Director Of Operations in Manchester

The Director of Operations is responsible for leading the College's operational functions relating to student recruitment, admissions, marketing, business development activity linked to recruitment, and associated customer-service support across UK Management College campuses.

The role covers the complete operational student journey from initial attraction and enquiry through to application processing, admissions completion, successful enrolment, and formal handover of enrolled students to the academic departments. The post holder ensures that admissions, marketing and recruitment-related operations are delivered in line with the strategy, standards and directions set by the Chief Operating Officer, to whom the role reports.

This role is limited to the operational management of the Admissions Department and the Marketing Department as the core departments within the Director of Operations' portfolio, together with business development and customer-service activities that directly support student recruitment and the admissions process.

The role begins with attracting prospective students, managing enquiries and supporting applicants through the admissions process, and ends when students have successfully completed enrolment and are formally handed over to the academic departments.

The Director of Operations must understand, apply and monitor the admissions policies, marketing requirements, recruitment expectations and relevant regulatory requirements of UK Management College and its partner universities, ensuring alignment between internal processes and partner requirements.

Reports to: Chief Operating Officer, UK Management College.

Line Manages: Admissions Department, Business Development and Recruitment, and Marketing Department.

Operational Coordination Includes: Business development activity, enquiry handling, customer-service support and admissions-related student journey support, where these activities directly relate to attracting students, processing applications and completing admissions.

Works With: Chief Operating Officer, Academic Registry, Student Services, partner universities, agents, other relevant external stakeholders, and campus academic leadership on admissions, marketing and recruitment-related operational matters only.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Lead the day-to-day operational delivery of student recruitment, admissions, marketing and related customer-service activity across UK Management College campuses, within the strategy and standards set by the Chief Operating Officer.
• Line manage the Admissions Department and Marketing Department, setting objectives, monitoring performance and ensuring consistent operational standards, service quality and accountability across all campuses.
• Implement operational plans for recruitment, admissions and marketing at campus level and report delivery, progress, performance and risks to the Chief Operating Officer.
• Manage the full operational admissions journey from enquiry and application through to offer, acceptance, enrolment completion and formal transfer of successfully enrolled students to the academic departments.
• Ensure admissions operations comply with UK Management College policies and procedures and with the admissions policies, process requirements and regulations of partner universities and awarding bodies.
• Maintain a clear understanding of regulatory requirements relating to admissions, recruitment, student communications, consumer protection, data protection and marketing, and ensure these requirements are embedded in operational practice.
• Lead the operational delivery of marketing activity that supports student recruitment, ensuring campaigns, materials and communications are accurate, compliant, professional and aligned with UK Management College and partner university requirements.
• Manage business development activity connected to student recruitment, including relationships with schools, colleges, agents, employers, community partners and other stakeholders who may support the recruitment pipeline.
• Monitor recruitment performance, enquiry conversion, application progression and admissions outcomes, providing data, forecasts and recommendations to the Chief Operating Officer.
• Manage admissions-related customer-service standards to ensure prospective students and applicants receive timely, accurate and professional support throughout the recruitment and admissions process.
• Ensure that admissions documentation, applicant records, offer information, enrolment evidence and operational audit trails are accurate, complete and maintained in line with internal and partner requirements.
• Develop, implement and improve operational procedures, systems and workflows for admissions, marketing and recruitment-related activity to enhance efficiency, compliance and applicant experience.
• Coordinate with Student Services, Academic Registry and campus academic leadership on admissions and enrolment requirements only, maintaining a clear boundary with academic delivery and academic staffing.
• Identify operational risks within admissions, marketing and recruitment activity, implement appropriate controls, manage incidents where required and escalate significant matters to the Chief Operating Officer.
• Report operational performance, recruitment activity, admissions progress, compliance issues and student handover status to the Chief Operating Officer on a regular basis.
• Undertake additional duties as required by the Chief Operating Officer.