Development and Alumni Relations

Grade 4: - £19,612 to £21,814
Open-Ended/Permanent - Full Time
Contracted Hours per Week: 35
Closing Date: 07-Jan-2021, 7:59:00 AM

Data and Gifts Administrator

A crucial data admin role at a global top 100 university.

A globally outstanding centre of teaching and research, a collegiate community of extraordinary people, a unique and historic setting – Durham is a university like no other.

We’re looking for an outstanding admin professional to become our Data and Gifts Administrator and join our Advancement Services Team, providing support to University’s alumni and development functions.

You will bring relevant experience of administrative functions in in a busy office environment along with front line with service delivery and the capability to work under pressure and meet tight deadlines without compromising on quality. You will also need to demonstrate the ability to provide advice and guidance to a range of customers and colleagues.

The Data and Gifts Administrator will play an important role within the delivery of the Durham Inspired campaign. The University is currently within the first phase of this major philanthropic initiative which seeks to support the next generation of inspiration and leadership at Durham. We find it easy to be proud of the extraordinary people we have at Durham. We provide the inspiration, they achieve the extraordinary. We invite you to join us.

The Department and role purpose

The Development and Alumni Relations Office (DARO) is responsible for coordinating philanthropy, alumni and supporter engagement, and advancement communications on behalf of the University. DARO works with colleges, academic departments, research centres and institutes, wider student experience partners, and professional departments to engage over 180,000 alumni and supporters around the world. 

Underpinning this global operation, the Advancement Services team are ultimately responsible for: maintaining the University’s central stakeholder database (Raiser’s Edge NXT); updating and maintaining all alumni and supporter data; completing all gift processing, reporting, and stewardship; overseeing the daily operation of governance, legal, fiscal, and other regulatory aspects of advancement; completing prospect and partnership research and analysis – including due diligence; and development / maintenance of all systems related to delivering the above.

The Data and Gifts Administrator will be predominately employed with data entry into Raiser’s Edge (RE), including gift processing, address updates and the efficient and timely storage of donation forms. They will also process helpdesk requests, generate and distribute periodic reports from RE, and also provide administrative support to the Advancement Services Team as and when required.

The post holder will, alongside other members of Advancement Services, provide support to the other alumni and development functions within DARO and throughout the university, interrogating the database, generating queries and producing exports as required from time to time.

The post-holder will play an important role within the delivery of the Durham Inspired campaign. The University is currently within the first phase of this major philanthropic initiative which seeks to support the next generation of inspiration and leadership at Durham.

Core responsibilities:

• Provide a responsive and proactive support service for stakeholders, in particular with respect to academic staff, University and Departmental colleagues and external partners and, as required to  student body.
• Focus on checking stakeholder requirements to ensure the delivery of excellence with the frontline stakeholder experience.
• Provide a prompt response to service users answering and recording standard queries and bookings for activities and/or events, referring to other staff and departments as appropriate.
• Contribute to the planning of team activities, work and deadlines to ensure the smooth running and timeliness of service particularly with respect to members of staff (academic and non-academic) and visitors from pre-contract/arrival, through induction and onwards.
• Solve day-to-day routine problems and source background information within the role.
• Record data and information accurately and provide reports as required to team members and more experienced staff, to include confidential material relating to personnel, research contracts etc.
• Deal with information requests finding solutions or escalating queries where necessary.
• Flexible in approach to accommodate the needs of team members and/or service users.
• Assist team members to organise, plan and prepare for events, meetings and activities such as staff induction, research meetings, external stakeholder meetings, seminar series etc.
• Liaise with internal and external colleagues and organisations to pass on information.
• Apply professional and regulatory procedures and processes and use of systems.
• Liaise and collaborate with staff in other areas of the organisation to ensure a seamless, smooth and efficient service.
• Resolve queries and requests for information and advice and escalate more specialist and complex queries or issues to more experienced team members.

Role responsibilities: 

• Work with team members to ensure the smooth running of administrative processes to support staff, students, visitors and business activities.
• Apply standard professional and recognised regulatory procedures to process, check and reconcile anomalies within data and information sets.
• Compile, record, store and archive data and information to ensure the accuracy and safety of information, particularly with respect to personnel, health and safety, contractual/service documentation.
• Liaise with members of academic staff and representatives from other service areas, and external professional organisations and agencies where necessary.
• Use standard office-based digital systems, tools and equipment to carry out data recording, communications and networking.
• Provide service and support for networks, committees and meetings, to draft and distribute documents and communications in standard professional formats.
• Process and update key business documentation, particularly with regard to HR policies, Health and Safety, business assurance etc.
• Liaise with internal and external suppliers and specialists with the organisation, planning and delivery of services, activities and events.
• Ensure the accurate and timely processing of philanthropic donations into the Raisers Edge.
• Any other reasonable duties.

