Head of Admissions & Marketing

Ignite School; Dubai; On-site; AED 360,000 - 480,000; Full time

Job summary

Ignite School in Dubai seeks a Head of Admissions & Marketing to lead the enrolment growth strategy and build a high-performing, data-driven team. You will drive the annual plan, forecast enrolment, manage the pipeline, and collaborate with leadership on capacity, pricing and expansion.

The role oversees digital marketing, brand enhancement for an American-curriculum school, and weekly data reporting. You will report to the Director and work with the admissions and marketing teams to optimise

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Business or related field; Master's or MBA preferred.
• Minimum 8 years in sales, admissions or marketing, incl. 5+ years leading teams.
• Proven experience leading data-driven sales teams in a service industry with a track record of meeting targets.
• Experience in education sector, particularly K-12 or American curriculum, is an advantage.
• Strong command of CRM systems, reporting dashboards and performance data.
• Excellent English; Arabic is an advantage.

Responsibilities

• Develop and deliver an annual admissions and marketing plan aligned with enrolment and budget targets.
• Forecast enrolment by grade and division; advise leadership on capacity, pricing, and growth.
• Lead, coach and manage the admissions and marketing team; manage the pipeline and conversion tracking.
• Plan and deliver digital, social media, event and community marketing campaigns; manage budget and ROI.
• Own admissions CRM, produce weekly leadership reports on enquiries, tours, assessments, enrolments and leavers.
• Lead re-enrolment campaigns and design a professional experience for families from first enquiry to onboarding.
• Ensure KHDA-compliant admissions processes and collaborate with Finance and Principals.

Skills

Sales leadership

Strategic planning

Data-driven decision making

CRM reporting

Communications

Education

Bachelor's degree in Marketing/Business

MBA preferred

Tools

CRM systems

Reporting dashboards

Job description

Job Description: Head of Admissions & Marketing

Department: Admissions & Marketing

Reports to: Director

Direct reports: Admissions and marketing team (Senior Registration Officer, Admission Officers, Sales Officers, Marketing Officer)

Location: Ignite School, Al Warqa'a 3, Dubai

Purpose of the role

To lead the school's enrolment growth by setting the admissions and marketing strategy, building a high-performing, data-driven team, and delivering enrolment and retention targets.

Key responsibilities

Strategy and enrolment growth

• Develop and deliver an annual admissions and marketing plan aligned with the school's enrolment and budget targets
• Forecast enrolment by grade and division, and advise leadership on capacity, pricing position and growth opportunities
• Analyse market trends, competitor schools and demographic data to guide decisions

Sales team leadership

• Lead, coach and manage the admissions and marketing team, setting individual targets and holding the team accountable for results
• Manage the full enquiry-to-enrolment pipeline, including follow-up standards, conversion tracking and response times
• Build a performance culture driven by data, with regular pipeline reviews

Marketing and brand

• Plan and deliver digital, social media, event and community marketing campaigns
• Manage the marketing budget and measure campaign return on investment
• Strengthen the school's brand and reputation as an American curriculum school

Data, systems and reporting

• Own the admissions CRM and keep the data accurate and complete
• Produce weekly reports for leadership on enquiries, tours, assessments, enrolments, conversion rates and leavers
• Use data to identify drop-off points in the pipeline and act on them

Retention and parent experience

• Lead re-enrolment campaigns and work with Principals to reduce student attrition
• Design a consistent, professional experience for families from first enquiry through to onboarding
• Collect and act on parent feedback

Compliance and collaboration

• Ensure admissions processes comply with KHDA requirements and school policy
• Work with Finance on fees, discounts and budget, and with Principals on placement and assessments
• Build partnerships with corporate partners, relocation agencies and feeder nurseries

Key performance indicators

• New enrolments against target
• Re-enrolment and retention rate
• Timeliness and accuracy of weekly admissions reporting
• Parent satisfaction with the admissions process

Qualifications and experience

• Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Business or a related field; Master's or MBA preferred
• Minimum 8 years of experience in sales, admissions or marketing, including at least 5 years leading teams
• Proven experience leading data-driven sales teams in a service industry, with a track record of meeting targets
• Education sector experience, particularly with K-12 or American curriculum schools, is an advantage
• Strong command of CRM systems, reporting dashboards and performance data
• Excellent English; Arabic is an advantage