Head of Admissions

Job Overview

This is a rare and exciting opportunity to join an outstanding and ambitious founding team at King's College School, The Bahamas, Inspired's premium school on the island paradise of The Bahamas. Since opening in August 2022, the school has continued to grow and will inaugurate its boarding house in August 2025. 

As the Head of Admissions, you will be responsible for leading the acquisition and conversion, including the outreach and recruitment events and supporting the retention strategy.

Reporting to the Founding Principal, you will be target-focused and responsible for the delivery and development of a highly effective acquisition and retention function, one that is responsive to the evolving needs of student enrolment within our schools.

The Head of Admissions is expected to have a whole school approach and ensure that they understand the importance of daily school life and school events in relation to termly activities. He or she will also be expected to attend whole school events to gain a thorough understanding of the academic and pastoral experiences that students can expect when coming to King’s College School, The Bahamas.

This role will commence in February 2025 (or sooner).

Key Responsibilities:

The Head of Admissions will drive enrolment success, from the initial point of enquiry from parents until the student enrols in the school. This process will include responsibility for ensuring the entire database is fully utilised to allow relevant records to be accurate and up-to-date. The statistics generated will help the school to assess the extent to which the strategies employed are useful and if remedial action is required.

The aim is to secure student enrolment through the following:

• To implement the admissions commercial strategy (focused on student acquisition and retention from enquiry to enrolment) for the school, working closely with the Founding Principal and Group marketing team.
• Communicate with parents of prospective and exchange students as first point of contact, to ensure they receive accurate and timely information and advice regarding admission to the school.
• Lead the Admissions team and/or guide the Founding Principal and SLT to achieve sales targets, ensuring they have the knowledge, training and support to deliver a customer-centred service to support student growth.
• Deliver best-in-class tours for prospective parents and partnership prospects (businesses, embassies, etc.). These will be conducted throughout the year (within and outside term time as required).
• Ensure service standards and quality assurance procedures are met and evolve with parent expectations and needs.
• Ensure admissions, conversion approach, and associated processes enable the school to optimise the achievement of student recruitment targets, with significant accountability for conversion from enquiry to application and application to enrolment.
• Guide the Senior Leadership Team in implementing best practice processes to increase retention. This includes leading the customer insights programme, managing potential leaver files, and participating in retention-focused student and parent events.
• Working with the Group Marketing Department, support the production of relevant publications such as school calendars, newsletters, prospectus, academic results, university destinations, etc. to ensure information is conveyed clearly and concisely, positively promoting the attributes of the school at all touch points.
• Generate and maintain a close network of partners, prospective parents, students, feeder schools, partner organisations, colleges, local businesses and visitors to the school.
• Assist/Guide the Founding Principal in making recommendations to senior managers regarding the gap to target and the subsequent number of applications and offers needed to secure or surpass the target enrolment number. Factor in risks to target, e.g., potential or confirmed leavers (consider previous years’ data).
• Ensure the admissions and admissions appeal process is compliant with Inspired Education’s Admissions Policy.
• Plan, coordinate, and implement a successful programme of events, including recruitment fairs, open mornings, taster days, and exhibition events. To maximise attendance, events might be scheduled periodically after hours and on weekends.
• Working with the Founding Principal and marketing team, I manage budgets, format, location, catering, invitations, publicity, bookings, and all other elements necessary to deliver successful admissions-related events.

The ideal candidate will have:

• Sales management experience within a professional services setting.
• Track record of exceeding sales targets.
• Strong leadership and influencing skills.
• An understanding of the principles of sales and marketing.
• Outstanding interpersonal skills with an ability to performance manage a team of business developers and build effective and trusting relationships and professional networks in the wider community.
• Highly competent in using a range of IT systems, including MIS & data analytics tools.
• Experience working with CRM systems and integration with the sales life cycle.
• Ability to communicate effectively and build confidence and credibility at senior levels both in person and through papers, presentations and reports.
• Strong data analysis and interpretation skills.
• Demonstrable experience in managing budgets, resources and funding, driving enhancements in systems and processes to deliver improved performance.
• Experience working with the education sector is desirable but not essential.