Manager - Parent Relations - Aldar Education

Role Overview

Manager - Parent Relations at Aldar Education, Abu Dhabi. This role supports the growing family of owned and operated schools in the UAE, ensuring impeccable customer service to all parents and visitors while driving student recruitment and retention through positive parent experiences.

Company Overview

Aldar Education is the leading education group in Abu Dhabi, providing inclusive and innovative learning that inspires and empowers communities. The organization supports over 31,000 students and a growing network of almost 5,000 educators, representing over 100 nationalities. Aldar Education operates a wide range of curricula and ancillary services such as the Teacher Training Academy, with brands for all learners from nursery through to adult education, and offers the broadest choice of curricula across the largest number of locations in Abu Dhabi. The organization is a family of world-class, child-centred, and innovative schools based in the UAE, guided by the Abu Dhabi Economic Vision 2030 plan, which aims to build a sustainable knowledge-based economy through premium education. Aldar Education is an equal opportunity employer, committed to a diverse and inclusive work environment, and is dedicated to the national development strategy and strongly encourages UAE Nationals to apply.

Role Purpose

The Manager - Parent Relations ensures impeccable customer service is provided to all parents and visitors in the school, with all communications taking place in a professional manner. The position assists in supporting students' recruitment through a positive parent experience, encouraging retention.

Key Responsibilities

Delivering Customer Excellence

• Deliver high-quality customer service to all visitors and staff, and represent the school in a professional manner both in face-to-face interactions and virtual communications including email, phone calls, and social media.
• Welcome all prospective parents into the school and assist with all initial inquiries.
• Identify and anticipate the needs and requirements of new and existing parents.
• Offer guidance and assistance to parents through the student registration and admission process during the initial inquiry stage to support with enrolments.
• Maintain open lines of communication with existing parents to ensure their concerns, complaints, and compliments are handled effectively and efficiently, adhering to the school's SLAs.
• Manage parent feedback and escalate cases that cannot be solved by the FOH team as per the complaint management process in schools.
• Contribute positively to the NPS score and ensure parents' participation in the surveys.
• Respond to parent requests and feedback within the expected SLAs and follow all processes and protocols.
• Support reception with answering, screening, and forwarding incoming and outgoing phone calls in a friendly and professional manner, following standard telephone etiquette and protocol templates and scripts.
• Ensure the reception area is tidy and presentable, with all necessary stationery and material including pens, forms, and brochures, and ensure all health and safety protocols are followed.
• Be present in the reception area to ensure parents always have access to support with queries and complaints as required.
• Oversee the Reception team to ensure that all customer service delivered is of the highest standard.
• Support with parent communications in the form of newsletter development, whole school email, and school magazine development to ensure that language is always clear and professional.
• Log admissions inquiries into the school SIS database to support admissions when required.
• Update calendars and schedule school tours with SLT and parents.
• Assist the Admissions team with inbound and outbound calls when required to assist in reaching enrolment and retention targets.

Enrolment, Retention & Growth

• Manage students' and parents' satisfaction to contribute to retention and meet or exceed the school-specific enrolment target consistently throughout the academic year.
• Positively contribute to enrolment growth by ensuring a positive customer journey and accurate reflection of the school to the wider Abu Dhabi community.
• Develop retention strategies to support meeting the school's enrolment targets.
• Build strong relationships with parents to assist with student retention, ensuring the school's marketing duties and responsibilities are upheld.
• Identify and anticipate the needs of parents in the academies; ensure leads and other aspects of enrolment and new intake are actively updated daily and assist in student retention.
• Ensure the Admission process is compliant throughout the academic year by working with the admissions team closely.
• Assist the Admissions team with inquiries and enrolment processes when needed.
• Drive enrolments by promoting schools and summer programs to prospective parents through conducting outbound calls.

Marketing & Events

• Develop marketing strategies for the school, build content calendars for social platforms and community manage social media channels, monitoring for negative sentiments.
• Support in creating compelling marketing materials, including brochures, newsletters, and social media content, to showcase the school's strengths and achievements.
• Manage all social media platforms and digital tools such as website and third-party profile content.
• Generate social media stories and photographic material that promote the schools' achievements.
• Develop an annual engagement plan covering the events calendar, social media calendar, and communications plan with the Principal and other SLT members.
• Ensure that the schools' achievements including academics, sports, arts, and other areas are communicated to HQ in a timely manner.
• Support in the identification of newsworthy stories and report these to Aldar Education HQ for publication monthly.
• Ensure all language used is on brand and a positive reflection of the school.
• Assist with the development of and implementation of the school marketing strategy.
• Participate in activations and events to spread awareness of school name and generate enrolments.
• Coordinate parent and community events to engage parents in school activities and celebrations.
• Accurately report back to HQ after each event the impact and propose recommendations and strategies for moving forward.
• Measure and report on a weekly basis the CX and Marketing activities taking place to HQ and highlight challenges and request support.

School Improvement & Data

• Develop school improvement plans based on the voice of customer feedback and survey outcomes in alignment with the Principal and Head of Operations and Support Services.
• Analyse data related to student enrolment, parent feedback, and marketing effectiveness to make data-driven decisions.

General Support

• Attend and participate in relevant meetings as required.
• Assist with tasks assigned as and when required by the management team.
• Perform other duties as requested by direct and dotted-line reporting managers and supervisors.

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor's degree.
• A minimum of 2 years of experience in a similar role in the region.
• Customer service experience is essential.
• Experience in the Education sector is preferred.

Skills & Competencies

• Fluent English communication skills, written and oral, in order to deliver clear, proactive and effective two-way communication; Arabic speaker is preferable.
• Strong interpersonal skills to aid in daily contact with parents in a diverse multi-cultural environment.
• Ability to work flexibly as a member of a team.
• Result driven with a proactive approach.
• Ability to analyse information in a systematic manner to make informed decisions.
• Ability to create a culture of continuous learning and knowledge sharing.
• Acts in a socially responsible manner.
• Excellent office management skills.
• Approachable, professional, calm and knowledgeable.
• Able to deal professionally with a range of stakeholders.
• Good knowledge of child protection and safeguarding.

Additional Information

• A clean enhanced Disclosure and Barring Services check or police check is required.
• Aldar Education is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff to share this commitment.
• Offers of appointment are subject to satisfactory references and police clearance.
• Aldar Education offers an attractive remuneration package including a range of benefits.
• The organization's future-focused learning model includes both students and staff, placing special emphasis on professional development, coaching, and training.
• Successful candidates will have access to a wide network of professionals and opportunities to both lead and contribute to training others, as well as developing themselves.
• This job description is not all-inclusive. Aldar Education reserves the right to amend this job description at any time.