Senior Operations Manager

Cialfo is a leading platform connecting students, higher education institutions, and counselors through technology-driven solutions. Launched in 2017 with a mission to make education accessible to 100 million students, Cialfo provides a range of mobile and web solutions to students, K-12 institutions, and higher education institutions. We’re one of the fastest-growing tech startups in the region, consistently charting new heights!

This position is with Kaaiser, one of the brands under Manifest Global, which also includes Cialfo, BridgeU and Explore by Cialfo.

About the Role

Kaaiser, a leading global student recruitment and admissions firm within the Manifest Global Group, is seeking a highly driven Senior Operations Manager to lead and scale our end-to-end Australia admissions operations across all global source markets.

This is a pivotal leadership role and a key hire for the organization. The candidate will oversee all the operational teams involved in the global student application processing, including Document Verification, Genuine Student Compliance, Application Submission and University Coordination.

You will work closely with the leadership teams across Manifest portfolio companies, and the role will eventually report directly to the Managing Director of Kaaiser. The ideal candidate is someone who brings strong process discipline, speed, accuracy, and an ownership-driven mindset. You will ensure applications move seamlessly across all internal teams and are processed within expected timelines, with high quality, zero errors and exceptional service standards for our global partners and clients.

This role offers significant visibility, impact, and opportunities to grow across the Manifest Global Group.

What You Will Be Doing

• End-to-End Application Operations
  • Oversee the complete student application lifecycle across global markets - from initial verification of documents to genuine student compliance, application submission to university, offer tracking, and COE coordination.

  • Ensure timely movement of applications between the document verification team, compliance team, application submission team and university coordinator.

  • Maintain real-time visibility on all applications worldwide and proactively remove bottlenecks.

• Daily Workflow & Team Coordination
  • Coordinate daily workloads across multiple operational teams supporting global applications.

  • Monitor application queues, prioritise urgent cases, and ensure same-day processing wherever applicable.

  • Conduct daily check-ins and end of the day reviews with team members for pending items and to drive closures.

• Quality & Documentation Oversight
  • Ensure that all applications and supporting documents are complete, accurate, and aligned with university requirements.

  • Review escalated cases for missing documents, incorrect data, or re-submission issues.

  • Maintain consistency and quality of documentation across global source markets

• University & Clients Liaison Support
  • Work closely with the University in resolving portal issues, tracking pending offers, and addressing student queries.

  • Supervise the coordination of the operations team with global clients, partners and counsellors to ensure timely submission and follow-up.

  • Strengthen relationships with key client accounts by ensuring high-quality delivery and response standards.

• Issue Resolution & Escalation Handling
  • Serve as the first escalation point for operational bottlenecks.

  • Troubleshoot delays, missing documents, incorrect submissions and coordination gaps.

  • Provide quick responses and clear instructions to resolve issues.

• Process Improvement & SOP Management
  • Identify process inefficiencies and gaps across operations.

  • Standardize workflows across global teams and maintain updated SOPs.

  • Recommend automation, tools, or workflow changes to increase efficiency and reduce errors.

• Reporting & Operational Visibility
  • Prepare and maintain dashboards and trackers to monitor progress across teams.

  • Prepare daily/weekly updates for management on application movement, escalations, and dependencies.

  • Highlight risk areas such as delayed submissions, pending documents, or overdue follow-ups.

About You

• Qualifications
  • Bachelor’s degree in any discipline

• Experience
  • 7-10 years of experience in operations, preferably in education, admissions, EdTech, or a high-volume processing environment.

• Skills & Qualities
  • Strong understanding of student admissions or similar multi-step operations.

  • Excellent coordination and communication skills.

  • High attention to detail and accuracy.

  • Ability to manage multiple stakeholders and competing priorities.

  • Strong problem-solving and escalation-handling skills.

  • Comfortable working with CRM and digital tools.

• Good to have
  • Experience managing global operations or multi-country process teams.

  • Experience with Australian university admissions is a plus.

  • Experience coordinating with counsellors, clients, and/ or university representatives.