Background

The College is looking for a Marketing Officer to provide first-class administrative and sales support to the marketing function and to contribute ideas and initiatives to the marketing team. The post also involves visiting agents in other countries and representing the college at educational fairs.

The job of Marketing Officer is a new one. It aims to build on the excellent model established in the Admissions Office for Pre-IB and IB Courses. The successful applicant will be expected to enjoy taking responsibility whilst drawing on the support and experience of other colleagues in the marketing team.

Principal duties

Promotional Tasks

• Actively selling courses through existing agents for UFC, ASP and 17+ EFL courses.
• Telephone contact with agents on a regular basis to cement relationships between agents and St. Clare's.
• Seeking new business opportunities and bringing them to the attention of the line manager, especially where they relate to UFC, ASP and 17+ EFL courses.
• Coordinating with other colleagues regarding agents' visits, agent leads and agent contracts.
• Attending weekly marketing meetings, weekly meetings with the line manager and other meetings as arranged.
• Making contributions to the marketing diary, a central resource for all staff involved in marketing, including agent visits, overseas travel, holidays and cover etc.
• Looking after existing agents by regular contacts and timely emails.

Administrative Tasks

• Processing of applications, i.e. application forms and registration fees.
• Electronic mailings to agents with information provided by the marketing team, e.g. information regarding IB examination results.
• Issuing Certificates of Representation to agents.
• Updating the college data management system with agent details.
• Providing agents with college brochures (including bulk delivery through printers).
• Mailing brochures to former students.

The Principal, Paula Holloway, chairs the weekly marketing meetings which you would also attend. Her role emphasizes the importance which is placed on the marketing function at St. Clare's: every year, the College must recruit enough new students to fill every place on each of its courses.

The position would involve traveling, at first with colleagues who know the agents and have a full understanding of the courses offered. The Marketing Officer would also be expected to attend trade fairs, represent the College and be able to “sell” all of its courses to fair participants. Some travel will involve weekends away from Oxford.

Person specification

Qualifications and other requirements The post requires a well-educated person with a first degree in marketing or a related subject. Ideally, the successful applicant will speak a foreign language in addition to being fully literate in the English Language. The responsibilities of the post require excellent communication skills, an open, friendly, helpful manner and the ability to write accurate English.

Terms and conditions

Working hours: 35 hours a week with one hour for lunch: some flexibility is essential here. Some travel will be required during the year. There might be an occasional requirement for evening or weekend work outside term-time when courses are being run by the College.
Holidays: 22 working days per year, and the period over Christmas, when the College is closed (24 December – 1 January inclusive). The College operates during bank holidays and work may be required on one of more of these days, with time off in lieu.
Salary and benefits: Salary will be c. £22,000 per annum. Starting salary will be determined according to qualifications and experience with annual increments (subject to satisfactory performance) and annual cost of living increases.
Pension: A contributory pension is offered through St Clare's group personal pension scheme. The employer pays double the contribution of the employee, up to a maximum of 10% of gross salary, ie. the employer pays up to 10%, and the employee pays up to 5%. Employee's contributions above 5% may be made, but do not attract a matching contribution from the employer.
Life assurance: There is a death-in-service benefit of four times annual salary.
Probationary Period: The first six months will be probationary, within which notice is two weeks on either side. Thereafter notice is one month on either side.
Pre-checks: the successful candidate would also need to have a full CRB (Criminal Records Bureau) check as required by law for all those working with young adults under the age of 18. Satisfactory references are also a requirement.

Further information and applications

Interested applicants should send

• no more than two sides of A4 explaining why they feel they are the right person for the job
• a full CV, with names, addresses and telephone numbers of two referees

to Paula Holloway, Principal
St. Clare's, Oxford
139 Banbury Road, Oxford OX2 7AL

Tel: 01865 552031
Fax: 01865 310002
Email: recruitment@stclares.ac.uk

Closing date: Wednesday 9 July 2008