Academic Office

Grade 5: - £22,417 - £25,941 per annum
Fixed Term - Full Time
Contract Duration: 2 years
Contracted Hours per Week: 35
Closing Date: 12-Apr-2021, 6:59:00 AM 

Job Family: Community, Participation and Engagement Services

OUR CHARACTERISTICS: We are welcoming, collegiate and inclusive.

OUR VALUES: We are motivated, inquisitive, challenging, rigorous and innovative.

Durham University

Durham University is one of the world's top universities with strengths across the Arts and Humanities, Business, 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 an excellent stakeholder experience for our diverse and supportive community.

Overall family purpose

• Provide excellent student support services, development and extra-curricular activities.
• Align and deliver programmes and activities to meet operational and strategic objectives to enhance the stakeholder experience.
• Respond to stakeholders at the point of service delivery, either in situ or remotely.
• Facilitate the development of excellent colleague and academic engagement.
• Provide a stakeholder focussed service designed to increase widening participation and diversity.
• Promote the Durham reputation by establishing and broadening national and international community links to enhance the cultural and economic viability of the City and region.
• Enhance the Durham wider student experience by developing extra-curricular activities.
• Contribute to and enhance active, inclusive and supportive communities of stakeholders.
• Work collaboratively and network across the University with staff in other families to ensure a smooth, timely and high-quality delivery of service.
• Engage with suppliers, consultants and specialist professionals to deliver programmes and activities to enhance the stakeholder experience.
• Engage and encourage outreach and participation with external professionals, schools, alumni and donors.
• Engage and network with both internal and external stakeholders to facilitate knowledge exchange and impact through local, national and international communities.
• Work collaboratively and network across the University with staff in other families to ensure a smooth, timely and high-quality delivery of service.

Link to key strategic plan

• An economically sustainable approach to delivering Professional Services across the University;
• A world-class student, alumni and donor experience;
• Focussed on the needs of all users working together to deliver front-line services as part of the Wider Student Experience;
• Learn from and match best practice in the Wider Student Experience around the world;
• Opening up our world-class sporting facilities to local clubs and athletes;
• Support and facilitate activities as part of the Widening Student Experience at Durham;
• A stakeholder-focused orientation, offering satisfying careers to all staff;
• Ensure that an increasingly diverse workforce is treated equally, fairly and with respect, and that all staff are demonstrably valued and actively engaged.

The Department and role purpose

Access and Engagement is part of the Academic Office. The Academic Office provides a professional administrative support service to staff, students and potential students of Durham University.

The Academic Registrar is the head of the department and is responsible to the Pro-Vice Chancellor (Education) for its management. The following services fall under the remit of the Academic Office:

• Access and Engagement
• Curriculum, Learning and Assessment
• Recruitment and Admissions
• Student Immigration and Funding
• Student Registry

All of the services are based at either the Palatine Centre or Mountjoy Centre in Durham City.

Access and Engagement supports the Higher Education choices of young people who are traditionally underrepresented at university and encourages anyone with academic ability to consider applying to Durham, regardless of background. The service is based within the Academic Office, which is part of the University's Education Division.

The Graduate Ambassador (Access and Engagement) will provide support for the delivery of Access and Engagement work as directed by the Access and Engagement Managers. The post holder will be expected to help run events and represent the University externally in order to widen participation at Durham and help the University meet its Access and Engagement Plan commitments. The post holder should use their recent knowledge of the undergraduate experience to support students with the potential to study at a university like Durham. The role will involve travelling to schools and higher education fairs as well as being present on, and supporting the organisation of, events such as summer schools.

The role holder will specialise in one of the following areas:

Access

Access includes projects to support admissions pathways to the University. This includes projects such as Supported Progression and the Sutton Trust Summer School Programme.

Engagement

This area involves working with schools and colleges to support recruitment of students from under-represented backgrounds.

