"Associate Regional Director (South Asia)"

About Us

At the University of East London (UEL), our mission is to prepare students for the careers of the future while shaping that future inclusively and sustainably. Founded in 1898, we have always championed industry-focused education and social mobility. Today, guided by our ambitious Vision 2028 strategy, we are transforming education to become the UK’s leading careers-first university.
We are committed to driving diversity in the future talent pipeline, working with partners across the world to promote opportunity wherever it is found and to create a sustainable, inclusive and innovative future.

The External Relations Directorate brings together communications, marketing, student recruitment, outreach, design and digital, international partnerships and advancement into a single integrated function. Our teams work in an agile, forward-thinking environment where innovation, collaboration and digital-first thinking are at the core of everything we do.

About the Role

We are seeking an experienced and highly motivated Associate Regional Director (South Asia) to lead student recruitment performance across India and the wider South Asia region, one of the University’s most strategically significant international markets.

This is a pivotal leadership role responsible for driving UEL’s inbound student recruitment across South Asia, with a primary focus on India. Based in Hyderabad, the Associate Director will lead a distributed regional sales model while working closely with in-country and UK teams to deliver a more coordinated national approach. It will be responsible for translating UEL’s international recruitment strategy into measurable outcomes. The successful candidate will drive enrolment performance, coordinate activities, manage regional recruitment pipelines, and ensure strong conversion outcomes across multiple intakes.

The role combines oversight of travelling recruitment teams with collaboration across marketing, alumni, careers and partnerships to enhance market presence, embed careers-led engagement and strengthen institutional reputation. It also requires oversight over the third-party operating centre, ensuring SLA's and objective are met.

A key element of the role will be supporting the establishment and successful operation of UEL’s India Hub in Chennai. This position is critical in moving UEL from a high-performing regional recruitment model to a nationally coordinated South Asia platform, integrating sales, marketing, partnerships and alumni activity to deliver sustainable growth and enhanced market positioning.

You will provide leadership to regional recruitment staff across South Asia while building strong partnerships with agents, institutions and key stakeholders to ensure the University’s international growth ambitions are achieved.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead in-bound student recruitment performance across India and South Asia, with accountability for enrolment targets, pipeline health and conversion outcomes
• Support the transition from a regionally segmented model to a nationally coordinated platform, ensuring that all recruitment activity contributes to broader institutional objectives around market share, brand reputation and long-term sustainability.
• Translate regional insight into national strategy, working closely with the Chennai Careers Hub to align local delivery with a coordinated, India-wide recruitment, reputation and engagement approach.
• Embed careers-led recruitment approaches, partnering with the Chennai Hub, industry stakeholders and alumni networks to deliver immersive engagement activities (e.g. careers and skills pop-ups, employer panels, innovation events) that strengthen the student value proposition.
• Provide leadership and line management to regional recruitment teams across India and Nepal
• Oversee forecasting, pipeline management and recovery planning where performance requires intervention
• Play a key role in establishing and operating UEL’s India Hub in Chennai
• Build strong relationships with education agents, institutional partners and key regional stakeholders
• Work collaboratively with Marketing, Admissions, Compliance, Finance and Academic Schools to deliver a coordinated recruitment strategy
• Provide clear performance reporting and insight to senior institutional stakeholders
• Represent UEL at key regional events, conferences and recruitment activities

About You

You will be a strategic and commercially focused recruitment leader with extensive experience of international student recruitment in South Asia.

You will bring:

• Significant leadership experience delivering recruitment growth in high-volume international markets, particularly India and South Asia
• Strong understanding of the UK higher education recruitment landscape, admissions processes and compliance requirements
• Proven track record of achieving ambitious recruitment and conversion targets
• Experience managing recruitment pipelines, forecasting and data-driven performance monitoring
• Demonstrated success leading geographically dispersed teams
• Deep knowledge of the South Asia recruitment ecosystem, including agents, regulatory processes and competitor positioning
• Strong analytical, communication and stakeholder engagement skills

You will also be a resilient and delivery-focused leader who thrives in fast-paced international environments and is committed to collaborative, high-performance working.

Working Pattern

The role will be primarily based in Hyderabad, India, with significant travel across the region to support recruitment delivery, partnership development and the successful operation of the India Hub. Flexibility to engage with colleagues during UK business hours will be required.

How to Apply

Please send your CV and a cover letter outlining your suitability for the role to Stefanie Walton, Director of Student Recruitment & Admissions at s.walton@uel.ac.uk.

Your cover letter should highlight your experience in international student recruitment, leadership of regional teams, and your understanding of the South Asia higher education recruitment market