Recruitment and Outreach Manager (1911)
Recruitment and Outreach Manager
Full Time - Permanent - High Wycombe
Salary - £38,784 - £43,482
Buckinghamshire New University is an ambitious, modern university that is always open to fresh ideas and thinking. We believe in the transformative power of education, and in doing the right thing by our students, people and local community. That’s why our BNU community is a special place to work and study, and where people who want to make a difference can contribute and succeed.
Our University’s DRIVE values and are at the heart of all that we do. We are united in being dynamic, responsible, inclusive, visionary and empowering to ensure that we provide the best experience to our learners and offer excellent service to our partners and to each other as colleagues. Our commitment to these values is unwavering and they are central to our mission. We encourage applications from all backgrounds, communities and industries and we are happy to discuss any reasonable adjustments that you require.
To deliver a first-class recruitment and outreach service for the University’s applicants, offering official and professional advice directly to applicants, while ensuring the quality of service is constantly improving. This is a key post to support the Head of Recruitment, Outreach and Admissions in all processes involved in the applicant journey from enquiry to enrolment.
The role involves leading the Recruitment and Outreach Team to successfully manage the pre-application stage of the cycle - from initial enquiry to application, including regular reporting on activities and events, monitoring, tracking and analysing participant data, monitoring customer feedback on the activities, and managing University relationships with schools and colleges, as well as with colleagues in academic areas.
What we offer:
- a generous holiday entitlement (30 days per annum, plus bank holidays & closure days)
- Hybrid working (dependant on business needs)
- training & development support opportunities
- contributory pension scheme
- discounted gym membership for our on-site gym
- a range of staff discounts with major retailers.
Please click here to see our wide range of benefits available for employees.
Please click here for our behavioural based interview question bank.
Please click here to view our employee handbook.
All applications are to be made in full and online.
BNU is proud to have a diverse community and a strong track record of diversity, equity and inclusion. Our aim is to continue to build an environment where everyone thrives and can be themselves. We therefore ensure that our interview/shortlisting Chairs complete the relevant e-learning and/or inclusive recruitment training.
We therefore particularly encourage applications from candidates who are likely to be underrepresented in BNU’S workforce. These include people from global majority backgrounds, disabled people, and LGBTQI+ people, particularly in more senior roles.
Closing Date: 23 November 2025
Interview Date: w/c 1 December 2025
If you are successful in securing an interview for the role, you will be required to provide proof of eligibility to work in the UK.
BNU is a Disability Confident employer and as such you will be given the opportunity to declare a disability as part of the application process. The University is also committed to achieving the Race Equality Charter.
Job Description
JOB DESCRIPTION
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Job Title: Recruitment and Outreach Manager
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Faculty/Directorate: Marketing and Student Recruitment
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Grade: G |
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Location: High Wycombe
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Hours: 37hrs per week |
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Responsible to: Director of MSR
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Responsible for: 2 Senior Recruitment and Outreach Officers, 5 Recruitment and Outreach Officers |
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Job Purpose: The role will be responsible for managing a team of officers who lead a range of recruitment activities both on and off-campus. This includes coordinating school and college visits, attending higher education fairs, and organising Taster Days. The role will oversee a program of sustained engagement at targeted schools and colleges across both regional and national levels, aimed at enhancing the university's reputation and driving student recruitment. This position is key in supporting the wider university's mission to improve equality of opportunity, particularly for students from disadvantaged backgrounds. The events managed will align with the university’s Access and Participation Plan and will contribute to the partnership with Study Higher. The position will manage in staff training, exploring new projects, and assisting in targeted strategies that will drive student acquisition and conversion. They will work closely with academic colleagues to ensure that recruitment activities are impactful, consistent, and aligned with academic BNU priorities. Additionally, the role will involve contributing to data analysis efforts to enhance student application, conversion, and enrolment rates. The role will also manage the team’s work within the HEAT system and explore innovative ways to track impact through CRM tools and Tableau.
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Main Duties & Responsibilities of the role:
- Manage and implement student recruitment strategy for specified target markets across the UK.
