Lead, Strategic Communications & Alumni Relations

University of Southampton Malaysia; Iskandar Puteri; On-site; MYR 120,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of Southampton Malaysia (UoSM) is seeking a dynamic Lead, Strategic Communications & Alumni Relations to guide the Recruitment, Marketing and Admissions team in shaping the university’s external narrative and stakeholder relationships.

The role focuses on developing and enforcing brand governance, driving content and storytelling, and building impactful alumni networks to enhance visibility, reputation and prospective student engagement across channels.

Qualifications

• Minimum 5 years of relevant experience in student recruitment, sales, or business development.
• Proven track record of consistently achieving recruitment or sales targets.
• Experience managing recruitment agents, partners, or stakeholder networks.
• Experience in higher education or international student recruitment is an advantage.
• Experience working with CRM systems and data-driven recruitment practices.

Responsibilities

• External & Internal Communications Strategy.
• Develop and implement UoSM’s external and internal communication strategies, including media/public relations, general communications and employee-focused communications.
• Ensure all communications activity is in line with UoSM’s vision, strategy and values.
• Liaise with and gather information from UoSM’s academic staff, professional staff, students, alumni and other relevant stakeholders.
• Content Development & Storytelling.
• Support the development and execution of external communications strategies and content initiatives, including:
• Press releases and media responses.
• Website content and feature articles.
• Thought leadership content.
• Brochures, newsletters and other communication materials.
• Drive content writing and storytelling efforts to enhance UoSM’s brand visibility and reputation.
• Brand Governance & Quality Assurance.
• Maintain and enforce brand, tone of voice and visual identity standards in line with University of Southampton requirements.
• Review and approve materials produced by academic schools, agents and partners.
• Proofread all internal and external communications to ensure correct grammar, spelling and punctuation before dissemination.
• Stakeholder, Alumni & Sponsor Engagement.
• Lead alumni communications, networking initiatives and community-building activities.
• Maintain and grow the alumni database.
• Strengthen relationships with alumni, industry partners and sponsors.
• Identify opportunities for sponsorship, partnerships and fundraising initiatives that support institutional objectives.
• Institutional & Engagement Events.
• Lead the planning and execution of alumni, corporate engagement and strategic institutional events:
• Alumni gatherings and networking sessions.
• Sponsorship events and conferences.
• Identify, develop and maintain key communication channels, adapting and improving them in line with external trends and business needs.
• Manage and maintain website content to ensure information is accurate, relevant and aligned with UoSM branding and communication objectives.
• Conduct market intelligence, competitor benchmarking and sector monitoring activities.
• Leverage AI-enabled tools to identify emerging trends, opportunities and insights that support strategic communications and stakeholder engagement.
• Track and report on media coverage, share of voice and channel engagement.
• Other Duties.
• Undertake any other assigned duties, projects and strategic initiatives as directed by the Senior Manager, Marketing and Communications.

Skills

Stakeholder engagement

Content development

Communication strategy

Alumni relations

Brand governance

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, International Business, Communications, or related discipline

Tools

CRM systems

Media monitoring tools

Job description

Lead, Strategic Communications & Alumni Relations

The University of Southampton Malaysia (UoSM) is seeking a dynamic Lead, Strategic Communications & Alumni Relations to be an effective member of the Recruitment, Marketing and Admissions team, leading strategic communications, media relations and brand governance initiatives that enhance UoSM’s reputation, stakeholder relationships and visibility within the higher education sector.

The role plays a key part in shaping and protecting the institutional narrative, ensuring message consistency across all channels, and developing stakeholder and alumni engagement that contributes to institutional reputation, advocacy and prospective student engagement.

Key Responsibilities

External & Internal Communications Strategy.

Develop and implement UoSM’s external and internal communication strategies, including media/public relations, general communications and employee-focused communications.

Ensure all communications activity is in line with UoSM’s vision, strategy and values.

Liaise with and gather information from UoSM’s academic staff, professional staff, students, alumni and other relevant stakeholders.

Content Development & Storytelling.

Support the development and execution of external communications strategies and content initiatives, including:

Press releases and media responses.

Website content and feature articles.

Thought leadership content.

Brochures, newsletters and other communication materials.

Drive content writing and storytelling efforts to enhance UoSM’s brand visibility and reputation.

Brand Governance & Quality Assurance.

Maintain and enforce brand, tone of voice and visual identity standards in line with University of Southampton requirements.

Review and approve materials produced by academic schools, agents and partners.

Proofread all internal and external communications to ensure correct grammar, spelling and punctuation before dissemination.

Stakeholder, Alumni & Sponsor Engagement.

Lead alumni communications, networking initiatives and community-building activities.

Maintain and grow the alumni database.

Strengthen relationships with alumni, industry partners and sponsors.

Identify opportunities for sponsorship, partnerships and fundraising initiatives that support institutional objectives.

Institutional & Engagement Events.

Lead the planning and execution of alumni, corporate engagement and strategic institutional events:

Alumni gatherings and networking sessions.

Sponsorship events and conferences.

Identify, develop and maintain key communication channels, adapting and improving them in line with external trends and business needs.

Manage and maintain website content to ensure information is accurate, relevant and aligned with UoSM branding and communication objectives.

Conduct market intelligence, competitor benchmarking and sector monitoring activities.

Leverage AI-enabled tools to identify emerging trends, opportunities and insights that support strategic communications and stakeholder engagement.

Track and report on media coverage, share of voice and channel engagement.

Other Duties.

Undertake any other assigned duties, projects and strategic initiatives as directed by the Senior Manager, Marketing and Communications.

Key Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, International Business, Communications, or a related discipline, or an equivalent professional qualification.

Minimum 5 years of relevant experience in student recruitment, sales, or business development.

Proven track record of consistently achieving recruitment or sales targets.

Experience managing recruitment agents, partners, or stakeholder networks.

Experience in higher education or international student recruitment is an advantage

Experience working with CRM systems and data-driven recruitment practices.

Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to engage and influence a diverse range of stakeholders, including students, agents, and internal teams.

The University of Southampton Malaysia (UoSM) is an international branch campus of the University of Southampton, a founding member of the Russell Group and one of the UK’s leading research-intensive universities. Established in 2012 and located in Iskandar Puteri, Johor, UoSM offers foundation, undergraduate and postgraduate programmes, providing students with a globally recognised UK education in Malaysia.

As part of a globally connected university with campuses in the United Kingdom, Malaysia and India, UoSM is committed to academic excellence, research, innovation and industry engagement, preparing graduates to make a positive impact in an increasingly interconnected world.