Student Success Manager (EMEA)

Location: London, United Kingdom

Business unit: Student Recruitment - UBS

Job type: Full time, permanent

Working arrangement: Hybrid – 2 days in the office per week.

Why QS? At QS, we believe that work should empower you. That’s why we foster a flexible working environment that encourages every employee to own their career whilst flourishing personally and professionally. Our company values underpin everything we do – we collaborate, respect and support each other. It’s our mission to empower motivated people around the world to fulfil their potential through higher education, ensuring that everyone has access to opportunities that change lives. Our diversity makes us stronger. By sharing our experiences, we learn from one another and achieve more together, driving progress across the sector. At QS, you’ll be responsible for implementing real change in the international higher education landscape. You’ll take on meaningful challenges that see a positive impact across the business and the wider sector.

The role The Student Success Manager (EMEA) plays a critical leadership role in supporting the delivery of a high‑quality student experience across the EMEA portfolio. As the only Manager physically based in the UK – where all EMEA clients and senior stakeholders are located – this role provides essential local leadership presence, operational continuity, and stakeholder proximity. This role ensures consistent performance across a multi‑site Student Success structure (KL, BLR, LON, Chengdu), while strengthening collaboration with Account Management, Reporting & Insight, and wider UBS teams. The London SS Manager will lead a team of student‑facing staff and partner closely with the Assistant Director (EMEA) to embed standards, drive quality, and elevate service delivery for our UK‑based partners. This position exists as part of the stabilisation plan for the region, ensuring sustainable leadership coverage and operational resilience as we enter the January 2026 cycle.

Role Responsibilities

• Operational Leadership
  • Lead the London Student Success team in delivering consistent, high‑quality student experience aligned with regional expectations.
  • Serve as the on‑ground operational anchor for all UK‑based clients, ensuring rapid response to client priorities and escalations.
  • Translate client objectives into team‑level action plans that drive enquiry handling, engagement, and conversion outcomes.
  • Oversee daily workflows, capacity planning, and resource allocation to ensure targets and SLAs are met across email, phone, and omnichannel activity.
  • Partner with managers across KL and BLR to ensure balanced distribution of client load, operational continuity across time zones, and strong cross‑site collaboration.
• Stakeholder Engagement & Partnership
  • Act as the primary Student Success leadership representative in the UK, maintaining strong relationships with Account Management, commercial partners, and client‑side operational teams.
  • Support Client Strategy & Performance Meetings and provide operational insight into performance trends, risks, and opportunities.
  • Participate in external meetings with UK clients to discuss performance, student engagement, quality themes, and transformation initiatives.
• People & Performance Management
  • Line‑manage London‑based Team Leaders and/or SEAs, fostering a high‑performance culture grounded in accountability and continuous improvement.
  • Set and monitor team and individual KPIs, ensuring alignment with service delivery, productivity, and quality standards.
  • Provide coaching, performance feedback, structured development pathways, and succession planning.
  • Support onboarding and cultural integration of new hires as the London team expands.
• Quality, Culture & Continuous Improvement
  • Embed global QA standards, ensuring consistent quality across email, phone, and follow‑up interactions.
  • Identify performance gaps and introduce structured interventions to drive improvement, in partnership with QA teams.
  • Champion a cohesive culture across London and wider EMEA teams, strengthening engagement and alignment with UBS values.
  • Contribute to refinement of processes ahead of upcoming digital transformation initiatives (e.g., CRM and AI‑enabled tools).
  • Build a feedback loop with team leaders and staff to assess morale, risks, and opportunities for team development.
• Cross‑Functional Collaboration
  • Work in close partnership with the Assistant Director (EMEA Student Success), Team Leaders, and peers across KL, BLR and Chengdu.
  • Collaborate with Client Success, Talent Acquisition, and QA to ensure team alignment with client and internal priorities.
  • Represent London in regional forums and support global transformation initiatives.
• Reporting & Insight
  • Use dashboards, QA results, and operational data to identify trends and produce actionable insights.
  • Provide regular performance reporting to senior management and contribute to cycle reviews and forecast discussions.
• Other
  • Any other duties that fall within the purpose and scope of the role. This position may involve work outside of the standard business hours.

Key skills and experience

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent professional experience.
• Experience working in student recruitment, international education, contact centre operations, or similar customer‑focused environments where you’ve managed high volumes of enquiries and supported diverse stakeholders.
• Proven leadership experience managing high‑volume, student‑facing or service‑oriented teams.
• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills, particularly with senior UK‑based partners.
• Ability to work in a hybrid environment and foster engagement across locations.
• Proficiency in CRM systems, reporting dashboards, Microsoft Office, and digital communication tools.
• Strong organisational skills with the ability to manage competing priorities under pressure.
• High emotional intelligence, cultural awareness, and sound judgement.

Desirable Attributes

• Experience working across regions or in multi‑site operational environments.
• Understanding of UK higher education landscape and international student recruitment.
• Prior experience working with quality assurance frameworks.

Success Measures / Targets

• Team consistently meets productivity, engagement, quality, and service delivery KPIs.
• Strong operational continuity and reduced escalation risk for EMEA clients.
• Enhanced collaboration and aligned delivery across KL/BLR/LON/Chengdu teams.
• Positive feedback from clients and internal stakeholders.
• Positive team engagement and collaboration demonstrated in a hybrid work setting.
• Demonstrated leadership presence and visibility in EMEA client engagements and collaboration across EMEA regional teams.

Desirable: If you don’t meet all the criteria but believe you have the skills and passion to thrive in this role, we encourage you to apply.

Benefits

• Competitive base salary
• Access to an annual bonus scheme (for qualifying roles only)
• 25 days annual leave, plus bank holidays – increasing to 27 days after 5 years’
• Access to a Buy Holiday scheme allowing you to buy up to 5 additional holiday days per year
• Enhanced maternity and paternity leave
• Generous pension through Royal London
• Comprehensive private medical insurance and wellness scheme through Vitality
• Access to QSmiles – a discount scheme that actually makes a significant difference
• Cycle to work scheme
• A vibrant social environment and multicultural and multinational culture
• Professional growth and wellness initiatives
• Free subscription to the Calm App – the #1 app for sleep, meditation, and relaxation
• A focus on welfare which is led by our global wellness team, with mental health first aiders globally
• Access to a variety of diversity and inclusion initiatives and groups
• Strong recognition and reward programs – including a peer‑to‑peer recognition platform, quarterly and annual QS Applaud Awards, Connect with your Career annual PD event
• Support for volunteering and study leave
• Free subscription to LinkedIn learning – with over 5000 courses and programmes at your fingertips
• Options to join our outstanding global Mentorship programme

Equal opportunities QS Quacquarelli Symonds is proud to be a fair and equal organisation where everyone has the same opportunity to achieve their full potential, irrespective of background or personal attributes. We celebrate our diversity and believe through sharing our experiences we can learn from one another, be stronger together, and enable our business to thrive.