Managing the Client Services team in the award-winning Queen Mary (University of London) Legal Advice Centre

Leading and managing student recruitment and admissions for the Division for the Study of Law, Society, and Social Justice, one of the largest academic Divisions at the University of Kent, comprising Kent Law School, the School of Social Policy, Sociology, and Social Research, and the Centre for Journalism. Management of a team of ten staff with responsibility for a complex set of admissions and selection processes for a variety of undergraduate and postgraduate programmes; scholarship creation and administration; marketing, recruitment, and events for prospective students; developing relationships with and activities for partner and feeder schools and colleges; maintaining and developing our online presence including our external web pages, social media, and news and events. Creating strategy, process and procedure, monitoring, reporting, evaluating and continually improving and optimising our operational activity to maximise student recruitment.

Decision making responsibility for undergraduate admissions and associated activities (including extensive applicant contact); developing and delivering the applicant communication and conversion strategy for the Law School; development, oversight and implementation of admissions and recruitment strategy (with extensive experience of international recruitment); market analysis and foresight, understanding and interpretation of relevant developments in the sector; development and oversight of external communication and social media strategy; working in support of senior academic colleagues within the Law School, and working with in advising them in support of all of the above.

Led on the development of collaborative, embedded widening participation activities within three Further Education Colleges in Kent, as part of the cross-institution university led Kent and Medway branch of the Aimhigher project (a government funded project to raise student aspirations and progression to higher education amongst under-represented groups).

Represented the University at schools and education fairs in the interest of UK and EU recruitment to Kent. Gave a variety of talks to audiences of differing sizes and compositions and played an important part in the University’s relationship with UK schools and colleges. Managed the University’s clearing hotline and worked as part of (at the time) a small recruitment and information team at a time of growth at Kent.

Processed customer communications and complaints, drafted correspondence with customers and investigated individual cases as part of the Head Office team in London. Benefits included the development of writing for public communication and the experience of working within a senior office in a commercial context.