Student Recruitment Assistant (Dubai) - Dubai Professional Services - 102013 - Grade 5

Having established ourselves in Dubai International Academic City in 2018 we have now moved to our new state-of-the-art campus which opened in Sept 2021. These posts represent an excellent opportunity to join an ambitious World Top 100 University as we continue to grow our long-term strategic mission in Dubai, the UAE and the wider region. Our campus reflects the very best of Birmingham through our presence in Dubai.

Background

Having established ourselves in Dubai International Academic City in 2018 we have now moved to a new and exciting phase of our development with the opening of our new state-of-the-art campus in January 2022. This post represents an excellent opportunity to join an ambitious World Top 100 University as we continue to grow our long-term strategic mission in Dubai, the UAE and the wider region. Our campus reflects the very best of Birmingham through our presence in Dubai.

Our ethos as a Professional Services team has been developed in line with the principles of being a Birmingham Professional. In particular, here, in Dubai, this means that all Professional Services colleagues seek to collaborate effectively to ensure the needs of the whole campus community and our stakeholders are met. It also means that we work constructively together to provide a flexible range of service and support that adapt to the changing needs of the Campus as we grow. There are specific focal points in the academic cycle when all Professional Services team members will be expected to contribute regardless of their primary role, for example, Welcome or Graduation. In addition, the duties listed below are illustrative of the general nature and level of responsibility of this post which is likely to change over time in response to the needs of the Campus and as you develop your experience and skills. You will have the opportunity to develop and may also need to specialise your duties further, over time, in agreement with your manager.

In order to contribute to the success of the team and the University’s vision for the Dubai campus, the Professional Services team will be seeking to continue to recruit and develop colleagues who display:

• a high level of intellectual aptitude;
• strong agility and a portfolio of skills that can adapt to meet changing circumstances;
• an innovative and creative mindset; and
• both an enterprising and entrepreneurial nature to support our growth and pursuit of excellence.

Role Summary

The post-holder will play a key role in the recruitment of students based in the UAE and in supporting the delivery of a business development strategy. They will be expected to carry out a wide range of activities to support student recruitment and business development, including organising internal and external events, representing the University at recruitment events, and organising incoming visits for applicants, parents, sponsors, agents and businesses.

The post will be based in Dubai working with the Student Recruitment Manager and a wider team of recruitment, marketing and admissions colleagues, alongside teams based in Dubai and the UK. The post-holder will be required to travel around the UAE, which can include weekends and holidays. The post-holder must be able to operate effectively and autonomously under these circumstances, and preferably should be in the possession of a UAE driving license.

Main Duties

• General
• Promotes equality and values diversity acting as a role model and fostering an inclusive working culture.
• Actively manages equality, diversity and inclusion through monitoring and evaluation and actively challenging unacceptable behaviour.
• Undertake continuous personal and professional development.
• Student recruitment activity
• Following up on enquiries from prospective students and other potential stakeholders via outbound telephone calls and emails
• Booking recruitment events and organising logistics such as travel and freight
• Provide logistical support in relation to Dubai-related events including open days, applicant visit days, virtual events and other recruitment events
• Providing costings of recruitment activities as required
• To provide general administration support to the Recruitment and Business Development Manager
• To organise internal and external events and visits related to student recruitment, from Foundation and Undergraduate through to Postgraduate, PhD and CPD
• Liaising with colleagues across the University and external contacts in relation to recruitment events and visits taking place within the UAE and in other international recruitment markets
• Co-ordination of Open Days and other large-scale recruitment events in liaison with the Student Recruitment Manager
• Act as a point of contact for recruitment queries for a range of internal stakeholders, including colleagues from UK-based marketing, recruitment and admissions team
• Analyse, collate and disseminate data on enquiries, applications and enrolments from multiple sources, often at short notice
• Take accurate minutes / notes at recruitment meetings and share with stakeholders
• Undertake any additional roles and responsibilities as required to support the effective delivery of recruitment and business development objectives.
• Support for admissions processing, agents and sponsor liaison
• At peak times in the cycle the post holder will support in the processing of applications for any admissions route to the University from initial application to registration. This includes reviewing applications, making decisions, issuing offers, dealing with applicant replies, managing fulfilment of conditions and processing confirmation decisions.
• To become proficient in the use of Admissions systems, and to undergo training as systems change or are introduced.
• Use judgement as to whether and how well an applicant meets the criteria, whether prior study (indicated by examinations taken or to be taken as well as other study, including specific modules at postgraduate level) is sufficiently close to what is required, analysis of a range of international qualifications, and whether non-academic requirements are met at a sufficient standard.
• Ability to also build relationships with tutors.
• Support the University’s network of recruitment agents by identifying, assessing and recommending suitable agents for appointment, monitoring ongoing performance to ensure quality standards and recruitment targets are met and that underperformance is addressed.
• Manage relationships with companies delivering recruitment services and act as a key point of contact between external partners and internal stakeholders.
• Ensure recruitment agents represent the University appropriately and ethically and contribute positively to the reputation and success of the University in each market.
• Liaise with sponsors and employers in relation to student applications, offers, enrolment and post-enrolment support.

Required Knowledge, Skills, Qualifications, Experience

• Understands the importance of equality, diversity and inclusion in the workplace
• Ability to identify and respond to equality and diversity issues in line with relevant policies and procedures
• Educated to Bachelors qualification or relevant work experience evidencing the skills and ability to undertake the role.
• Experience of working in a student recruitment Higer Education environment
• Experience of using a Customer Relationship Management system would be preferable
• A proven, high standard of written and oral communication and confidence of dealing with projects at all levels
• Experience of understanding and interpreting data and proficiency using Excel
• Experience of providing support for complex internal and external events
• Ability to work with initiative, under pressure and manage multiple workloads simultaneously
• Experience of liaising with a wide range of stakeholders, including senior managers and academics
• Well-developed administrative and organisational skills with a proven ability to pay attention to detail
• Experience of working with social media in professional context
• Excellent interpersonal skills and a ‘can-do’ attitude
• Creative and innovative approach to problem solving
• Flexibility to work out of hours as required
• Experience of administering budgets, financial transactions and familiarity with foreign payments
• Experience of reviewing student applications and using NARIC

For informal enquiries, please contact Sana Ali, email: [email hidden]

In return, you will receive a competitive package and play a key role in our ambitious University’s expansion as we enhance our international reputation and global footprint.

Use of AI in applications: We want to understand your genuine interest in the role and for the written elements of your application to accurately reflect your own communication style. Applications that rely too heavily on AI tools can appear generic and lack the detail we need to assess your skills and experience. Such applications will unlikely be progressed to interview.

View our staff values and behaviours here

We believe there is no such thing as a 'typical' member of University of Birmingham staff and that diversity in its many forms is a strength that underpins the exchange of ideas, innovation and debate at the heart of University life. We are committed to proactively addressing the barriers experienced by some groups in our community and are proud to hold Athena SWAN, Race Equality Charter and Disability Confident accreditations. We have an Equality Diversity and Inclusion Centre that focuses on continuously improving the University as a fair and inclusive place to work where everyone has the opportunity to succeed. We are also committed to sustainability, which is a key part of our strategy . You can find out more about our work to create a fairer university for everyone on our website .