Director, Marketing, Recruitment & Admissions

The Director, Marketing, Recruitment & Admissions is responsible for the strategic direction and growth of marketing, student recruitment and admissions at Murdoch University Dubai.The role develops strategies to achieve enrolment targets, grow market position and build domestic and international relationships supporting strategic goals. The Director oversees the integrated recruitment and marketing framework: one plan, budget, calendar, voice and brand across key markets.The role leads a high-performing team and embeds a data-driven culture with KPIs, disciplined pipeline management, CRM practice and focus on conversion.The Director directs recruitment channels with the wider network, including the offshore direct pipeline, central campaigns and assets, school engagement, and integrated offshore recruitment with global and in-country teams.As a senior campus leader, the Director supports the General Manager in achieving the campus’ strategic vision.Key ResponsibilitiesMarketing:Lead the campus marketing strategy with the General Manager, based on market research, product development and an overall marketing plan, including digital.Oversee marketing campaigns with the Senior Manager, Branding, Marketing & Communications, and Navitas Group Sales & Marketing, ensuring Murdoch University Dubai is differentiated from competitors and delivers year-on-year growth.Oversee development of marketing assets and collateral across markets and channels, ensuring quality and consistency with brand guidelines.Oversee the campus social media and digital presence, ensuring one voice and brand across channels and audiences.Oversee the campus communications strategy and calendar, engaging students, parents, agents, school partners, counsellors and colleagues.Oversee the campus event calendar, ensuring events have the campaigns, branding and follow-up needed to convert.Evaluate campaign and event effectiveness and use insights to shape future investment.Guide public relations and marketing communications, developing promotional concepts within University Partner and Group Marketing guidelines.Oversee crisis and issues communication, maintaining protocols, clear approval lines and timely, consistent messaging with the General Manager and University Partner.Recruitment:Develop and direct the campus student recruitment strategy with the General Manager, based on local and international opportunities to achieve enrolment targets and growth.Lead and manage a high-performing Marketing, Recruitment and Admissions team, ensuring effective lead management and achievement of annual enrolment targets.Foster a motivated, incentivised and accountable team culture through clear KPIs, performance conversations and professional development.Oversee Student Recruitment Officers (interns), or appoint a designated team member to do so, ensuring effective supervision and deployment across recruitment, marketing and admissions.Define and develop local and international target market segments to achieve targets, deliver growth and drive new business.Oversee the UAE Schools Strategy with the campus School Engagement Manager, strengthening brand recognition and local market position.Own enrolment, pipeline forecasting and performance reporting, providing intake forecasts to the General Manager and integrating support from central marketing, the GSSC and in-country teams.Own conversion performance across all channels and stages, from lead to applicant, applicant to offer holder, and offer holder to enrolment.Set the B2C channel strategy across schools, feeders, direct and emerging partners.Oversee lead management, qualification and nurturing with in-country teams, ensuring every enquiry follows a measurable journey to enrolment.Ensure prospective students and families receive expert guidance on programmes, tuition fees, scholarships and visa processes throughout enrolment.Champion a data-driven culture with the CRM as the single source of truth for pipeline performance; drive adoption, data quality, forecasting and analysis against strategic initiatives.Remain accountable for student retention through census, alongside student experience measures such as NPS.Ensure compliance with the regulatory framework governing marketing, recruitment and admissions.Direct onshore and offshore recruitment, assuming responsibility for key markets where required and coordinating marketing and sales for maximum outcomes.Manage the marketing and recruitment budget, ensuring investment is planned, prioritised and evaluated.Represent the campus in divisional governance forums, presenting funnel performance, variances and lessons learned.Admissions:Ensure campus admission and enrolment targets are achieved by leading the Admissions team within the wider Marketing, Recruitment and Admissions function.Improve assessment quality and efficiency, offer turnaround and issuance of Letters of Offer (LOOs).Work with the Senior Admissions Officer to ensure efficient admissions operations.Collaborate with the university admissions team to facilitate timely assessment, offer turnaround and follow-up.Oversee campus engagement with the National Admissions and Placement Office (NAPO), ensuring local applications are managed efficiently, converted effectively and remain compliant.Ensure the team monitors advice from relevant regulatory entities on visa requirements and keeps employees informed.Agent & Partner Management:Drive agent channel performance in partnership with the Heads of Recruitment (Navitas), who hold network-wide agent accountability, tracking each agent’s enrolment contribution.Ensure agents and counsellors have current knowledge of programmes, admissions processes, scholarships and visa guidelines through structured recruitment-team training.Build partnerships with schools, community organisations, industry and alumni to strengthen recruitment and brand presence.Represent Murdoch University Dubai at agent conferences, industry forums and key recruitment events, onshore and offshore, building visibility and partnerships.Integrated Planning & Marketing Governance:Oversee and remain accountable for the integrated recruitment and marketing planning framework through which activity across key markets is planned, funded, delivered and measured, with delivery led by the Senior Manager, Branding, Marketing & Communications under delegated authority.Oversee the country planning cycle, ensuring each key market maintains a single country plan per financial year, refreshed after every intake to define investment and resource priorities.Govern an evidence-based investment model for events and campaigns, ensuring activity is planned, costed and evaluated against expected leads and enrolments, with funding following performance.Ensure a consistent, measurable student journey in every market, from enquiry capture through nurture to enrolment, enabling cross-market conversion comparison.Set recruiter activity expectations through country plans and leverage shared Navitas investment to maximise campus marketing reach.Stakeholder Management:Develop and maintain effective relationships with the General Manager, Senior Leadership Team, faculty and University Dean.Build effective relationships with Murdoch University staff, Navitas Group, agents, vendors and external partners, collaborating with Navitas Group Marketing and other Marketing and Admissions Directors.Serve as the senior escalation point for students, parents, agents and partners, resolving conflicts and complaints promptly and fairly while protecting student experience and reputation.Mediate and resolve conflicts within and between teams and stakeholders, fostering constructive relationships across the campus and network.Prepare and present the campus Joint Management Committee (JMC) report after every intake, covering recruitment outcomes, pipeline health and strategy progress, alongside reporting required for the General Manager, Group Marketing and Group Finance.QualificationsEssential:Proven success leading high-performing Marketing, Recruitment & Admissions teams in Higher Education in Dubai.Tertiary qualification, preferably in Business and/or Marketing.Successful track record of achieving sales targets.Experience developing strategic/operational plans and budgets for cost-effective outcomes.Ability to identify value opportunities and deliver recommendations, strategies, presentations and documents.Ability to apply commercial rigour and business acumen through data analytics.Track record executing conversion and retention strategies through CRM and lead automation.Ability to work effectively in a matrix, collaborating with and influencing stakeholders.Sales skills and knowledge of the business environment and campus products and services.Strong conflict resolution and negotiation skills, with discretion and professionalism.Ability to lead and inspire others across marketing and student recruitment.High-level verbal and written communication skills, with analytical, problem-solving and decision-making skills.Desirable:Marketing knowledge, including promotion, advertising, digital marketing, branding, media and public relations.Network of contacts in local and international education markets.Experience in a multicultural environment.Working Conditions:Onshore and offshore travel is required for recruitment activity, agent engagement and key events.Flexible hours, including evenings and weekends during peak intake periods.Ability to work in a fast-paced, target-driven environment.