Head of Admissions

About the RoleThe Head of Admissions is a member of the Admissions Office within the Office of the Provost of the University. The role of the Head of Admissions is to deliver the operational management of the Admissions Office, with a focus on customer relationship management, developing efficient processes and procedures, monitoring and meeting admissions targets and objectives, managing new initiatives and requirements, ensuring compliance with all external and internal regulations, identifying system and reporting enhancements and liaising with relevant teams to ensure their smooth and timely implementation, and providing effective line management for the admissions team. The Head of Admissions works closely with the Director of Admissions and Student Affairs, and contributes to policy development and the formulation of new initiatives.ResponsibilitiesManage performance of Admissions Office staff, setting priorities, managing workload distribution and providing training and development as needed.Create and maintain relationships with Program Chairs, Program Admissions Chairs, and Associate Deans for the effective delivery and development of the admissions process in adherence with admissions policy and process guidelines.Liaise with Office of the Registrar, Operations, Faculty Affairs, IT Services, and Education Partnerships and Student Recruitment, to ensure the smooth passage of prospects, applicants and students through relevant stages of the student lifecycle, building synergies and resolving barriers.Liaise with other offices of the University as appropriate on special initiatives to ensure their smooth delivery.Plan and manage expenditure annually against the agreed admissions budget, and produce such returns regarding resource as are required.Admissions Support the Director in setting and delivering upon admissions targets and KPIs based on historical data and University directives.Set the admissions calendar for the year, ensuring that application and processing deadlines are optimal, achievable and timely for all relevant parties, including applicants, the admissions team, faculty and downstream services such as Onboarding and the Office of the Registrar.Work with faculties and reviewers to ensure that the process and decision workflows for all forms of admission (which include full time degree admissions, visiting and exchange student admissions, and admission to free-standing courses) are coherent, consistent and optimal.Organise and manage the admissions review team to effectively manage workload, respond to incoming enquiries from prospects, applicants and faculty, process and progress applications according to the agreed calendar, deadlines and agreed service standards, support faculty involved in the admissions process, and ensure that there is sufficient cover at all times throughout the year.Develop a high-quality applicant communications schedule so that all applicants understand the process, their place within it, and receive timely advice and decisions according to their status.Hold meetings with relevant faculty at program and Divisional level at least twice annually to set and review the admissions process and foster understanding, commitment and collegiality. Build relationships between admissions reviewers and the programs for which they are responsible.Ensure clear operational rules and guidance pertaining to the evaluation of Saudi and International academic credentials, English proficiency requirements and any other internal or external regulatory requirements.Provide initial assessment of academic admissibility of candidates and monitor appropriate procedures for the submission, completion, filtering, and review of applications, any arrangements for testing, and notification of admissions decisions.In close liaison with relevant offices, manage relationships with external sponsors and university partners to achieve strategic objectives in relation to admission.Prepare reports, proposals and data for management and the Student Admissions Committee as required.Ensure compliance by the team with all policy and regulations.Make evidence-based recommendations to the Director on enhancements to policy and process.Engage in professional networking to ensure that the admissions process continues to meet relevant standards of professional practice.Provide updates and recommendations to faculty and leadership by continually assessing and identifying, through the compilation of statistics and reports the reporting of applicant data for all admissions data. This includes the preparation of an annual report for review by the Student Admissions Committee.Systems, Data and Reporting Review the process and propose means of developing systems, process and reporting to improve the quality of the service and reducing manual workload. The role holder will liaise with IT services regarding the most appropriate solutions for admissions, and their prioritization and implementation, ensuring that full integration with upstream and downstream systems is achieved.Ensure that a suite of dashboards, reports and queries exist which enable the admissions team, Program Admissions Chairs, Associate Deans, the Director and colleagues delivering related services showing admissions data in a format and at a granularity that meets the needs of the stakeholders and supports sound decision making.Ensure that the Admissions Office is in full compliance with institutional and national data and information security regulations and legislation, in particular in relation data collection, retention and access.Create protocols for dealing with systems issues and taking feedback from the admissions review team and faculty to improve provision. QualificationsBachelor’s degree (required) or master’s degree (preferred)Strong English language skills (essential); conversational proficiency in other languages (desirable) Required SkillsAn understanding of international higher education (essential).Able to manage, lead, guide, direct, and influence people. Exhibits strong strategic and operational decision-making skills (essential).Experience of working in higher education admissions or a related field, with detailed knowledge of selection processes (essential) and international educational systems (desirable).Experience of managing and developing systems in admissions or a related field (essential).Strong and effective communication skills, both written and verbal, and the ability to interact effectively and build relationships with individuals within and outside the University (essential).Ability to work within both a team and independently, recognizing the importance of time-sensitive deadlines and meeting the demands of a high-pressure office environment (essential).Culture sensitivity and strong knowledge of international education. Ability to articulate the distinct qualities of science and