Associate Director of China, Beijing

About Grok:

At Grok we support universities, colleges and governments in the difficult process of internationalization. We extend the international teams of higher education institutions into the world’s most important education markets. We are not agents, providers of pathway programs, or middlemen. Our only economic interest is to provide in-market services for our client institutions. Our clients decide their own international agenda, and we provide advice, various kinds of support, and find and supervise the most suitable local staff that will work in seamless collaboration with our partners to achieve their objectives.

Our clients spend significant budget in managing their activities overseas, and we offer a comprehensive service framework that helps them achieve better results. We have assisted more than 100 institutions with the management of recruitment channels, developing and managing academic partnerships; digital services and social media; and relationship building with international alumni. We are a US corporation, with offices in China, India, and Southeast Asia.

For the last several years, Grok has grown rapidly and we now employ over 100 staff globally. We have emerged as the leading provider of field engagement services for our clients. We are executing on a significant vision to be – not just a basic service platform – but a provider of high-value in-market services. We are the first and the best in the market, and we are working very hard to hold that position.

The Role

We are excited to begin our search for Associate Director, China. The scope of this role is significant. Your contributions will directly impact the livelihoods of a growing number of staff and the future and fortunes of Grok as a whole.

Grok enjoys some flexibility to tailor roles both to the capabilities of our executives and evolving business needs. That said, we see this role as having oversight of the following:

China Office Leadership in support of Executive Director, China

• Play a leadership role in the running of China offices and foster a strong local culture.
• Monitor entity health including the regulatory landscape and ensure local compliance.
• Suggest opportunities for operational improvements.
• Keep up to date with the state of the art in terms of recruitment best practices in the region
• Provide pastoral care to all local staff, as well as helping managers identify local staff who have performance, attendance, or other problems.
Work closely with the Executive Director, China, to establish a strong Grok brand among external stakeholders and engage with various communities in the higher education industry.

As a member of Grok’s executive team, serve as the Client Account Manager (also known as the Grok Relationship Coordinator) and a member of Grok Client Success team for a range of clients:

• Work closely with our client institutions to support their engagements globally, including providing: consultation as to best practices; problem solving and assistance with strategy setting; and assistance in communicating market norms.
• Either directly (through your role as a Relationship Coordinator) or by augmenting an existing RC, provide engagement management and pastoral oversight to any assigned dedicated staff in China.
Work to improve overall dedicated staff effectiveness, and ensure that all staff are being supported consistently at a regional level.

Provide additional supports to wider company initiatives

Consult with and provide supports to:

• Head of Staffing on training, onboarding, and cultural initiatives.
• Head of Sales, in supporting region-specific sales opportunities.
• Head of China Marketing , in sharing best practices for student recruitment and facilitating positive interaction between the Program Officers ( U niversity In-country Recruitment Officers ) and Digital Marketing Officers.
• Head of Recruitment Solutions and Head of Global Advisory in the engagement and coordination of recruitment channel partners (i.e. education agents, high school counselors) within China.
  

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree. Masters is desirable. A degree from a reputable university is an advantage.
• Minimum 10 years’ experience in a role in the higher education industry, public or private.
• Student recruitment and marketing expertise from within the HE sector, especially the support of overseas HEI to increase enrolment outcomes and brand awareness in China.
• Strong understanding or experience of the student recruitment landscape across Asia, specifically in China (including agent management, TNE, academic partnerships and school engagement).
• Deep knowledge of the higher education system of our client destination countries (especially US, UK, Australia, C anada, Ireland or New Zealand).
• Strong commercial acumen, and a proven track record of business development or sales.
• Experience of client relationship management is desirable.
• Excellent English communication skills, Chinese language skills are essential.
• Excellent problem-solving and interpersonal skills.
Experience in coaching and managing overseas university in-country staff is a plus.

*Application closing date: 10/07/2024