Senior Manager, International Student Recruitment

Senior Manager, International Student Recruitment (China Market) – K-12 Education Group

Location: Singapore (with regional travel to China)

Reporting to: Senior Management

Employment Type: Full-time

About SagePaths Global Education

SagePaths Global Education is a forward-thinking education group committed to cultivating lifelong learning leaders of tomorrow through innovative education, fostering excellence, and embracing diversity. Operating across Singapore and key overseas markets, our K-12 Education Group partners with reputable schools and institutions to deliver high-quality academic pathways and international learning opportunities.

Role Purpose

As the Senior Manager, International Student Recruitment (China Market), you will lead strategic recruitment activities and oversee partnerships that drive student enrolments from the China region. You will manage and expand sub-agent networks, strengthen collaborations with existing education institutions, and coordinate closely with the marketing, admissions and operations teams.

A critical aspect of this role is the development and implementation of internal Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to ensure consistency, compliance, and efficiency across all recruitment and partnership processes.

Key Responsibilities

1. Strategic Recruitment and Market Development

• Design and implement comprehensive recruitment strategies to achieve enrolment targets from the China market.
• Analyse student mobility patterns, competitor trends and regulatory developments to inform market strategies.
• Identify, engage, and support new recruitment channels including sub-agents, schools and online platforms.
• Lead both online and offline recruitment initiatives such as roadshows, education expos, school visits and student-parent sessions.

2. Sub-Agent and Partnership Management

• Source, appoint, and manage a network of authorised sub-agents throughout China.
• Conduct sub-agent onboarding, product training, and regular performance reviews to maintain strong brand representation.
• Develop incentive schemes, marketing toolkits and support plans to optimise sub-agent performance and conversion.
• Maintain close communication with all sub-agents, monitor KPIs and ensure compliance with SagePaths' policies and quality standards.
• Manage partnership agreements and long-term collaboration with existing education institutions in China and Singapore.
• Support the expansion of joint initiatives such as articulation pathways, exchange programmes, and co-branded academic events.

3. Branding, Marketing and Outreach

• Collaborate with the Marketing team to localise and adapt digital content and campaigns for the China audience.
• Provide market feedback to strengthen communication materials and promotional strategies.
• Represent SagePaths at exhibitions, forums and international education events, promoting the brand professionally and consistently.
• Deliver presentations, workshops and consultation sessions to prospective students, parents, and school counsellors.

4. Admissions and Conversion Pipeline

• Work closely with the student recruitment team to ensure timely handling of student enquiries, applications, offers and onboarding of students.
• Maintain the CRM system to ensure accurate tracking of enquiries, leads and conversion data.
• Prepare monthly and quarterly recruitment reports detailing sub-agent performance, institutional partnerships, and market insights.
• Support continuous improvement of the student conversion pipeline and customer experience.

5. Internal SOP Development and Compliance

• Lead the documentation and implementation of SOPs for international recruitment, sub-agent management, institutional partnerships, and student admissions.
• Ensure all processes comply with internal governance, Singapore regulations, and data protection standards.
• Deliver internal training and process reviews to maintain operational consistency.
• Identify opportunities for workflow optimisation and standardisation across the recruitment team.

6. Leadership and Collaboration

• Supervise and mentor recruitment staff to ensure individual and collective performance objectives are met.
• Work collaboratively with internal stakeholders across Marketing, Admissions, Academic and Finance teams to align goals and strategies.
• Represent the K-12 Education Group in meetings and negotiations with strategic partners, including schools, institutions and education bureaus.
• Undertake travel to China and other key regions to strengthen networks, partnerships and recruitment outreach.

Candidate Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Marketing, Education Management or a related field.
• Minimum 7 years of experience in international student recruitment, partnership management, or business development within the K-12 or international education sector.
• Proven success in managing sub-agent networks and building institutional partnerships in the China market.
• Strong understanding of China's education landscape, policy environment and student decision-making processes.
• Bilingual proficiency in Mandarin and English (spoken and written) is essential.
• Excellent negotiation, communication, and relationship-management skills.
• Proficiency in CRM systems and data reporting tools.
• Highly motivated, results-oriented, and adaptable to dynamic, cross-cultural environments.
• Willingness to travel regionally and work flexible hours to accommodate partners in different time zones.