Specific role requirements

The post-holder will be required to work some evenings and weekends; occasional travel – domestic and international – may also be required as per ongoing business needs.

Durham University Job Families

OUR CHARACTERISTICS: We are a globally outstanding centre of teaching and research excellence, a collegiate community of extraordinary people, in a unique and historic setting.

OUR VALUES: We are inspiring, challenging, innovative, responsible and enabling.

Durham University

Durham University is one of the world's top universities with strengths across the Arts and Humanities, Sciences and Social Sciences. We are home to some of the most talented scholars and researchers from around the world who are tackling global issues and making a difference to people's lives.

The University sits in a beautiful historic city where it shares ownership of a UNESCO World Heritage Site with Durham Cathedral, the greatest Romanesque building in Western Europe. A collegiate University, Durham recruits outstanding students from across the world and offers an unmatched wider student experience.

Durham University seeks to promote and maintain an inclusive and supportive environment for work and study that assists all members of our University community to reach their full potential. Diversity brings strength and we welcome applications from across the international, national and regional communities that we work with and serve.

It is expected that all staff within the University:

• Contribute to our learning culture by engaging in mentoring, training and coaching.
• Positively contribute to fostering a collegial environment; as well as demonstrating commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion.
• Have due regard to Health and Safety requirements appropriate to grade and role.

Family key attributes

Roles in this family provide a comprehensive service and deliver the efficient administration and governance of the University.

Overall family purpose

• Deliver direct and indirect services to stakeholders.
• Provide advice and answer queries as part of an enquiry-desk/help-desk function.
• Respond to and manage requests for information and resources.
• Deliver services to meet regulatory requirements and procedures.
• Plan and deliver a joined-up approach to University business and people services.
• Align business processes and services to meet operational and strategic policy objectives. 
• Deliver business processes to ensure effective management, governance and the economic viability of the University.
• Encourage, collaborate and participate in the development of productive cross-institution relationships and working.
• Provide excellent professional services that meet strategic and operational goals and business needs.
• Carry out monitoring, analysis, development and planning to design new services and service updates for continuous improvement whilst meeting changes in regulations.
• Engage with specialist professionals, consultants, and suppliers to exchange knowledge and facilitate partnership working.
• Work collaboratively and network across the University with staff in other families to ensure a smooth, timely and high-quality delivery of service.
• Align and deliver programmes and activities to meet operational and strategic objectives to enhance the stakeholder experience.
• Engage and encourage participation with external professionals, schools, alumni and donors

Link to key strategic plan

• An economically sustainable approach to delivering Professional Services across the University;
• A joined-up approach to University professional services, regardless of location or line management;
• A culture and practice of continuous improvement;
• Design services that meet business need;
• A stakeholder-focused orientation, offering satisfying careers to all staff;
• Support and facilitate programmes that offer intellectual challenge, cohesiveness and a strong sense of progression;
• ensure that an increasingly diverse workforce is treated equally, fairly and with respect, and that all staff are demonstrably valued and actively engaged.

Recruiting to this post 

In order to progress to the assessment stage of the recruitment process, candidates must evidence each of the criteria required for the role in the person specification.

At Durham University, our aim is to create an open and inclusive environment where everyone can reach their full potential and believe our staff should reflect the diversity of the global community in which we work.  We welcome and encourage applications from members of groups who are under-represented in our work force including people with disabilities, women and black, Asian and minority ethnic communities.

We will notify you on the status of your application at various points throughout the selection process, via automated emails from our e-recruitment system. Please check your spam/junk folder periodically to ensure you receive all emails

How to apply

We prefer to receive applications online.

Please note that in submitting your application Durham University will be processing your data. We would ask you to consider the relevant University Privacy Statement https://www.dur.ac.uk/ig/dp/privacy/pnjobapplicants/ which provides information on the collation, storing and use of data.

What you are required to submit 

• A CV
• A document providing evidence and examples of how you feel you meet the person specification criteria
• A covering letter which details your experience, strengths and potential in the requirements set out above

Contact details

For further information please contact; 

Stuart Thompson – Deputy Director, Advancement Services (DARO) stuart.thompson@durham.ac.uk

Person specification - skills, knowledge, qualifications and experience required

The essential criteria for this role are:

• Excellent oral and written communication skills
• Proven IT skills, including use of Microsoft Office.
• Post-16 qualification or equivalent experience.
• Relevant administrative experience in a busy office environment.
• Demonstrable ability to provide advice and guidance to a range of customers and colleagues.
• Experience of working on the front line with service delivery, and the ability to work under pressure and meet tight deadlines without compromising on quality.
• Experience of working in a team.
• Ability to solve problems as part of a team and resolve straightforward issues. 
• Accuracy, numeracy and attention to detail.
• Experience of working within a busy finance department 

The desirable criteria for this role are:

• Experienced in the use of Raiser’s Edge or similar fundraising package.

DBS Requirement: Not Applicable.