Global University Systems (GUS) is seeking an Integration & Growth Optimisation Director to lead post-acquisition integration with a primary focus on accelerating commercial performance, revenue growth, and value creation across its global education portfolio.

The role is accountable not only for integrating newly acquired institutions into the GUS operating model, but for optimising growth levers post-acquisition, including enrolment performance, pricing, portfolio mix, operating margin, and scalability.

The role will play a critical part in deploying AI, data, and automation to unlock growth, improve conversion and retention, and enhance decision-making speed and precision across the group.

Growth & Value Creation

• Own the post-acquisition value creation plan, with clear accountability for revenue uplift, margin improvement, and ROI.

• Identify, prioritise, and deliver growth optimisation initiatives across enrolment, pricing, programme mix, market expansion, and operating leverage.

• Translate integration activity into measurable commercial outcomes, including increased EBITDA, improved conversion rates, and accelerated payback.

• Partner with business leaders to embed a performance-driven growth mindset post-acquisition.

AI, Data & Automation for Growth Enablement

• Leverage AI and advanced analytics to identify growth opportunities, optimise demand generation, improve student lifecycle economics, and inform pricing and portfolio decisions.

• Implement automation and intelligent workflows that reduce cost-to-serve and free capacity for revenue-generating activity.

• Track and report ROI from AI-enabled growth initiatives, including improvements in conversion, retention, productivity, and decision quality.

• Ensure responsible, ethical, and commercially aligned use of AI across integration and growth initiatives.

Operational Optimisation & Synergy Realisation

• Lead cross-functional teams to deliver revenue synergies and operating efficiencies across acquired institutions.

• Optimise systems, processes, and governance to enable scalable growth, faster execution, and consistent commercial standards.

• Actively manage synergy delivery, ensuring benefits are realised, sustained, and transparently reported.

Performance Governance & Reporting

• Establish robust governance to track commercial performance, growth KPIs, and value realisation post-acquisition.

• Provide clear, outcome-focused reporting to GUS leadership on growth delivery, financial impact, and risk.

• Intervene decisively where performance is off-track, ensuring corrective action is taken.

Stakeholder Leadership

• Act as a senior commercial partner to institutional leaders, aligning them behind growth priorities and value creation objectives.

• Influence at executive level to balance integration discipline with entrepreneurial growth.

• Build strong accountability, pace, and ownership across integration and growth workstreams.

Qualifications & Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in business administration, finance, or a related field; a master's degree or MBA is strongly preferred.

• Demonstrable successful experience in M&A integration and post-acquisition value creation, with a strong track record of delivering revenue growth, margin improvement, and commercial optimisation.

• Excellent analytical, problem-solving and project management skills.

• Exceptional communication, negotiation, and stakeholder management abilities.