Head of Global Student Recruitment & Associate Director of Global Engagement

United Kingdom — International Student Market

654K inbound students (2024) +0%

1. India 169K

2. China 152K

4. United States 36K

5. Pakistan 31K

14 international branch campuses in United Kingdom

This employer operates 1 active branch campus in 1 country

OVERVIEW The University of Reading is recruiting a Head of Global Student Recruitment & Associate Director of Global Engagement to provide strategic leadership and operational oversight for international student recruitment activity. This full-time permanent role supports the university’s global engagement objectives through the development and delivery of a comprehensive global recruitment strategy. The position focuses on sustainable international growth, diversification across key regions, and the recruitment of high-quality student cohorts across foundation, undergraduate, postgraduate taught, and postgraduate research programmes.

The successful candidate will work across multiple teams to strengthen global engagement and support the university’s international ambitions.

• Provide strategic leadership and expert direction for international student recruitment activity
• Support delivery of the university’s global engagement objectives
• Develop and deliver a comprehensive global recruitment strategy
• Support sustainable international growth and diversification across key regions
• Lead recruitment activity for foundation, undergraduate, postgraduate taught, and postgraduate research students
• Lead a multi-regional operational team
• Oversee the university’s global network of agents, recruitment partners, and in-market representatives
• Work closely with Admissions, Marketing, International Student Advisory, Partnerships, Legal Services, and Applicant Engagement teams
• Provide operational oversight for recruitment and engagement activities

• Experience providing strategic leadership for international student recruitment
• Ability to develop and deliver a global recruitment strategy
• Ability to support sustainable international growth and regional diversification
• Experience leading operational teams
• Experience working with agents, recruitment partners, and in-market representatives
• Ability to collaborate with cross-functional university teams including Admissions, Marketing, Partnerships, and Applicant Engagement WHY THIS ROLE MATTERS This role plays an important part in supporting the university’s international growth and long-term global engagement priorities. Effective recruitment and engagement strategies help universities attract diverse student communities, strengthen international partnerships, and maintain sustainable development across global markets.

• Highlight experience leading international recruitment strategy within a university environment
• Demonstrate examples of successful global recruitment or engagement outcomes across different regions
• Show experience managing operational teams and external recruitment partnerships
• Emphasise collaboration with admissions, marketing, or student support functions
• Include evidence of working with international student recruitment data, planning, or market diversification
• Tailor your application to demonstrate understanding of global engagement and international recruitment priorities