Dean of Admissions & Marketing
About This Role
Position Summary
The Dean of Admissions and Marketing occupies a key role on the Senior Leadership Team (SLT) and is tasked with overseeing the Academy’s complete admissions, enrollment management, and marketing initiatives. This individual is responsible for leading strategic planning, executing operations, and fostering continuous improvement in recruitment efforts, market positioning, communication strategies, and the evaluation of applicants. Additionally, the role includes supervising the Talent Identification & Development (TID/ITID) and Rebalancing programs.
This position is instrumental in enhancing the Academy’s visibility, credibility, and outreach both within India and on an international scale, ensuring that enrollment aligns with the institution’s mission and effectively conveys the Academy’s educational offerings in accordance with the principles of the Aga Khan Academies and AKDN.
The Dean reports directly to the Head of Academy and collaborates with various departments including Network Communications, Financial Aid, Residential Life, Academic Leadership Teams, as well as counterparts from AKS/AKES and external partners.
Key Responsibilities
1. Strategic Leadership in Admissions & Enrollment Management
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Spearhead the creation, execution, and annual assessment of a data-driven enrollment management strategy that encompasses recruitment, pipeline development, conversion, retention, and anticipated enrollment needs.
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Establish medium- and long-term admissions goals that are in line with the Academy’s strategic vision, values, financial framework, and diversity objectives.
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Manage the applicant assessment process, ensuring it is characterized by quality, integrity, fairness, and alignment with the Academy’s mission.
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Collaborate with the ITID manager to supervise and ensure the quality of TID/ITID programs, focusing on the effective identification, assessment, and onboarding of high-potential students who face resource limitations.
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Ensure that all policies and practices are in accordance with network-wide standards, national regulations, and AKDN guidelines.
2. Marketing, Communications & Brand Visibility
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Formulate and implement a comprehensive marketing and communications strategy that enhances the Academy’s profile and visibility on regional, national, and global levels.
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Guide the Academy’s Communications Specialist in managing digital engagement, which includes website content, online campaigns, social media, email marketing, and digital storytelling in collaboration with the Network Communications team.
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Guarantee consistency and high quality in the Academy’s brand identity across all print, digital, and multimedia communications.
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Oversee the production of brochures, prospectuses, videos, event materials, and promotional content that align with the Academy’s mission.
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Ensure that crisis communication protocols are up to date, practiced regularly, and integrated with network standards.
3. Recruitment, Outreach & Relationships
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Drive strategic outreach efforts across India and neighboring nations, identifying new markets while enhancing existing ones.
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Cultivate relationships with feeder schools, educational consultants, corporations, embassies, NGOs, and community organizations.
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Represent the Academy at educational fairs, corporate briefings, community gatherings, and international school networks.
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Design and execute innovative engagement events for prospective families, partners, and alumni.
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Supervise international outreach efforts related to diversity objectives and potential scholarship opportunities.
4. Admissions Operations & Applicant Journey
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Ensure exemplary customer service and responsiveness throughout the applicant lifecycle.
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Enhance parent-facing systems to make admissions processes transparent, timely, data-informed, and predictable.
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Collaborate with academic teams, residential life, college counseling, finance, and other departments to ensure a smooth applicant evaluation and onboarding process.
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Monitor competitive trends, analyze market behavior, and provide insights into the Academy’s competitive stance within India and the surrounding region.
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Ensure adherence to data protection regulations and confidentiality standards.
5. Financial Aid & Scholarship Processes
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Work closely with the Financial Aid Committee to ensure fairness, rigor, confidentiality, and alignment with the Academy's mission.
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Offer data-informed recommendations regarding aid distribution to support diversity, sustainability, and enrollment objectives.
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Communicate clearly and sensitively with families about aid decisions and related processes.
6. Data, Analytics & Reporting
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Oversee comprehensive data systems for tracking inquiries, applications, conversions, withdrawals, and market trends.
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Generate regular analyses and reports for the Head of Academy, Board/Board Committees, AKS/AKES/AKDN partners, and Network Leadership.
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Ensure effective use of data for forecasting, decision-making, and strategic planning.
7. Leadership & Team Management
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Recruit, lead, mentor, and assess the Admissions and Marketing teams, ensuring clarity in roles and opportunities for professional development.
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Foster a culture of accountability, service excellence, ethical behavior, and ongoing improvement.
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Manage departmental budgets in a responsible and transparent manner.
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Coordinate effectively with network colleagues and consultants.
8. Institutional Contribution
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Actively participate in SLT decision-making processes and Academy-wide initiatives.
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Engage with faculty and residential teams to gain insights into the student experience and accurately reflect it in marketing efforts.
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Contribute to school events, accreditation efforts (e.g., MSA), strategic planning cycles, and community relations.
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Take on any additional responsibilities as assigned by the Head of Academy.
Qualifications & Experience
Essential
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A Bachelor’s degree is required; a Master’s degree is preferred (in Education, Management, Marketing, Communications, or a related field).
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At least 7 years of leadership experience in admissions, enrollment management, or educational marketing is necessary.
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Proven success in leading teams, managing complex operations, and achieving growth targets.
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Strong analytical skills and proficiency in CRM/enrollment platforms (e.g., OpenApply or similar).
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Exceptional written and verbal communication abilities.
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In-depth knowledge of India and the regional educational landscape.
Desirable
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Experience in international or IB boarding schools.
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Experience in managing diverse teams and enrolling a varied student body.
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Familiarity with digital marketing tools, analytics platforms, and brand strategy.
Personal Attributes
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Strong alignment with the Aga Khan Academies' mission and the values of AKDN.
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Demonstrates high integrity, sound judgment, resilience, and emotional intelligence.
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A visionary yet practical leader, strategic thinker with operational discipline.
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Collaborative and inclusive, capable of building trust across diverse teams.
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Possesses empathy, cultural sensitivity, and excellent listening skills.
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A creative problem-solver with the ability to navigate ambiguity with composure.