St. Michael's International School

Kobe, Japan

Position Type: Admissions & Marketing Director

Contract Type: Full time, 2 year fixed term, renewable

Campus: Kobe, Japan

Apply by: March 31, 2026

Job Start: July 2026 or earlier start for the right candidate

Reporting to: The Head of School

Job purpose:
To lead and deliver an integrated admissions and marketing strategy that drives values led growth and strengthens retention, ensuring the school is consistently visible and clearly positioned. We want every family to feel welcomed, known and cared for from the first enquiry. The post holder will own the full admissions journey and ensure communications are aligned, accurate and on brand, building confidence and trust within the community.

Key Responsibilities

Admissions process

Own and continuously improve the end-to-end admissions process, maintaining high standards for responsiveness, follow up and next steps
Act as the point of contact for new families, building strong relationships
Deliver engaging school tours, open house events and follow up that build trust and convert enquiries
Use feedback from new families and leavers to review and improve the admissions process

Community outreach

Strengthen local visibility through community engagement and strategic relationships
Build referral pathways through current families, alumni and community partners, monitoring impact on enrolment
Represent the school externally in a way that enhances reputation and trust

Enrolment strategy

Set and deliver an annual enrolment growth plan
Monitor the full admissions process and improve conversion at each stage
Provide monthly reporting with clear actions and priorities
Use lead source data, family feedback and market awareness to refine targeting and activity

Leadership and operations

Manage the admissions and marketing budget effectively
Work closely with leaders, teachers and the office team to ensure a unified message

Marketing, brand and communications

Lead the school’s brand, key messages and storytelling to drive visibility and qualified enquiries
Oversee website, social media, email communications and admissions materials for quality and consistency
Maintain and deliver a clear content plan linked to enrolment priorities
Plan, deliver and evaluate termly promotional campaigns

Success measures

Conversion rates from enquiries, applications and enrolments
Response times and follow up consistency
Retention indicators and family experience feedback
Campaign, website and social media performance

Position Specifications

Language Proficiency

Professional level bilingual communication in English and Japanese (spoken and written), evidenced through qualifications and or interview tasks

Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field e.g. marketing, business, communications or related field
Eligibility to work in Japan

Preferred skills and experience

Experience of admissions, enrolment, or marketing
Excellent interpersonal skills and confidence to engage new and prospective families
Strong digital marketing capability across website content, social media and email communications
Working knowledge of Google Workspace or similar
Commitment to safeguarding, child protection and student wellbeing

Desirable skills and experience

An understanding of the international school market Experience of working in Japan

Hours of work

Monday to Friday 09:00 to 17:00, with flexibility as required for events and peak admissions periods.

Salary and benefits

A 15 step salary scale starting at ¥400,000 per month. Placement determined by relevant experience. Annual bonus linked to enrolment growth and admissions targets. The package includes furnished housing and relocation support for eligible overseas hires, return flights every two years for staff with a permanent address outside Japan, tuition discount for two eligible dependants and paid annual leave.

How To Apply:

Applications should be made direct via the form below.

Closing date: 31st March
The school reserves the right to appoint before the closing date, so early applications are encouraged.

Application requirements:

Online application form
A full curriculum vitae
Contact details of two professional referees
A letter addressed to the Head of School outlining suitability for the role, key strengths and relevant impact, and reasons for wishing to join the school.

St. Michael’s International School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults.

Click here for the full job description - PDF file

Application Form

Section 1

1. Personal Details

Email address*

First name*

Last name*

Middle name

Maiden name (if applicable)

Date of birth (YYYY-MM-DD)*

Gender* Male Female Other

Nationality*

Place of birth*

Marital status*

Number of dependent children (if applicable)

If you have dependents who will join you in Japan state full name, profession of spouse/partner, number of children, with names and DOB

Telephone number

Skype ID

Address in Japan

2. Qualifications

Enter qualifications details here

Do you have an English Language teaching certificate? Yes No

If yes please provide details here

3. Education

Include (Most recent first): Schools (O Level/GCSE and A-level or equivalent); College/University; Teaching Qualification; Graduate Degree/NPQ Qualification

Institution Name	Grades/Results	Dates		Action
Institution Name	Grades/Results	From (YYYY-MM-DD)	To (YYYY-MM-DD)	Action

Recent CPD attended (including the year when attended)

Section 2

1. Current Employment Details

Current employer name*
Current employer postal address*
Current employer country
Current employer website
Current post held
Annual gross salary in Yen
Date appointed (YYYY-MM-DD)

2. Previous Teaching / Employment Experience (most recent first)

Type of School	Country	Name of School/Company	Post Held	Number on Roll	Dates		Action
Type of School	Country	Name of School/Company	Post Held	Number on Roll	From (YYYY-MM-DD)	To (YYYY-MM-DD)	Action

If you'd like to share with us a video or other material of you teaching, please add the link here (this is entirely optional)

3. Personal interests, including extracurricular activities

4. Details of any significant illness during last 3 years, including days off sick in last 12 months

SECTION 3

1. Referees

One referee must be your current Head of School / employer.

Referee A

Name*
Position*
School Name / Company Name*
Address
Telephone/Fax
Email*
Professional relation to you*
May we take this reference now?*	Yes No

Referee B

Name*
Position*
School Name / Company Name*
Address
Telephone/Fax
Email*
Professional relation to you*
May we take this reference now?*	Yes No

2. Availability

Please indicate any dates you are not available for interview

SECTION 4

Do you have any convictions, cautions, reprimands or final warnings that are not "protected" as defined by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (as amended in 2013) – or equivalent in other countries in which you have lived? If yes please give details here.

Are you included in any list of people barred from working with children by the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) or the NCTL (National College of Teaching and Leadership) – or equivalent in other countries in which you have lived? If yes please give details here.

Do you consider yourself disabled? (The Disability Discrimination Act says that this would be “a substantial or long term physical or mental impairment or health issue which could adversely affect your ability to carry on normal day to day activity”) If yes, please state the nature of your disability.

Visa Status and validity period (if currently in Japan)

Upload Documents

Please make sure your file names include only alphanumeric characters (no special characters).

Upload Cover Letter (maximum 5MB file)*

Upload CV (maximum 5MB file)*

Upload Recent Photograph (maximum 5MB file)*

Please Note

If your application is successful, prior to taking up your post, you will be required to undergo a Formal Disclosure process through the Disclosure and Barring Service (previously CRB) or your national equivalent. You will be required to provide a range of more than one piece of documentary evidence of your identity.

Only complete applications, including all the documents listed above, will be considered. It should be understood that nothing in this form constitutes a contract.