Country Manager supporting Lancaster University

Title- Country Manager supporting Lancaster University Experience- 8+ years Education- Educated to degree level or equivalent, preferably in the UK or Ireland Location- Delhi/ Mumbai About University Lancaster University is a leading higher education and research institution in north-west England and one of the largest employers in the area. The University believes that their greatest assets are: - the brilliant minds who teach and learn at the Lancaster and global campuses - the research that delivers innovative solutions to the world’s ever-changing issues - the positive economic, cultural, societal and environmental change that we are making locally, nationally and globally. Their excellence in these areas is demonstrated by the consistently high rankings in many influential league tables: - 10th in The Complete University Guide 2025 - 11th in The Guardian University Guide 2025 - 12th in The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2025 - 141st out of 1,500 universities around the world in the QS World University Rankings 2025. About OneStep Global OneStep Global, a market entry firm specialized in the higher education sector. OneStep Global helps global universities, colleges, government organizations to land and expand across Asia, through stake holder management and in country representation. OneStep Global has been working with some very prestigious universities and colleges across the world. The solutions vary from market development, market entry and market presence. The Role The role holder will make a key contribution in growing the University’s income through international student enrolments, engaging with multiple recruitment channels and stakeholders, and capitalising on business development opportunities. The new post will help to set and achieve challenging recruitment targets for India and will be responsible for developing and delivering the associated recruitment strategy and tactics. The role holder will also be expected to work with colleagues across Recruitment, Admissions and Immigration to assist in the management of the University’s Tier 4 obligations with respect to responsible student recruitment and agent management. In addition, the post holder will also work closely with marketing colleagues to assist with profile raising and publicity activity for the region; be responsible for budget management; and co-ordinate in-country visits for academic and professional services colleagues as appropriate. It is intended that this post will also include line management and supervision of a Country Officer. Key Responsibilities · Be responsible for the design and delivery of effective recruitment market plans and strategies to maximise student and revenue growth from India. · Carry out the day-to-day activity required to realize the objectives of this marketing and recruitment strategy: attending exhibitions, undertaking school and college visits, visiting agencies etc. · Develop and maintain positive working relationships with key external stakeholders in India: education agents, school and college counsellors, Visa office, government bodies, sponsorship bodies, accreditation bodies, alumni, etc. · Develop and maintain positive working relationships with key internal stakeholders at the University; in particular, the International Recruitment Manager (South Asia), the Head of International Recruitment, Admissions staff and Academic colleagues as appropriate. · The incumbent will work closely with the existing agent network that the University has and will maintain the relationship on the ground and will also try and build new agents across the country · The incumbent will attend education fairs and recruitment events across India and the Subcontinent to meet and advise prospective students and offer-holders on a range of matters including programs, entry requirements and application processes · The incumbent will work closely with colleagues across the University to implement and manage robust recruitment and admissions processes in line with the University’s Tier 4 licence obligations · Organize and support recruitment-focused events like offer-holder briefings and pre-departure events by booking venue(s), sending invitations, attending events across India etc. · Event Management – Organising and supporting agent workshops, recruitment events with schools, alumni and other stakeholders, University visits in India and across the Subcontinent · Support promotional campaigns such as promotion of scholarships to offer-holders through creation and distribution of materials to relevant stakeholders. · Conduct market research by gathering contact information for high school counsellors and competitor institution entry requirements from India. Source, analyse provide India market data. · Develop business cases and budget plans for forthcoming years, including requirements for overseas expenditure, partnerships and overseas staffing requirements · Manage regional budgets with a focus on impact and return on investment · Lead, manage and develop team members based in India · Be responsible for planning own travel schedule and the travel schedule of visiting colleagues as appropriate · Participate in the activities of the wider Directorate and carry out other duties or project work as directed by the International Recruitment Manager (South Asia) Person Specification · Educated to degree level or equivalent, preferably in the UK. · Understanding of the opportunities and challenges affecting the global higher education market. · Demonstrable (8+ years) student recruitment experience of working in India, preferably to the UK. · Strong relationship management skills with a focus on customer service. · Previous line management experience, with a proven record in planning workloads for recruitment support colleagues. · Proven experience of planning and implementing effective recruitment and conversion plans to maximise student growth from priority markets. · Experience of managing an extensive agent network for student recruitment purposes. · Understand the importance of service delivery and show a willingness to work with colleagues across the University to collectively work towards the strategic goals of the University. · An understanding of the UK immigration policies, and how this translates in the effective and responsible recruitment practices · Highly developed written and oral communication and presentation skills, including use of digital and social media for business purposes. · Good IT skills, with the ability to produce reports based on understanding and manipulation of complex statistical data. · Creative and positive attitude, with the ability and confidence to respond quickly to meet changing customer and market demands. · Strong organisational skills and the ability to prioritise demanding workloads and meet deadlines in a pressurised environment. · Willingness to adopt a flexible working approach by working unsocial hours, weekends or occasional public holidays when required. · Ability to undertake business-related travel in market on an unrestricted basis (indicative 20 weeks per year) and undertake visits to the UK for training purposes. · Some overseas travel may be required on an ad-hoc basis therefore the candidate should possess a valid Passport. Reporting: The Country Manager will report to the CEO of OneStep Global. Start Date: Immediate, though will honor any notice period for the right candidate. NOTE: OneStep Global is an equal opportunities employer and is committed to the employment policies, procedures and practices which do not discriminate on grounds such as gender, marital status, family status, age, disability, race, religious belief, sexual orientation.