Student Experience & Retention Lead

MANCOSA; Johannesburg; On-site; ZAR 900,000 - 1,300,000; Full time

Job summary

MANCOSA, a DHET registered private higher education distance education provider, seeks a Customer Experience Manager in Johannesburg to lead the student lifecycle experience from recruitment to alumni, using data analytics to drive retention and service improvements.

You will align multiple departments, design proactive interventions, and deliver executive dashboards and reports that inform strategy and enhance the student journey.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Business Admin/Operations/Marketing or related field.
• 5–7 years in customer experience or student success management.
• Proficient in dashboards, CRM reporting, and data literacy.
• Familiar with SA distance/blended learning, regulatory context.
• Strong analytical and cross-functional collaboration skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication.

Responsibilities

• End-to-End Student Lifecycle Management: map and optimize lifecycle across four phases (Acquisition, Onboarding, Engagement, Graduation).
• Proactive intervention design to protect retention at critical attrition points.
• Oversee onboarding frameworks with digital platform orientation and clear roadmaps.
• Act as the primary operational bridge between departments to ensure a unified student experience.
• Provide regular data-driven reports and executive dashboards to inform strategy.

Skills

Cross-functional leadership

Data analytics

Stakeholder management

Excellent communication

Problem solving

Education

Bachelor's degree in business/related

Postgraduate qualification advantageous

Tools

CRM systems

HubSpot

SIS

LMS

Power BI

Job description

MANCOSA, a DHET registered private higher education distance education provider, seeks a Customer Experience Manager in Johannesburg to lead the student lifecycle experience from recruitment to alumni, using data analytics to drive retention and service improvements.

You will align multiple departments, design proactive interventions, and deliver executive dashboards and reports that inform strategy and enhance the student journey.