Retention Manager

About the job
Description

Retention Manager

Reporting to: Director of Learning

Purpose: Support and improve the retention of students by creating and implementing a retention strategy within ISP’s Middle East schools.

We are looking for a Retention Manager to support and retain our core customer base – Our students. You will be responsible for driving improvement in parent and student experience. In this role, you will deal directly with parents and schools to explore the issues they are facing, how we can improve our products and services within our schools, and how to retain our students on a long-term basis. You’ll be right at the heart of our mission, ensuring our customers stay our customers! You’ll be the go-to person for managing customer lifecycles, developing strategies to maximize customer loyalty, and immersing yourself in analyzing and interpreting complex data sets to draw actionable insights.

The successful applicant must have experience in leading schools and/or leading the learning agenda. The candidate must use their excellent communication and customer service skills to first understand the student retention landscape, then using this analysis, they will create a bespoke retention plan for each of our Middle East schools. They will ideally work within the education sector and understand the challenges that students and parents face within schools, they will be solution-driven person and have a drive to increase student retention.

ISP Principles

Begin with our children and students. Our children and students are at the heart of what we do. Simply, their success is our success. Well-being and safety are both essential for learners and learning. Therefore, we are consistent in identifying potential safeguarding issues and acting and following up on all concerns appropriately.

Treat everyone with care and respect. We look after one another, embrace similarities and differences, and promote the well-being of self and others.

Operate effectively. We focus relentlessly on the things that are most important and will make the most difference. We apply school policies and procedures and embody the shared ideas of our community.

Learn continuously. Getting better is what drives us. We positively engage with personal and professional development and school improvement.

ISP Key Responsibilities

Retention strategies

Engagement & Retention

Propose and implement policies in relation to student attendance and engagement.
Preparation of timely reports to inform School Management and the Regional office on matters related to retention & and engagement. Leverage statistical analysis of past behavioral responses, tweaking email campaigns, lists, and segmentation for constant improvement.
Act as liaison to at?risk students whether self-identified or faculty/staff-identified including creating programs of support.
Responsible for the twice-annual Parent NPS surveys and the once-yearly engagement survey, identifying key feedback and addressing solutions. Harness customer attributes — demographical, behavioral, transactional — to carve out effective customer journeys.
Gather experience feedback from all students/ Parents to ensure well-being and high retention in schools. Create a Leavers audit report to understand the reasons and find patterns. Identify areas of needed change that would increase student success and retention.
Develop strategies to ramp up customer engagement and growth via multi-channel integrated campaigns. Create retention strategies in line with ISP School of choice. Customer Journey Mapping.
Respond to faculty/staff submitted Early Alerts and support students in establishing goals to promote success.
Track and monitor new student turnover and retention rates.
Identify new ways to attract prospective customers, like promotions and competitions.

Learning First Philosophy

You demonstrate and model that our students come first, always. You relentlessly promote and facilitate the use of ISP’s Learning. First. Framework to Embed Quality in all schools.
You ensure that all Senior Leaders know and are able to communicate the purpose and value of ISP’s offerings, as well as our expectations, enabling schools to fully access the various elements of the Framework to positively impact on student and adult learning.
Advise and consult on new learning-related initiatives, the onboarding of Senior Leaders in schools to the Learning First methodologies, and preparation for external reviews and inspections.

Data & Assessment

Track record of creating and/or supporting the development of great learning in schools using data and evidence-based methods.
Analyze student-level and school-level performance data with the school Data lead to support school self-evaluation, fulfill obligations to external bodies, provide information to parents, and support the work of SLT.
Assist in the deployment/development of the Academic Modules to ensure maximum benefit to the school and its staff including CPD staff.

Communication

You work closely with Principals, ISP Regional DOL, and ISP Regional Marketing to optimize the branding of your school and communicate an inspiring vision of the offering to attract the right families and students, as well as making current families ambassadors for the school.
Ensure that stories of great learning in your schools – from across the full range of student abilities and dispositions – are continually fed through to the different ways.
Advise school administration on any student relations issues.

School Team

Hire, manage, and align with Parent/student ambassadors and form tutors from each school.
Help the team create personalized support to assist families, recognize milestones, address issues/ challenges within the school, and help families understand the academic benefits of continued enrolment.

Education and Experience

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in Education
Experience in the Education sector is preferable. Knowledge and an awareness of how learning happens.
Excellent spoken and written English communication skills.
The ability to communicate effectively at all levels.
Strong visual communication skills, including the ability to simplify complex concepts and data.
MS Office (Word, Powerpoint, and Excel) proficiency.

ISP Commitment to Safeguarding Principles

ISP is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. All post holders are subject to appropriate vetting procedures and satisfactory Criminal Background Checks or equivalent covering the previous 10 years’ employment history.