Manager - Retentions & Parent Relations

The Retention Manager is responsible for driving student retention and re-enrolment at Sancta Maria International School by delivering an exceptional parent experience, ensuring consistent engagement throughout the academic year, and minimizing student withdrawals. This role focuses on proactive relationship management, early identification of at-risk families, data tracking, and implementing school-level strategies to achieve re-enrolment targets in alignment with ISP India s retention framework.

ISP Principles

• Begin with our children and students. Our children and students are at the heart of what we'do. Simply, their success is our success. we'llbeing and safety are both essential for learners and learning. Therefore, we are consistent in identifying potential safeguarding and Health Safety issues and acting and following up on all concerns appropriately.
• Treat everyone with care and respect. We look after one another, embrace similarities and differences and promote the we'll-being of self and others.
• Operate effectively. We focus relentlessly on the things that are most important and will make the most difference. We apply school policies and procedures and embody the shared ideas of our community.
• Are financially responsible. We make financial choices carefully based on the needs of the children, students and our schools.
• Learn continuously. Getting better is what drives us. We positively engage with personal and professional development and school improvement.

Key Responsibilities

• Own the school s retention and re-enrolment targets and ensure timely achievement.
• Implement and follow standardized ISP retention and re-enrolment procedures within the school.
• Track and report withdrawal trends, ensuring early identification and intervention for at-risk families.
• Collaborate with Admissions, Marketing, and Academic teams to ensure consistent communication and family engagement across the customer journey.
• Manage all TC (Transfer Certificate) requests through a personalized follow-up approach to reduce avoidable withdrawals. Support the execution of Parent Advocacy Circles, Pulse Week, and other engagement initiatives to strengthen retention outcomes.
• Maintain up-to-date and accurate data in the CRM and MIS systems as per ISP reporting requirements.
• Serve as the key liaison between existing parents and the school for all non-academic concerns impacting retention.
• Develop personalized communication plans for different parent segments to strengthen trust and satisfaction. Conduct feedback surveys and collaborate with the Principal to translate insights into actionable You Said, we'did outcomes.
• Ensure that ISP customer service and communication standards are consistently met by all front facing staff.
• Partner with Marketing and Admissions teams to align messaging and engagement across touchpoints, including events, newsletters, and digital channels.
• Maintain accurate and timely retention dashboards for school and regional reviews.
• Analyse data to identify emerging patterns of potential leavers and recommend strategic interventions.
• Contribute to regional retention reporting by providing insights, case studies, and action plans for continuous improvement.
• Ensure full compliance with data hygiene standards in reporting re-enrolments and withdrawals.
• Conduct internal awareness and training sessions for teachers and administrative teams to build a retention-focused culture.
• Partner with the school leadership team to align retention objectives with academic and operational goals.
• Understands parent needs and proactively addresses concerns.
• Works effectively across teams to achieve shared retention goals.
• Communicates clearly and professionally across diverse audiences.
• Use insights and analytics to guide decisions.
• Handle challenging parent interactions with composure and empathy.
• Regularly seeks feedback to enhance processes and outcomes.

• bachelors degree required; postgraduate qualification in Marketing, Customer Success, or related field preferred 2-3 years of experience as Executive Assistant to the Head of Organisation or any member of Management.
• 5 8 years of experience in Customer Experience, Parent Relations, Admissions, or Retention roles (preferably in the education or service sector).
• Work closely with the Regional Head of Retention to implement ISP-wide retention frameworks and share best practices.
• Proven track record in managing customer relationships and achieving retention or renewal targets.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills with the ability to handle sensitive conversations tactfully.
• Analytical mindset with comfort in working with data and CRM tools (Hubspot / iSAMS preferred).
• High emotional intelligence, empathy, and commitment to delivering a superior parent experience.
• Team player with strong ownership, problem-solving, and execution focus.