Deputy Manager

Role Overview
Build and scale Shiksha's in-house study abroad accommodation business from scratch. You will own the business end to end, from partnerships and processes to revenue. You will start hands-on and grow into leading a team of accommodation specialists who serve students from Shiksha's counselling team.

Key Responsibilities

• Set up the accommodation business model, including revenue streams, commission structures, and destination priorities (UK, Ireland, USA, Canada, Australia, Europe, UAE).
• Own the overall revenue and deliver booking, revenue, and attach-rate targets. May be close bookings personally in the early phase.
• Onboard and manage PBSA operators, aggregators, and property partners.
• Build a smooth lead-handoff process with the counselling team, train counsellors on the offering, and make accommodation a core part of the student journey.
• Hire, train, and lead a team of 5?6 specialists. Define KRAs and incentives, and coach the team on consultative selling.
• Design SOPs for the full journey, from inquiry through booking and payment to check-in. Set up CRM workflows and dashboards.
• Track and report key metrics: conversion, attach rate, revenue per booking, partner mix, and team productivity.

Success in 09 Months
Counselling-to-accommodation handoff is repeatable, the team is fully hired, and monthly targets are met consistently.

Mandatory Requirements

• 5?8 years of experience, with at least 3 years in international student accommodation.
• At least 2 years leading a team, or experience building a business or vertical from scratch.
• A proven track record of achieving booking and revenue targets.
• Strong understanding of PBSA, private rentals, and the student housing ecosystem, with existing provider relationships.

Skills Required

• Entrepreneurial and hands-on, comfortable with ambiguity.
• Strong commercial acumen, negotiation, and P&L understanding.
• Team leadership and stakeholder management skills.
• Process-driven and data-oriented, with proficiency in CRM tools.
• Excellent English communication.

Preferred Background
Experience at student accommodation providers, housing marketplaces, or study abroad platforms ? focused primarily on Europe, UK, US.

Experience launching or scaling a new vertical is a plus.