Regional Strategic Partnership

**About the School -**St. Andrews International Schools, Thailand**

**The school now has an exciting opportunity for an experienced Regional Strategic Partnership & Business Development Manager to join our fantastic team.

**About Cognita**

**At Cognita, we know every student is unique. We nurture their distinct personalities and strengths. We support them academically, socially, and emotionally, wherever they are in the world, wherever they’re starting from. And each and every one of our schools is unique too.

We protect what’s special about them, while offering them rich knowledge, opportunities, and best practices. And they get to be part of something bigger. We open their classrooms to the collective wisdom of over 100 schools in 17 countries, ensuring every child gets an education that’s, quite literally, world class.

It’s an individual approach that empowers every school, teacher and student to focus on what they do best. And thrive.

**About the role**

The Strategic Partnership & Business Development Manager plays a key role in expanding partnerships across the international education ecosystem, driving business growth, and increasing student recruitment across key markets. As part of a dynamic and results-driven team, you will engage with diverse industries and build strategic partnerships both locally and globally. Your efforts will directly contribute to the success of our Cognita Asia schools, leveraging market insights and operational expertise to develop sustainable growth strategies. Your homebase defines the business focus prioritizing enrolment growth of schools in the homebase country, while supporting growth for other Cognita schools.

**What you will be doing**

1. Strategic Partnerships & Outreach
- Develop and/or manage partnerships with multinational corporations, embassies, chambers of commerce, relocation agents, early childhood education providers, universities and other key enrolment partners.
- Establish preferred school agreements with key employers and relocation firms.
- Provide training to key partners to ensure message clarity and consistency.

2. Market Development & Lead Generation (main focus on schools from Thailand)
- Create targeted business development plans aligned with enrolment goals.
- Identify new market segments and feeder opportunities (e.g., preschools).
- Drive inbound interest through strategic placement in partner channels (e.g., property welcome packs at serviced apartments, parent networks, expat associations, parenting platforms, embassy directories).
- Achieve assigned sales and student recruitment targets to support institutional growth.
- Recommend new marketing opportunities and strategic initiatives based on market insights.
- Build and grow education agent partnerships in countries without local team representative which have been allocated to you until local representative is secured.
- Manage assigned partnerships with student placement agencies operating in homebase country (either for enrolment at schools within the country or in Cognita schools in other countries in the region).

3. Stakeholder Collaboration
- Work closely together with the Education Agent Partnership Territory Managers to ensure full alignment on school recruitment strategies, priority customer segments, agent goals and performance tracking, optimized marketing efforts (agent training, events, incentives, PR spend, etc.) and lead source recognition.
- Work closely with academic leaders, marketing, and admissions teams to align business development efforts with institutional goals (e.g. school strategic priorities such as university partnerships, feeder schools, etc.)
- Work closely with schools to drive corporate-sponsored events and lead key stakeholder discussions for acquisition and retention.
- Work closely with school managing directors, operations directors and finance leads to establish scope of commercial agreement offerings.

4. Event & Activation Support
- Co-organize and support enrolment-focused events such as open houses, transition workshops, and partner-hosted sessions.
- Attend and speak at community events, family fairs, and relocation briefings to represent the school brand.
- Attend industry conferences, education fairs, and networking events to enhance brand awareness and market positioning.
- Represent the school at networking events, expos, and family relocation briefings.

5. Reporting & CRM
- Maintain accurate records of partnership activities and lead sources in the CRM.
- Track ROI and conversion metrics from partnership and business development channels.
- Provide regular updates and performance reports to leadership.
- Research and analyze market trends, competitor insights, and internal school data to inform strategy and decision-making.
- Ensure all recruitment activities comply with local immigration and visa requirements.

6. Any other responsibilities as assigned by the Regional Strategic Partnership and Business Development Lead.

**Who w