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!
Cialfo is looking for a Principal Operations Manager to lead and scale the end-to-end student placement operations function based in Delhi.
This is a critical leadership role responsible for ensuring that student applications across global university destinations are processed with speed, accuracy, and consistency at scale.
You will own the full operational engine behind student placements, from application preparation, submission, tagging, and tracking, through to invoicing and coordination with university partners.
This role directly impacts application velocity, conversion, and revenue realisation. We are looking for someone who brings strong operational discipline, deep understanding of the student placement lifecycle, and the ability to lead teams in high-volume environments.
What You Will Be Doing
• End-to-End Operations Ownership
• Own and drive the full student application lifecycle across all major destinations (UK, US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and others)
• Ensure high-quality execution across application preparation, submission, tagging, tracking, and invoicing
• Maintain strong coordination with universities to ensure timely processing and updates
• Drive operational excellence across all stages to improve speed, accuracy, and conversion outcomes
• Operational Excellence & Process Design
• Design and implement scalable, structured workflows to support increasing application volumes
• Define and enforce clear SLAs, turnaround times, and quality benchmarks
• Continuously identify bottlenecks and drive improvements to reduce processing delays
• Standardise processes to ensure consistency across team members and destinations
• Performance Management & Metrics
• Own key operational metrics including, application turnaround time, submission accuracy, conversion rates, revenue-linked processing milestones, etc.
• Build dashboards and reporting to track pipeline movement and operational performance
• Use data to proactively manage capacity, prioritisation, and risk
• Team Leadership & Capability Building
• Lead and manage the student placement operations team
• Build a culture of accountability, ownership, and high performance
• Define clear roles, responsibilities, and performance expectations across the team
• Develop structured onboarding and training to improve team capability and consistency
• Ensure strong execution during peak intake cycles
• Risk Management & Escalation
• Act as the primary escalation point for complex or high-risk applications
• Ensure compliance with destination-specific requirements and documentation standards
• Identify operational risks early and implement mitigation plans
• Stakeholder & Partner Coordination
• Work closely with university partners, counsellors, and partner teams
• Ensure alignment on submission standards, timelines, and documentation requirements
• Improve collaboration to reduce friction and improve turnaround times
What We’re Looking For
• Experience
• 12 to 15+ years of experience in operations, with at least 5+ years leading teams
• Strong experience in student placement, international admissions, or study abroad operations
• Proven ability to manage high-volume, process-driven environments
• Experience working across multiple study destinations
• Core Skills
• Strong operational thinking with the ability to build scalable systems and processes
• Deep understanding of the student application and admissions lifecycle
• Highly metrics-driven, with strong analytical and problem-solving ability
• Strong leadership presence with the ability to drive accountability across teams
• Ability to operate with high ownership in a fast-paced environment
• Nice to Have
• Experience working with global universities or admissions teams
• Familiarity with CRM systems and admissions platforms
• Understanding of visa and compliance processes across key destinations
