Regional Manager - supporting Oxford Brookes University (Student Recruitment)

Role/Title: Regional Manager, SEA supporting Oxford Brookes University

Location: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

About Us

Acumen, established in 2008 under the Sannam S4 Group umbrella, is a premier internationalization partner for educational institutions worldwide. Originating in India, we have expanded our services across Asia, North America, and beyond, providing comprehensive support to universities and organizations embarking on their global journeys.

Our Mission and Approach

Driven by research and rich data insights, Acumen offers innovative solutions tailored to the unique needs of each partner. Our end-to-end services empower educational institutions to establish and enhance their international presence, ensuring they receive trusted guidance and expertise at every step.

Global Reach and Services

With a strong presence in India, South and Southeast Asia, and North America, Acumen delivers excellence in education consulting, advisory, and implementation. Our services include in-country representation, high school engagement, agent management, enrollment services, and strategic consulting, all designed to help institutions thrive in today's competitive international education landscape.

Our Team and Values

Our diverse team of over 300 professionals, embodies our core values: Collaboration, Agility, Impact, Empowerment, and Integrity. This commitment to diversity and inclusion fosters a dynamic and supportive environment, enabling us to deliver impactful solutions to our partners.

Why Choose Acumen

Our unique understanding of the education sector, combined with a people-first approach and student-focused insights, has made us an invaluable partner for educational institutions globally. We prioritize your needs, offering practitioner-led expertise and end-to-end support without taking commissions or selling services directly to students, ensuring our focus remains solely on enhancing your institution's success.

Partner with Acumen to navigate the complexities of international education and achieve sustainable growth in the global arena.

The Opportunity

We are seeking a professional to join the Acumen team to provide full-time support to one of our higher education clients, Oxford Brookes University, who manages the University's Student Recruitment Plan in South East Asia.

This role is part of an ambitious drive by the University to increase our global footprint, broadening access to an Oxford Brookes education worldwide, and further enhancing our reputation as a truly global University. Our aim is to sustainably increase the number of international students studying at the University whilst diversifying the range of global opportunities through which international students are able to enrol on our programmes.

Role Summary:

The Regional Manager is responsible for driving international student recruitment and market development across Southeast Asia. Based in Kuala Lumpur, the role supports the University's strategic objectives by increasing enrolments, strengthening brand presence, managing agent and institutional partnerships, and identifying new market opportunities. The role involves extensive stakeholder engagement, regional travel, and close collaboration with internal university teams.

We are looking for an enthusiastic, driven and flexible customer-service centric candidate based in Kuala Lumpur, with recent experience of working in student recruitment or a similar environment. The post holder will be expected to travel extensively (40%) including weekends as domestic and international travel returns to normal.

Key Responsibilities:

1.Student Recruitment & Market Development

• Implement and deliver regional student recruitment plans to achieve enrolment targets across Southeast Asia.
• Advise prospective international students and parents on application processes for foundation, undergraduate, postgraduate, and research programmes.
• Monitor recruitment performance against targets and coordinate recruitment activities across markets.
• Conduct follow-up with enquiries and applicants to improve conversion rates from enquiry to enrolment.

2.Agent & Partner Management

• Manage, train, and support education agents representing the University in the region.
• Ensure effective relationship and performance management of the agent network.
• Identify opportunities to promote the University's full programme portfolio, including niche subject areas.
• Represent the University at exhibitions, agent events, school fairs, pre-departure briefings, and partner meetings across Southeast Asia.

3.Institutional & Stakeholder Engagement

• Develop and maintain strong relationships with schools, feeder institutions, universities, and other key stakeholders.
• Identify and build new school and institutional contacts in priority markets.
• Maximise applications and enquiries from key feeder schools at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels.
• Support visiting academics by planning meetings, school visits, and institutional engagements.
• Identify potential academic and partnership opportunities with local institutions.

4.Strategy, Reporting & Market Intelligence

• Liaise with the University International Office on the development and execution of regional recruitment strategies.
• Provide high-quality market intelligence and insights on recruitment trends, competitor activity, and regulatory developments.
• Prepare and submit regular reports on recruitment performance, market conditions, and activities.
• Contribute to regional market plans and budgeting, including expense tracking.

Qualifications and Experience:

• Completion of a degree and/or relevant combination of skills and experience.
• Proven experience in international student recruitment, admissions, education marketing, or a related field.
• Experience working with the UK higher education sector or international education systems.
• Experience advising or counselling students and parents on study abroad options.
• Experience managing budgets and working with multiple stakeholders across regions.
• Experience developing partnerships or collaborative agreements (desirable).

Skills and Competencies:

• Strong understanding of international student recruitment processes, including admissions and immigration considerations.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to engage diverse audiences.
• Strong interpersonal and relationship-building skills across internal and external stakeholders.
• Strategic, analytical, and commercially minded with the ability to identify new opportunities.
• High level of organisational skills with the ability to manage competing priorities and deadlines.
• Demonstrated ability to work as a member of a matrix structure team, as well as work independently using initiative and judgement.
• Fluent in English.
• A valid passport with the ability to travel around South East Asia and internationally.

Benefits:

• Competitive compensation package
• Be part of a globally recognized organization in international education

If you're eager to work with a world-class team of professionals, passionate about international education and student mobility, and driven to make a meaningful impact in this exciting and dynamic field, we encourage you to apply

Website Address: www.acumen.education

Social Media: https://www.linkedin.com/company/acumen-edu/