Head- Global Admissions and Compliance (Job Vacancy)

ACUMEN is committed to helping globally-ambitious university and education partners enter, explore and expand in South Asia, South East Asia, and beyond. We offer a dedicated range of services to drive recruitment, student enrolment, develop strategic partnerships, and deliver bespoke consulting projects.

We act as an extension of your brand, by connecting you with the world’s best students, utilising strategic international education opportunities, understanding your ideal market through research and insights, and help mitigate any risks along the way. We operate in over 20 countries, with more than 250 industry practitioners with deep local knowledge and global expertise. We help navigate a competitive education landscape from end to end, while always prioritising your success.

We all need an edge in today’s competitive international education market. What worked for you in the past won’t be enough to succeed today. Let us help you reach your international student recruitment goals, find the right partners, understand your ideal market with insights, and launch new global initiatives.

Our track record speaks for itself – one out of five Indian students studying in the UK is an Acumen student, as is one out of every four Nepalese students. We deliver excellence throughout Asia and beyond. We know what you need to thrive, not only today but in the future. With Acumen as your internationalisation partner, we help you navigate the entire journey from start to finish, we’re there every step of the way.

Our Approach

Bringing innovation to the education market.

From our origins in India to our diverse, global education service across Asia and beyond, our approach has always been to give organisational leaders precisely what they need. Guidance and expertise through their internationalisation journey that they can trust.

Our end-to-end approach empowers universities, educational institutions, Government Departments and organisations to take their first steps onto the global stage. We're here every step of the way to provide the recommendations and resources needed to achieve positive results.

Since our story began in 2008 under the Sannam S4 Group umbrella, Acumen, the most- trusted name in the education sector, is focused on providing valuable market insight, guidance, and internationalisation for our clients. Our unique understanding, people-first approach and student-focused insights have made us an invaluable partner for education institutions and organisations in every corner of the globe.

We take the globalisation of education institutions and organisations to the next level, never losing sight of what's important. Our people and partners.

What are we seeking?

As Sannam S4 continues to grow, we intend to evolve the delivery of our service to the education sector (largely focused on Higher Education clients). A relentless focus on customer service, efficiency, discipline and planning ahead of growth is going to be critical for the business achieving its ambitious plans. We seek talent who are excited by a growth story andenjoy problem solving in an ambiguous and dynamic environment.

Our partners and stakeholders

Acumen places tremendous value on its strategic partnerships and close affiliations with respected organisations which include a formal Strategic Partnership with the U.S. International Trade Administration (ITA) U.S. Department of Commerce, the UK Department for International Trade (DIT) and close working relations with the governments of Australia, New Zealand, Canada and Ireland. We work very closely with the Embassy of India in Washington D.C. and with the federal and state government(s) in India.

Acumen leads and collaborates in thought leadership and policy discussions via close working relationships with the U.S. India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF) and the U.S. India Business Council (USIBC), American Chamber of Commerce in India (AMCHAM), British

Business Group (BBG), Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) and the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) amongst others. We will be seeking to develop further linkages with similar organisations based in Southeast Asia.

Role Summary

The Head of Global Admissions and Compliance is a senior-level position responsible for overseeing and managing all aspects of the admissions process and ensuring compliance with relevant regulations and standards for an international educational institution or organization. This position involves a combination of operational leadership, team management, client relationship management, and continuous improvement efforts to ensure exceptional service delivery. This role requires a strong background in admissions, related compliance requirements, and excellent leadership and communication skills.

Job Responsibilities SLA Management

• Collaboratively define service level agreements (SLA) quality and performance indicator that align with partner specific goals and objective.
• Implement monitoring tools and measures to ensure real-time tracking of service performance against the partner-specific SLAs.
• Assess and analyze service metrics to identify trends, potential bottlenecks, and areas for optimization and improvement.
• Ensure transparency in communication, providing partners with insights into how service levels align with agreed-upon standards.
• Identify areas for improvement and design initiatives that enhance partner satisfaction and loyalty.
• Foster a collaborative and proactive relationship with partners to build trust and secure long-term partnerships.
• Utilize partner input to drive continuous process improvements, enhancing service quality and responsiveness.

Performance Management

• Establish performance metrics and benchmarks that align with the desired training and quality outcomes.
• Implement monitoring and assessment mechanisms to track employees' progress during and after training, providing real-time feedback and support.
• Define specific performance objectives and goals that align with the partner’s and organisations’s strategic priorities.
• Identify the key performance indicators that will be used to measure progress toward achieving the defined objectives.
• Establish performance targets or benchmarks for each KPI, specifying what constitutes successful performance.
• Create plans for employee development that outline training, mentoring, and skill- building activities to support their performance improvement.
• Build and develop a Global admissions and compliance teams ready to deliver future goals and objectives of service delivery to all partners.

Client Relationship Management

• Build and maintain strong relationships with key clients, serving as a primary point of contact for operational and service-related matters.
• Ensure that service delivery meets or exceeds client expectations and SLAs.
• Continuously add value to all partners by bringing in Market intel and insights.
• Respond to client needs, proactively communicate, and report on operational activities.

Operational Efficiency

• Streamline service delivery processes to improve operational efficiency and reduce costs while maintaining quality.
• Implement best practices and standards for service delivery.
• Assist in defining and implementing the strategic direction and vision for the Enrolment Solutions to all partners.
• Collaborate with the Director of Service Delivery and wider team to develop and execute departmental goals and objectives.

Team Leadership And Development

• Supervise and mentor service delivery managers, coordinators, and teams.
• Promote a culture of collaboration, accountability, and continuous improvement within the department.

Service Excellence

• Oversee service delivery operations to ensure they align with client expectations and service level agreements (SLAs).
• Implement quality control measures and best practices to maintain and enhance service quality.

Resource Allocation:

• Ensure adequate resourcing for all partners considering the daily / weekly / monthly shrinkage
• Manage resource allocation, including staffing, budgeting, and technology, to support departmental objectives.

Continuous Improvement

• Drive initiatives for continuous improvement within the Service Delivery department to enhance service quality and efficiency.
• Proactively identify and address root causes of service issues and bottlenecks.
• Implement quality assurance and control measures to ensure service delivery meets established standards.
• Develop and oversee compliance with relevant quality certifications and standards.

Cross-functional Collaboration And Risk Management

• Work closely with other departments, such as Sales, IT, and Finance, to align service delivery with organizational objectives and priorities.
• Identify and mitigate risks associated with service delivery, including disaster recovery and business continuity planning.
• Ensure that service delivery operations comply with industry regulations, standards, and legal requirements.

Budget & P&L Management

• Work closely with other departments,