Head of Admissions, Marketing & Engagement

Job Description and Person Specification

Reporting to: The Head

THE OPPORTUNITY

Merchiston Castle School seeks an exceptional individual to join as Head of Marketing, Admissions & Engagement.

This is a senior role working closely with the Head and contributing to the strategic direction of the School. The postholder will lead the strategic and operational delivery of marketing, communications and engagement, alongside a central role in shaping and delivering a high-quality, values-led admissions experience.

Working in close partnership with the Director of Admissions, the role brings together two essential priorities: driving pupil recruitment in a competitive market and ensuring every prospective family experiences the distinctive ethos of the School from first contact onwards.

The successful candidate will combine strategic insight, creativity and commercial acumen with a deep understanding of relationships, storytelling and community. They will play a key role in ensuring that the School continues to attract and retain families who value an education shaped by strong relationships, high expectations and meaningful opportunities to contribute.

MAIN PURPOSE OF THE ROLE

The Head of Marketing, Admissions & Engagement will:

• Lead and deliver an integrated strategy for marketing, communications and engagement
• Co-lead the School’s admissions strategy in partnership with the Director of Admissions
• Drive pupil recruitment through a combination of data-informed strategy and exceptional family experience
• Take full responsibility for admissions to the Forest School (Nursery and Junior School)
• Ensure a coherent, personalised and values-driven journey for prospective families
• Champion and articulate the School’s distinctive identity, ethos and offer
• Strengthen the School’s reputation and deepen engagement with its community

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Set and deliver a clear, ambitious strategy for marketing, communications and engagement aligned with whole-school priorities
• Contribute to the strategic direction of the School, working closely with the Head and wider Leadership Team
• Act as a trusted advisor to the Head on market positioning, brand and communications
• Use market insight, data and sector awareness to identify opportunities for growth and differentiation
• Represent the School as a confident and authentic ambassador

• Work in close partnership with the Director of Admissions to deliver a cohesive, data-informed admissions strategy across domestic and international markets
• Lead the domestic admissions experience, ensuring a highly personalised, responsive and values-led journey for families
• Hold full responsibility for Forest School admissions (Nursery and Junior School), including enquiry management, conversion and enrolment
• Work in collaboration with the Director of Admissions to ensure the School maintains robust compliance with UKVI regulations and all relevant admissions requirements
• Act as a key point of oversight for admissions processes, ensuring systems, documentation and communication meet regulatory and audit standards
• Align marketing activity with admissions priorities to generate strong enquiry pipelines and support conversion
• Design and oversee key engagement points including open events, visits and individual family interactions
• Collaborate closely with academic and pastoral colleagues to ensure alignment between admissions messaging and lived experience
• Monitor and report on admissions performance, conversion rates and market trends

• Own and develop the School’s brand narrative, ensuring it clearly reflects its ethos, distinctiveness and ambition
• Lead integrated marketing campaigns across digital, print, social media and PR
• Ensure all communications are authentic, compelling and rooted in the lived experience of pupils and staff
• Oversee the School’s website, publications and content strategy
• Lead internal communications to ensure clarity, consistency and engagement across the community
• Act as media spokesperson in collaboration with the Head where appropriate

• Develop and deliver a strategy for meaningful engagement with parents, alumni and the wider School community
• Build strong relationships that foster trust, advocacy and long-term connection
• Support and enhance alumni relations and community initiatives
• Promote the School locally, nationally and internationally, strengthening its profile and reputation

• Lead and develop a high-performing team across marketing, admissions and communications
• Foster a culture of collaboration, creativity, accountability and continuous improvement
• Manage budgets, resources and external partners effectively
• Ensure strong cross-school alignment and communication
• Ensure all aspects of marketing, admissions and engagement operate in line with UKVI, safeguarding, GDPR and wider regulatory requirements
• Uphold safeguarding, child protection and data protection policies at all times

PERSON SPECIFICATION

• A strong alignment with the values, ethos and ambitions of Merchiston Castle School
• Proven leadership experience in marketing, admissions, communications or a related field
• Ability to operate strategically while delivering operational impact and results
• A strong understanding of both data-driven recruitment and relationship-led engagement
• Excellent communication and storytelling skills, with the ability to connect with a wide range of audiences
• Commercial awareness and the ability to interpret and act on market and performance data
• Experience of designing and delivering high-quality customer or parent journeys
• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to build trust and influence across a complex organisation
• Digitally fluent, with experience of CRM systems, analytics and campaign delivery

• Experience within the independent school sector
• Experience of working across both domestic and international markets
• Experience of brand development or repositioning
• Experience of leading cross-functional teams in a service-led environment