Head of Student Recruitment Marketing

The opportunity

The Head of Student Recruitment Marketing will manage the development and implementation of the University’s marketing strategies for student recruitment across its UK, EU and international markets, supporting market diversification objectives and ensuring that subject-focused promotion and new course developments are informed by market intelligence and analysis.

A key element of the role will be working with the UK and international student recruitment teams to produce and deliver coordinated, data-led market plans which support diversification through a focus on target markets, achieved through effective management of a multi-disciplinary team which includes expertise in marketing, content, and market research.

The post-holder will take a lead on identifying market opportunities and trends through the analysis of internal and external market intelligence and data, and will promote the use of innovative and relevant marketing activities to support the recruitment of high quality students, across variable levels of demand, at all levels of study and across all subjects in the University portfolio.

 Working collaboratively with colleagues across SM&R, Colleges and other business units, they will lead the delivery of UAL-wide promotional campaigns to raise awareness of UAL across its various market segments, and to drive and increase lead generation activity, data capture and applications to UAL. The Head of Marketing will also work closely with the Head of Prospective Student Engagement and their team to ensure the development of rich, engaging and tailored content for use in student engagement and conversion campaigns delivered by the University’s student recruitment CRM system.

The role includes responsibility for supporting significant cross-departmental projects to support recruitment strategies and plans e.g. the development of tailored web content to support student recruitment. 

Duties and Responsibilities of the role include: 

• Work with colleagues and teams across SM&R to support market diversification through the development of activity plans targeting priority markets in the University’s UK, EU and international market segments. Lead the contribution of the marketing team to these plans, ensuring that expertise in digital and traditional marketing strategies and activities are fed into market planning, and that this supports and complements other elements of activity plans e.g. agent recruitment, events, feeder institution liaison and alumni engagement.  

• Take a lead on identifying market opportunities and trends through the analysis of internal and external data on market and subject demand and competitor performance, using this intelligence to implement marketing activities which support the recruitment of high quality students at all levels of study and across all subjects. This will include the targeting of subjects with lower demand to existing and new markets to support stable patterns of recruitment across the UAL portfolio.

• Manage and provide direction for the work of the Market Analyst, ensuring that appropriate internal and external data on recruitment performance and prospective student behaviours is available to support and inform recruitment strategies and plans.

• Work collaboratively with colleagues across SM&R, Colleges and Admissions in the delivery of UAL-wide promotional campaigns to raise awareness of UAL across its various market segments, and to drive and increase lead generation activity, enquiry capture and applications to UAL.

• Take a lead role for managing the marketing activities employed across UAL’s international agent network advising agents on their marketing strategies and ensuring that these strategies adhere to UAL’s recruitment objectives, e.g. the equal promotion of all subjects and Colleges, including under-recruiting subject areas.

• Oversee the development and implementation of marketing campaigns that utilise both traditional and digital marketing techniques to support the University’s recruitment objectives, e.g. to raise awareness of opportunities through Clearing, promote the University’s postgraduate scholarship offer, or to drive interest in particular subjects in target markets.

• Lead, manage and  provide direction to the content team in the  production of engaging student marketing and recruitment content for use across all channels used by by prospective students, for example print materials including prospectuses; web; and digital acquisition campaigns; and CRM conversion and engagement campaigns (enquiry to application and application to enrolment) delivered by the Head of Prospective Student Engagement and their team.  To ensure that audience insights are used to help continually develop more effective and engaging multichannel student marketing and recruitment content.

• Lead the SM&R content team in working closely with the University’s Digital Content team (based in Communications and External Affairs) to ensure the development of tailored, relevant and engaging web content to support student recruitment, e.g. content on studying at UAL; content for international students including country-specific web pages; subject hubs and campaign landing pages.

• Ensure that content marketing expertise is deployed in the development of annual market plans targeting prospective students in UAL’s UK, EU and international market segments.

• Ensure that content assets for campaign and digital marketing activities are in line with agreed content strategy and brand values/frameworks.

• Manage the University’s marketing budgets, including monitoring the impact of activities and ensure return against the University’s expenditure across market segments.

• Lead, manage and support the professional development of a marketing team that includes expertise in content, market research and insights, customer acquisition campaigns (both digital and traditional) and international marketing.

• Embed market research and customer insight findings into processes and procedures for departmental and market/project-led planning.

• Ensure that all marketing campaigns and associated activities have mechanisms for assessing their impact and contribution towards objectives that are measurable and meaningful.

• Build and maintain effective working relationships with internal stakeholders and external suppliers to ensure that shared objectives are realised effectively and efficiently. 

About you

Educated to degree level or equivalent in an appropriate discipline, preferably with or working towards a professional marketing qualification such as a Chartered Institute of Marketing Diploma. 

At least two solid years’ experience working in a marketing position that has required a knowledge of both traditional and digital marketing principles and techniques.

Experience of working in the higher education sector is desirable. 

Proven experience of marketing strategy development translated into operational plans for direct customer acquisition.  

An in-depth understanding of marketing practices and theories including areas of specialism in the fields of content, and market research. 

Experience of website Content Management Systems (CMS) and practices for Search Engine Optimisation (SEO). 

Experience of managing the creation of marketing collateral and content assets (both in print and digital formats) that support marketing acquisition campaigns. 

Ability to monitor, interpret and report on data and metrics for marketing campaign evaluation. 

A record of success in timely and effective project management. 

Experience of managing budgets and assessing return on investment in relation to marketing activity. 

Experience of building effective internal working relationships across all levels of seniority and functions. 

Experience of using negotiation and influencing skills to operate with and across a diverse range of external and internal stakeholders, to achieve desired results. 

Experience of managing a small team and/or coaching or mentoring staff. 

Communicates effectively orally and in writing adapting the message for a diverse audience in an inclusive and accessible way. 

Motivates and leads a team effectively, setting clear objectives to manage performance 

Applies innovative approaches to leadership, learning and professional practice to support excellence. 

Applies own research to develop learning and assessment practice. 

Contributes to advancing professional practice/research or scholarly activity in own area of specialism. 

Plans, prioritises and manages resources effectively to achieve long term objectives. 

Builds effective teams, networks or communities of practice and fosters constructive cross team collaboration. 

Contributes to improving or adapting provision to enhance the student experience or customer service.

Suggests practical solutions to new or unique problems. 

If you have any queries you may contact ADS Recruitment Team via email ADSRecruitment@arts.ac.uk or telephone: 020 7514 2965.