- Analyse and interpret intelligence and data regarding competitor analysis; brand awareness; socio economic groups and the UCAS cycle to help enhance the targeting and delivery of recruitment and outreach events.
- Lead on development of relationships with new target schools and colleges and manage an effective network of contacts.
- Design and deliver engaging presentations and workshops for a variety of stakeholders including prospective students, applicants, and teachers. Ensuring that presentations are engaging and in line with brand and up to date IAG.
- Promote the University offer to key stakeholders by project managing and evaluating a range of different activities. Upselling low impact activities to sustained projects.
- Manage new recruitment initiatives and trials to test out best practice for increasing applications.
- Lead on creating new online and offline content to increase active audience.
- Manage the analysis and tracking of HEAT feedback data to improve sustained recruitment and outreach activity. Analysis of demographics to ensure events and projects reaching all underrepresented groups.
- Lead the team in analysing various data sets to evaluate how events impact the increase in applications, enrolment, and conversion rates.
- Provide professional advice to academics regarding emerging trends and developments in secondary and vocational education and co-develop activities and resources in response.
- Manage designated budgets for recruitment, outreach and Study Higher evaluating the effectiveness of this spend and ensuring all activities provide return on investment.
- Line management responsibilities including recruitment and selection, performance management, professional development, motivation, health & safety, and wellbeing.
- Comply with relevant legislative and other requirements (e.g., the Data Protection Act 2018 and GDPR; Health and Safety; UKVI; and Equality and Diversity) in all working practices.
- Such other duties temporarily or on a continuing basis, as may reasonably be required.
PERSON SPECIFICATION – Essential Criteria Only
A = Application T = Test I = Interview
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Education, Qualifications & Training |
Means of Testing |
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Good general education |
A |
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Degree or equivalent experience |
A |
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Knowledge & Experience |
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Higher Education experience essential – knowledge of UK sector, outreach and UCAS cycle |
A/I |
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Experience of successfully building networks, managing collaborations and professional relationships with external stakeholders |
A/I |
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Experience of budget management and use of data to demonstrate ROI and impact |
A/I |
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Experience of managing sustained recruitment and outreach programmes for young people |
A/I |
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Experience of leading data analysis to support recommendations and business cases to a senior leadership |
A/I |
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Self-starter with the ability to manage, train, support and lead a team. Experience in exercising initiative and working effectively both independently and as part of a wider team. |
A/I |
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Proven ability to develop ideas and implement strategy and policy and to translate plans into effective action |
A/I |
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Experience of line management, effectively managing, developing and motivating staff, including direct reports who might not always be office-based |
A/I |
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Skills |
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Digitally able and proficient in Microsoft tools and CRM |
A/I |
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Strong organisational skills with the ability to drive multiple projects simultaneously, proven track record of delivering events on time and within budget |
A/I |
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Ability to understand issues from a range of perspectives to create and communicate constructive solutions diplomatically, make difficult decisions, and manage competing priorities |
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Ability to influence stakeholders and manage relationships at a senior level |
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Ability to interact and co-operate effectively with colleagues at all levels demonstrating a flexible, open and co-operative attitude |
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Excellent understanding and management of data and how it can be applied to business cases and/or recommendations |
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Ability to think strategically, innovatively, creatively, critically and analytically |
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Strong communication skills (written and verbal) |
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Ability to work flexibly and adapt to changing environments |
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Special Requirements |
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Full clean driving license |
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Satisfactory DBS check |
A/I |
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Safeguarding responsibility during activities and events |
A/I |
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Willingness and ability to travel to other University Campus’ and off-site locations |
A/I |
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Flexibility of working hours, it will be necessary to work several weekend events annually |
A/I |
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It will be necessary to schedule annual leave around key busy periods which generally arise during March, June and the end of August |
A/I |
BBF (Top 3 key behavioural categories most applicable to the role)
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Engaging with the wider context - customers and stakeholders. |
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Working collaboratively and across boundaries with others in order to achieve objectives. |
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Using resources effectively - Identifying and making the most productive use of resources including people, time, information, networks and budgets. |
