Lead Conversion Officer

Wits University; Johannesburg; On-site; ZAR 350,000 - 550,000; Full time

Job summary

Wits University seeks a results-driven Lead Conversion Specialist to manage enquiries, qualify prospects and convert interest into applications and enrolments within its higher education programs.

You will maintain accurate data in the CRM, prioritise leads by start dates and capacity, and collaborate with Marketing, Operations and Finance to support successful class enrolments and timely handovers.

Qualifications

• Minimum five years in higher education recruitment, lead conversion or enrolment.
• Experience working toward enrolment or revenue targets.
• Experience using CRM or lead tracking systems.
• Experience guiding applicants through enrolment processes.
• Strong verbal and written communication and accurate records management.

Responsibilities

• Lead Conversion and Prospective Delegate Engagement: manage enquiries, qualify prospects and convert to applications and enrolments.
• Lead Pipeline and Data Management: maintain prospect records and prioritise by start dates and capacity.
• Course and Product Knowledge: understand pricing, delivery formats, durations and entry requirements.
• Class Enrolment and Operational Handover: monitor enrolments and ensure documentation is complete.
• Stakeholder Collaboration: work with Marketing, Operations and Finance on schedules, quotations and enrolment confirmations.
• Reporting and Continuous Improvement: report on lead volumes and conversion rates; suggest improvements.

Skills

Lead qualification

Prospect engagement

CRM experience

Communication

Data management

Record keeping

Target-driven

Education

Diploma or degree in Marketing, Sales, Business Administration, CRM, Education Management

Tools

CRM systems

Lead tracking tools

Student administration platform

Microsoft Outlook

Microsoft Word

Microsoft Excel

Job description

Key Responsibilities

Lead Conversion and Prospective Delegate Engagement

• Manage enquiries by email, telephone, the website, marketing campaigns and other approved channels.
• Qualify prospects and provide accurate course, fee, schedule and entry requirement information.
• Maintain structured follow-up, address objections and convert leads into applications, registrations and confirmed enrolments.

Lead Pipeline and Data Management

• Maintain accurate prospect records, interactions, follow-up actions and conversion outcomes in approved systems.
• Prioritise leads by course commencement dates, capacity, enrolment targets and conversion potential.
• Record reasons for deferred or lost leads and protect prospective delegate information.

Course and Product Knowledge

• Maintain detailed knowledge of the course portfolio, target audiences and value propositions.
• Understand pricing, delivery formats, duration, commencement dates and minimum student numbers.
• Communicate academic, administrative, payment, documentation and technical prerequisites clearly.

Class Enrolment and Operational Handover

• Monitor class enrolments and proactively drive registrations against minimum class-size requirements.
• Confirm that delegate records, supporting documents and enrolment requirements are complete.
• Hand over confirmed classes to the Operations Team within agreed timelines and elevate matters affecting commencement.

Stakeholder Collaboration

• Work with Marketing on campaign priorities and provide feedback on lead quality and prospect objections.
• Collaborate with the Operations Team on schedules, capacity and handover requirements.
• Liaise with Finance and administrative teams on quotations, invoices, payment documentation and enrolment confirmation; route academic enquiries through the appropriate internal channel.

Reporting and Continuous Improvement

• Report on lead volumes, conversion rates, pipeline status and progress towards filling classes to and beyond the minimum viable numbers.
• Identify conversion bottlenecks, recurring objections and causes of lead attrition.
• Recommend improvements to follow-up processes, communication templates and the prospective delegate journey.

Qualifications and Experience

Essential Requirements

• A minimum of five years of relevant experience within the higher education sector in student recruitment, lead conversion, admissions, sales enrolment or related customer engagement.
• Experience working towards enrolment, conversion, sales or revenue targets.
• Experience using CRM, lead tracker, sales pipeline or student administration platform.
• Experience managing prospective student enquiries and guiding applicants through enrolment processes.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills and accurate records management

Advantageous Experience

• A relevant diploma or degree in Marketing, Sales, Business Administration, Customer Relationship Management, Education Management or a related field.
• Experience in university short courses, executive education or professional development.
• Experience reporting on conversion performance and class enrolment progress.

Technical Knowledge and Skills

• Consultative selling, lead qualification, objection handling and conversion.
• Higher education application, registration and enrolment processes.
• CRM systems, lead tracking, data capturing and conversion reporting.
• Microsoft Outlook, Word and Excel.
• Course pricing, entry requirements, delivery formats and class viability.

Core Competencies

• Customer service and professional stakeholder engagement.
• Structured follow-up, planning and prioritisation.
• Attention to detail and accurate data management.
• Ability to manage high enquiry volumes and competing deadlines.

Personal Attributes

• Proactive, persistent and focused on achieving targets.
• Patient, professional and responsive to prospective delegates.
• Accountable for follow-through and the quality of enrolment records.
• Collaborative and committed to continuous improvement.