a personalised and positive experience, thereby enhancing the overall student experience during the recruitment process.
* Excellent administrative skills and demonstrated excellence in attention to detail (written and oral).
* A highly organised approach and effective project management skills to oversee multiple initiatives concurrently. An ability to prioritise tasks and allocate resources efficiently to meet targets.
* Evidence of significant experience in a busy administrative function, with demonstrated ability to work independently and as part of a team.
* An ability to work at pace and in a complex environment.
* An ability to use own initiative and put forward ideas.
* Strong content writing skills including developing messaging, proven record of conceiving and developing engaging, original content.
* Basic design skills including the ability to produce visually appealing content for presentations and other media.
* Evidence of working collaboratively with colleagues and senior leaders where shared insights, priorities and activities have been successfully developed as part of a wider plan or strategy.
* Proficiency in using digital marketing tools such as email marketing and content management systems.
* Experience with CRM systems to maintain and manage prospective student data, track interactions, monitor the recruitment pipeline, analyse metrics, optimize the student recruitment journey and maximize conversion from prospects to registered students.
* Ability to work with Microsoft Excel and databases to extract, manipulate and analyse recruitment data whilst ensuring the security and integrity of data related to prospective students.
* Highly proficient in MS Office particularly PowerPoint, Excel and Outlook.
* Knowledge of Microsoft Dynamics would be a distinct advantage.
* Knowledge of new and emerging social media and digital technologies would be an advantage.
* An informed understanding and knowledge of Undergraduate Education in Ireland and the domestic and international student recruitment landscape is desirable.