Director Of Marketing & Admissions

The Director of Marketing & Admissions serves as a strategic leader, brand custodian, and growth driver, responsible for delivering enrollment success and strengthening the school’s reputation in the market. This role combines data-driven decision-making with a highly personalized parent experience, ensuring every prospective family feels engaged, informed, and confident throughout their journey from inquiry to onboarding.

Working closely with the Head of School, and the Executive Leadership Team at ISHCMC, the position oversees the full admissions cycle and the execution of an integrated marketing strategy, aligning both to achieve enrollment targets and long-term brand equity. The Director ensures that lead qualification, application turnaround times, and parent experience are market-leading, while leveraging insights to identify growth opportunities such as new programs, additional capacity, or emerging market segments.

As a brand and communications ambassador, the role ensures that all marketing materials, campaigns, and touchpoints reflect the school’s value proposition, USP, and brand guidelines consistently across digital and physical channels. Additionally, the Director champions community engagement and advocacy, amplifying the voices of students and parents to build trust and drive word-of-mouth referrals.

Safeguarding Statement

It is the job holder’s responsibility to promote the safeguarding and the welfare of children and young person’s for whom s/he is responsible, or with whom s/he comes into contact will be to adhere to and ensure compliance with the relevant Cognita Safeguarding; Child Protection Policy and Procedures at all times. If in the course of carrying out the duties of the role, the job holder identifies any instance that a child is suffering or likely to suffer significant harm either at school or at home, s/he must report any concerns to the School’s Child Protection Officer/Designated Safeguarding Lead or to the Head of indeed to the Regional CEP so that a referral can be made accordingly to the relevant third part services.

Reports to:

Head of School – ISHCMC

In Addition: Dotted Line to Manager Director Operations, Cognita Schools Vietnam (indirect report)

Scope of duties include but is not limited to:

Key Responsibilities

Build a purposeful, happy, professional, and engaged commitments across a range of relationships and teams.

Admissions Leadership

• Lead the Admissions team to deliver a market-leading parent experience throughout the entire enrolment process, ensuring a personalized and human approach at every touchpoint.

• Ensure the most effective lead qualification processes and efficient application turnaround times to maximize conversion and enrollment growth.

• Organize and oversee the parent onboarding process, ensuring a seamless transition from admission to school life.

• Build and maintain a data-driven and performance-focused culture within the Admissions team while preserving a highly personalized experience for families.

• Keep the Admissions team fully informed on the school’s educational offer, student achievements, and competitor landscape to ensure accurate and compelling communication to prospective parents.

• Actively involve parents, students, and academic staff in the enrolment journey (e.g., school tours, student ambassadors) to strengthen engagement and conversion.

• Maintain accurate and timely data entry in the school’s Student Management Systems and ensure compliance with all Admissions policies and processes.

Strategic & Data-Driven Growth

• Work collaboratively with senior leadership and academic teams to identify growth opportunities through data insights (e.g. opening additional capacity, launching new programs based on market demand).

• Provide regular analysis and reporting on admissions performance, market trends, and competitor activity to inform strategic decisions.

• Collaborate across departments to ensure alignment between admissions, academic programs, and operational readiness.

Marketing & Brand Leadership

• Act as Brand Custodian, ensuring that the school’s value proposition, USP, and brand guidelines are consistently implemented across all physical and digital marketing touchpoints (collateral, videos, visuals, signage, etc.).

• Build an annual marketing plan with clear campaign objectives, timelines, and enrollment targets aligned with the school’s strategic direction.

• Partner with the Marketing & Communications team to deliver multi-channel campaigns (digital, social, traditional media) that drive awareness, engagement, and lead generation.

• Leverage CRM and data analytics to drive smart marketing decisions, improve ROI, and optimize the enrolment funnel.

• Ensure ongoing content development and storytelling, collaborating with the Comms and Community Engagement team to collect and amplify parent and student stories, testimonials, and advocacy initiatives.

• Support and amplify Word of Mouth (WoM) and referral programs to build a strong parent ambassador network.

• Stay abreast of digital trends, ensuring the school’s digital marketing strategies remain competitive and relevant.

Community Engagement & Partnerships

• Develop and maintain strong relationships with relocation agents, corporate clients, consulates, and key community organizations to expand the school’s network and reputation.

• Represent the school at networking events and industry forums (e.g., Chambers of Commerce) to strengthen visibility and drive enrolment opportunities.

• Collaborate with community stakeholders and parent organizations (P.T.O., cultural groups) to reinforce the school’s reputation and engage in advocacy initiatives.

Cross-School & Regional Collaboration

• Contribute to Cognita-wide initiatives by sharing best practices, supporting cross-school marketing and admissions efforts, and driving growth for the group.

• Work with regional and global Cognita teams to ensure alignment with group strategies and reporting standards.

Skills & Abilities

• Customer Experience Leadership – Proven ability to deliver a market-leading, personalized parent experience across all stages of the enrolment journey.

• Strong Strategic and Operational Management – Ability to build and execute strategies while managing day-to-day operations and a high-performing team.

• Engaging Influencer & Brand Advocate – Exceptional communication and relationship-building skills to inspire internal teams and external stakeholders, acting as a brand custodian.

• Digital & Data Fluency – Ability to harness the digital environment for engagement and to interpret data for performance-driven decision-making.

• Team Leadership & Mentorship – A collaborative leader who inspires and develops team members, building a culture of accountability and continuous improvement.

• Performance Orientation – Skilled in setting clear KPIs, monitoring results, and driving improvements in conversion rates and ROI.

• Analytical & Commercial Thinking – Strong problem-solving skills with the ability to turn insights into actionable growth opportunities.

• Agile & Resilient – Ability to manage multiple priorities during high-demand periods while maintaining attention to detail and delivering results.

• Empathy & Cultural Awareness – Deep understanding of parent needs and expectations in an international school setting, ensuring relevant and impactful communication.

Knowledge & Experience

• International Education Expertise – Understanding of IB and US curriculums, EAL, and inclusive education models.

• Market & Competitor Awareness – Strong knowledge of the international school’s market and ability to leverage insights to inform strategy.

• Brand Management – Experience in ensuring brand consistency across marketing campaigns, physical and digital assets, and school communications.

• Marketing & Communications – In-depth knowledge of multi-channel marketing, digital platforms, content marketing, and campaign planning.

• Data-Driven Decision Making – Experience in using CRM systems, analytics, and market data to optimize the admissions funnel and marketing ROI.

• Community Engagement – Proven track record in building partnerships and leveraging parent advocacy and referral programs to drive enrolment growth.

• Budget & Resource Management – Proficiency in developing and managing marketing and admissions budgets effectively.

• Technology & CRM Proficiency - Strong understanding of CRM platforms (e.g., Dynamics, PowerSchool) and their role in lead nurturing and conversion tracking.

Qualifications

• Heritage background: can be expat or local

• Bachelor or Master degree in marketing, communications or relevant major in the area of expertise.

• Significant experience in sales management, execution and oversight is essential. Brand and integrated marketing experience and leadership is an advantage.

• The role would expect an individual with 7+ years’ sales & marketing management experience.

• The ability to communicate in English at a high level both in written and oral form is essential, in addition Vietnamese language ability will be seen as an advantage.

• Experience of working in an international school is an advantage.