The Marketing, Recruitment, Admissions and Outreach (MRAO) team is part of the Directorate of Global Recruitment, Marketing and Admissions (GMRA) with a mandate to help shape income diversification, increase future student populations and significantly enhance York’s commitment to widening participation. Joining us at an exciting time of strategic growth, you will work within an integrated environment to attract and enrol a diverse, high-quality student body.
As a key member of the MRAO Senior Leadership Team, the Head of Student Recruitment will lead the development and operational delivery of our undergraduate (UG) and postgraduate (PG) student recruitment functions across schools and colleges liaison and recruitment events. You will translate institutional strategy into high-impact recruitment outcomes, working collaboratively across central, faculty, access and outreach teams to deliver a strong pipeline of future students.
Key Responsibilities
- Strategic & Regional Growth: Lead an innovative, intelligence-led schools and colleges engagement strategies to boost York’s reputation and drive student progression from regional and national schools and colleges.
- Events & Operational Delivery: Direct a multi-channel annual events calendar—including Open Days and Post Offer Visit Days— partnering with Admissions colleagues to lead operational delivery of Confirmation and Clearing.
- CRM & Digital Innovation: Collaborate with IT, Marketing, and CRM teams to transform automated, personalized student journeys through the student journey, embedding digital/AI to improve conversion.
- Analytics & Budget Management: Manage the central recruitment budget to ensure value for money, implementing real-time dashboards to track ROI and working with the Head of marketing on attribution and cost per engagement across the full student journey.
- Team Leadership & Collaboration: Motivate and line manage the Deputy Heads of Student Recruitment (Events, and Schools & Colleges Liaison), while aligning strategies closely with Access, Outreach, and Faculty teams.
About You
We are seeking a dynamic student recruitment leader with commercial acumen, strategic vision, drive and an authentic, collaborative leadership style.
Extensive Sector Expertise: Proven track record of leading complex recruitment and outreach strategies in UK Higher Education, with a deep understanding of market trends and growth tactics.
Data-Driven with experience in Digital Transformation: Experienced in leveraging CRMs setting up automated student journeys, and utilizing market insight to guide strategic decisions.
Partnership & Network Building Expertise : Proven ability to build meaningful, long-term relationships with key leadership teams in schools and colleges, while fostering collaborative, high-trust cross-functional partnerships with internal university staff.
Leadership & Operational Oversight: Skilled at inspiring teams, managing central recruitment budgets, and representing the university with sector bodies such as UCAS and HELOA.
Key Requirements: Must complete a successful enhanced DBS check and be willing to travel across the UK, including working flexible out-of-hours/weekends for major recruitment events.
Interview date: 22 October 2026
For informal enquiries: Please contact Melissa Nurcombe at [email protected]
This role is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act. Consequently, all applicants will be asked to declare both unspent and spent convictions on their application form.
Appointment of the successful candidate will be conditional on a Disclosure and Barring Service check.
The University strives to be diverse and inclusive – a place where we can ALL be ourselves.
We particularly encourage applications from people who identify as Black, Asian or from a Minority Ethnic background, who are underrepresented at the University.
We also encourage applications from women for senior roles.
We offer family friendly, flexible working arrangements, with forums and inclusive facilities to support our staff. #EqualityatYork
As a Disability Confident employer, we will ensure that a fair and proportionate number of disabled applicants that meet the minimum (essential) criteria for each position will be offered an interview. Read more about the University of York’s commitments under the Disability Confident scheme.
