Receptionist & Parent Liaison Officer - Sunmarke School

Fortes Education; United Arab Emirates; On-site; AED 60,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

An educational organization in the UAE is seeking a Receptionist & Parent Liaison Officer. The role involves handling communications with parents, coordinating school events, and providing administrative support. Candidates should possess strong communication and organizational skills, along with relevant experience. This position offers opportunities to engage with the community and ensure smooth operations within the school.

Qualifications

• Proficient in managing parent communications effectively and efficiently.
• Experience in similar roles within educational environments considered an asset.
• Ability to handle complaints and queries diplomatically.

Responsibilities

• Answer and forward incoming phone calls while providing basic information.
• Maintain communication with parents and address their needs.
• Coordinate parent/community events to engage parents.

Skills

Communication Skills

Customer Service

Organizational Skills

Education

Relevant administrative experience

Knowledge of education regulations

Job description

About us

Fortes Education has been a leading education provider in the UAE for over four decades with premium international schools and nurseries that have experienced outstanding success and growth. Our schools offer the most innovative and character‑building education in the entire Middle East region.

Our core ethos and philosophy of education is Positive Education (PosEd). Through PosEd, our schools foster active engagement in learning, celebrating character strengths and accomplishments. We encourage children to cultivate fulfilling relationships with others and seek meaning and purpose in their own lives. We enable children to become happy learners and develop into innovative thinkers, confident young adults, and life‑long learners. Our students develop resilience, a growth mindset and deep character strengths that allow them to flourish in an ever‑changing world.

About Sunmarke School – Where Amazing Happens

Sunmarke School provides an ambitious and inspiring, values‑based education that nurtures the hearts and minds of students so that they can flourish and achieve their dreams. Powered by our unique signature programs, Sunmarke is a uniquely innovative school, transforming young lives. This was reflected in Sunmarke School winning the coveted ‘Most Innovative School’ award at the Which School Advisor ceremony in Dubai and London.

Sunmarke is an all‑through school which offers a premium education across a fantastic range of pathways for students including the National Curriculum of England, GCSE/IGCSE, ‘A’ Levels, BTEC and the IB Diploma and Career Related Programmes. We also offer a suite of Signature Programmes unrivalled in Dubai. With unique experiences in Environmental and Sustainability Studies, students learn in Forest School settings, as well as utilising cutting‑edge hydroponic technology to examine how science can support sustainability in future terrains. Our world‑class STEAM centre and curriculum offers students an incredible opportunity to apply their learning in solving real‑world problems, from Foundation Stage through to Year 9. We run best‑in‑class mini‑MBA programmes for our Year 10 to 13 students in conjunction with the Peter Jones Academy, to ensure their future success in business and entrepreneurship. We are technologically innovative and run comprehensive AI programmes for students in all core subjects, as well as deepening other subjects through Augmented and Virtual Reality AR/VR experiences. We have outstanding performing arts opportunities with fantastic facilities and amazing teachers to help our more creative students truly find their voice. Sunmarke School was judged by the Dubai School Inspection Bureau (DSIB) as a ‘Very Good’ school in our 3rd year of operation and ‘Outstanding’ in our British Schools Overseas (BSO) inspection in 2019.

We present an exciting opportunity to join our all‑through school and to play an important part in our journey to “Outstanding”. Sunmarke School, Dubai is one of our flagship schools, located at a prime location in Jumeirah Village Triangle.

About you

We are looking to appoint an experienced and enthusiastic Receptionist & Parent Liaison Officer for Sunmarke School.

Main Accountabilities

• Answer, screen, and forward any incoming phone calls while providing basic information when needed.
• Provide office support services in order to ensure efficiency and effectiveness within the School.
• Liaise, communicate, and nurture enrolled family relationships as per the Lifecycle of School Engagement Infographic.
• Maintain open lines of communication to existing parents to ensure their concerns, complaints and compliments feedback are handled effectively, efficiently and in a timely manner, escalating to relevant SLT members when necessary and scheduling touch base meetings as required.
• Maintain communications with existing parents, handling queries and being the liaison between other school personnel and departments.
• Coordinate parent/community events in order to engage parents in school activities and celebrations.
• Assist in the Induction process via introduction by welcome packs and regular touch base calls.
• Act as first point of contact for all parental complaints by monitoring, following up and escalating concerns as required.
• Be versed in rules and regulations of the Ministry of Education and KHDA.
• Attend weekly FOSS/FRISS meetings to identify any queries, concerns and conduct regular workshop and intervention sessions.
• Monitor/screen/escalate all complaints.
• Answer all enquiries, process requests & log in all information for walk‑in inquiries onto the CRM.
• Notify colleagues in School of Visitor arrivals for a meeting i.e., Admissions, SLT, etc.
• Welcome & engage with prospective parents & visitors and address their needs with a smile e.g., process requests such as Item or Food drop‑off / Early pickup / Lateness etc.
• Filter, re‑redirect incoming queries and concerns to the members in the Organisation related to academic & operational policies, protocols & processes & communicate on all matters related to: age‑appropriate year‑group placement, the National Curriculum for England, Options, KS4 & 5 Pathways (IBDP/IBCP, BTEC, GCSEs, ‘A’ Levels), Tuition Fees, Fee Payment dates, Scholarships, Discounts, Complaints, COVID HSE, Medical, Maintenance, Bus, Non‑English Speakers & Special Interest Groups, Academic Events/Productions/Trips etc.
• Physically usher new families to their next engagement in the Admissions & Induction & Departure Process.
• Coordinate Existing Student Transitions with relevant Phase.
• Support GLO on new student KHDA Student Registration & procuring required documentation.
• Assist the Admissions Team on their R&Rs including back‑end data entry on the Family (Student) Profile into various systems (CRM/SIMS/VLE), and data entry of information from Digital Forms (Entrance Assessment Form, Scholarship Form), etc.
• Record Keeping & Compliance – using & updating registers for: Student Attendance, Evacuation, Student Absences & approval via the VLE, Student Lateness, Student Early pick‑up.
• Call & Email & Survey Campaigns with existing families – 1 x Term.
• Undertake regular surveys of new parent views on the enrolment process and other subjects of relevance and work with the marketing team to devise marketing and communication strategies for prospective parents at all stages of the admissions cycle.
• Alert the Head of Phase / Principal to take necessary action on the existing families of possible withdrawal intentions.
• Support FCO Marketing by use of the relevant Digital Form to update Dubai Schools Market Study.