Associate Operations Manager

ApplyBoard simplifies the study abroad search, application, and acceptance process by connecting international students, recruitment partners, and educational institutions on one intuitive and personalized platform. ApplyBoard is a mission-driven, hyper-growth organization. It has been attracting dedicated individuals for more than eight years who are inspired every day to break down barriers to international education and take their careers to new heights at a company that will invest in their career growth. Our six core values are our compass in our mission to Educate the World and the foundation of our unique company culture. As an organization built on a foundation of diversity, it's important that our team members are representative of the students from more than 150 countries that we support.

The Opportunity:

The Associate Operations Manager oversees the daily operations of the customer experience team, ensuring tasks are completed efficiently and KPIs are met. This position involves coaching and mentoring team members, monitoring performance, and providing guidance on complex admissions issues while ensuring accurate and timely application processing. The Associate Operations Manager also drives continuous improvement through process documentation, optimization, and collaboration with cross-functional teams to resolve escalations and enhance automation success rates.

What you'll be doing everyday:

Team Oversight & Leadership

• Oversee the daily operations of the admissions team to ensure effective workflow and task completion.

• Monitor team performance to ensure KPIs are met and team goals are achieved

• Create and share progress reports with the PSM.

• Provide coaching, mentoring, and training to support the ongoing development of individual team members and the team as a whole

• Assist the team members by ensuring requirements are clear and accurate for each school. Any changes are implemented accordingly

• Manage Team application assignments and workload to ensure all priority tasks are being completed

Training & Knowledge Sharing

• Provide support in the onboarding and training of new and existing team members.

• Ensure all training materials are regularly reviewed and updated to reflect current processes.

• Provide expert knowledge and act as a resource for team members navigating complex admissions issues.

Escalation Management

• Support and monitor application-level escalations from Sales and Customer Support

• Support the resolution of process-related and application-specific escalations, such as:

  • Portal issues

  • Program changes

  • Resubmissions

• Serve as the go-to escalation point for outlier or sensitive applications and relationship disturbances.

• Manage and take timely, appropriate action on Jira escalation tickets.

Process Documentation & Optimization

• Perform Road Runner and Submission RPA (Robotic Process Automation) manual tasks when required

• Ensure accurate and timely processing of applications using relevant systems and workflows

• Assist in documenting and maintaining standard operating procedures for admissions processes.

• Analyze application rejections in collaboration with internal stakeholders and partner schools; identify trends and recommend improvements.

• Track and monitor the success rate of automation tools; identify areas for improvement and work with relevant teams to implement enhancements.

What you bring to the table:

• An associate's or Bachelor's degree is an asset.

• 3-4 years of experience in customer experience or account management

• Strong operational ownership and data-driven mindset.

• Ability to lead cross-functional teams toward common enrollment goals.

• Skilled in relationship management, process optimization, and performance coaching.

• High attention to detail, especially in fraud detection and quality assurance.

• Familiarity with performance dashboards, Jira, and reporting systems

• Excellent adaptability to work under pressure in a fast-paced and demanding environment, deliver work with high quality, and meet tight deadlines

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills

• Ability to collaborate with internal teams and external partners

• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.

• Ability to work flexible hours to support global operations and stakeholder needs.

About ApplyBoard

ApplyBoard empowers students around the world to access the best education. With more than 1,000,000 students from over 150 countries helped with their journey in less than a decade, we are just getting started.

ApplyBoard's global team assists students and our 1,500+ partner institutions by empowering the international student sector with innovative technology and insights. As a five-time consecutive Deloitte Fast 50 and Fast 500 ranked company, ApplyBoard keeps international students at the heart of everything we do.

Thank you for your interest in joining the ApplyBoard Team and being part of our mission to Educate the World. While we are lucky to attract a high level of interest in each of our roles, only qualified applicants will be contacted and selected for an interview.

ApplyBoard welcomes and encourages applications from people with disabilities. Accommodations are available upon request for candidates in all aspects of the hiring and selection process.