Marketing Director & Student Recruitment

Interim Market Director responsible for Student Recruitment required for this prestigious Further Education college in London. Responsible for the college marketing team including Head of Student Recruitment, a Senior Marketing Manager, Group Communications Co-ordinator and the Group Marketing Co-ordinator: Digital & Creative. You will be immediately available, ideally with previous marketing experience within the Further or Higher Education sector, specifically Student Recruitment.

Purpose of Job

• To be responsible for and accountable for the highest possible standard of marketing, promotional and customer services activity and teams across all College campuses.
• Proactively seek and maximise promotional opportunities for the College Group which maximise student recruitment and positive reputation.
• To plan, implement and evaluate campaigns which support student recruitment and commercial income strategies to meet the changing needs of the College Group.
• To be responsible for significant corporate, promotional, and enrolment events.
• To effectively lead and motivate teams and activity related to marketing and student recruitment, including the college Contact Centre.
• To deputise for the Group Executive Director: Marketing, Communications and Student Support.

Main Tasks and Responsibilities

• In common with all other staff, to support the College's mission, vision, values and strategic objectives and to implement the College's Equality and Diversity policies and to work actively to overcome discrimination on grounds of all protected characteristic groups in the College's services.
• To take responsibility for one's own professional development and participate in relevant internal and external activities and to implement the College's safeguarding policies and practices.
• Management of staff - responsible for the line management, support, supervision and professional development review of designated staff, setting and monitoring performance and financial targets as appropriate.
• To support and develop effective cross campus working ensuring the sharing of good practice and consistent approaches to curriculum delivery.
• Management of budgets and resources - manage, control and be accountable for approved budgets within your area of responsibility.
• Produce, implement and evaluate an annual marketing strategy.
• Develop budgeted overall and local plans for priority areas of the college's work and initiatives.
• Present plans and evaluative reports to the senior team and governors.
• Lead on development of systems and processes relating to the work of your teams to make sure that they continue to meet the requirements of staff, students and other users.
• Monitor and analyse the effectiveness of marketing and recruitment initiatives, enquiry data and student enrolment conversion rates, and utilise measurable information to refine plans accordingly.
• Produce an annual service area review and improvement plan to inform continuous quality improvement of your work and the work of your teams.
• Lead and implement marketing, promotional and public relations activity which meets the overall requirements of the college and, within this, support departments, commercial activity, projects and initiatives.
• Develop and monitor the College brand family within an overall corporate identity and reputation management strategy.
• Lead your team to proactively seek and secure opportunities for positive social/media coverage which promotes the college.
• Responsible for the development and content of the College website and other websites, microsites and sub-sites within the College Group.
• Lead a schedule of effective recruitment and promotional events for the College group to include open and recruitment events, stakeholder events, awards and recognition events.
• Manage the college's brand and reputation at external events, making sure of consistent branding, quality and highest standards across every event opportunity.

Expertise required

• Maintain a knowledge of local, regional and national developments relating to Further Education, and ensure that these developments inform marketing and student recruitment strategy.
• Proactively use primary and secondary market research to inform activity and strategies, and identify new market audiences and opportunities.
• Discuss with college managers their marketing, promotional, communications and student recruitment needs, giving advice and support to make sure of buy-in and that their needs are met within the wider College marketing and student recruitment strategy.
• Support internal communication across the Group, in particular the development of messaging channels, internal branding (including management of printed and digital material around campuses) and the dissemination of high-quality information to students and staff.

Person Specification

• A minimum of five years in a multi-disciplined marketing management role, producing, implementing and evaluating strategic and tactical marketing and communication activity, including event management.
• Experience of further or higher education student recruitment and experience of effectively managing diverse staff teams and cross organisational working groups in a large, complex organisation.