Core responsibilities:

• Plan and organise own workload in conjunction with the other members of the Access and Engagement Team.
• Resolve queries and requests for information and advice relating to widening participation events and activities and escalate more specialist and complex queries or issues to more experienced team members.
• Respond to stakeholder needs to deliver and shape an excellent experience for young people, teachers, parents and internal staff.
• Apply theory and practice, from academic and professional development to support the team in enhancing the higher education experience for young people.
• Contribute to collaborative decision making within the team and generate ideas to enhance stakeholder experience in accordance with the Access and Participation Plan.
• Work collaboratively across the organisation and/or externally with colleagues and stakeholders to deliver a service.
• Provide guidance and advice to resolve problems and queries for a broad range of service users.
• Collaborate with and support team members to enhance the delivery of events and activities. Organise and schedule resources, activities and events.
• Identify priorities and monitor processes and activities to ensure adherence to the goals of the Access and Participation Plan.
• Provide in-depth independent research and analysis relating to successful widening participation activities.
• Analyse work activities to ensure widening participation activities make effective and efficient use of income.
• Provide demonstrations and instruction to others outside the team.
• Monitor and evaluate stakeholder feedback and work with colleagues to translate these into recommendations for future improvements to widening participation activities.
• Liaise with contacts and participate in networks and communities internally and possibly externally, contributing to effective collaborative working.
• Advise others and make recommendations into work processes and procedures for consideration by senior management to improve services.

Role responsibilities:

• Deliver support services to ensure the effective and efficient running of outreach, internal and external activities that enhance the Durham reputation.
• Monitor feedback and identify service changes to meet service level agreements.
• Collaborate within the service team and across other services to ensure the seamless provision of products and services.
• Contribute to service user engagement, promotion and communication activities, events and presentation with or without team members, including using social media to communicate with stakeholders.
• Engage with a variety of young people between the ages of 14 -19 from different backgrounds.
• Assist with the delivery of events as part of the Supported Progression and Sutton Trust programmes as well as Schools Engagement.
• Visit schools within the North East and beyond, delivering activities designed to raise aspirations as well as supporting the raising of attainment levels of young people.
• Attend events at schools and colleges to talk about University.
• Deliver presentations to a wide range of stakeholders including young people, parents and teachers.
• Represent the University and NECOP at events and meetings around the North East.
• Welcome and induct external service providers, contractors and specialists to deliver a range of opportunities, activities and events to enhance the reputation of Durham.
• Identify and expand the service user knowledge base for service desk working and update team members on changes.
• Liaise across the organisation to update and exchange key service information to ensure advice given to users is the most up to date and accurate.
• Implement and update processes and procedures, including related documentation where appropriate.
• Work with internal and external partners and suppliers to deliver cross-functional products and services.
• Accurately record information within Access databases and the Higher Education Access Tracker, disseminating within internal networks including the Access and Admissions Committee.
• Support the management and coordination of activities, conferences and/or events.
• Act as first point of contact for student welfare issues where required.
• Prepare written reports for consideration by management where required.
• Any other reasonable duties.

Specific role requirements:

• DBS Check
• Ability to travel independently between remote locations and transport promotional materials and equipment (i.e. display stands), with the requirement to travel and work during evenings and weekends.

Recruiting to this post

In order to be considered for interview, candidates must evidence each of the essential criteria required for the role in the person specification above (including those listed in the section ‘Realising Your Potential Approach’).

In some cases, the recruiting panel may also consider the desirable criteria, so we recommend you evidence all criteria in your application.

Please note that some criteria will only be considered at interview stage.

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

1. A CV;
2. A covering letter which details your experience, strengths and potential in the requirements set out above;
3. Examples of how you satisfy the essential criteria in the person specification, this will require a separate document to be uploaded as part of the application process.

The Realising Your Potential Approach criteria is for information only, but may be referred to during the interview process.

Please ensure that you submit all documentation listed above or your application cannot proceed to the next stage.

Contact details

For further information please contact; Richard Coldwell, 0191 334 9121 or richard.coldwell@durham.ac.uk

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.

Person specification - skills, knowledge, qualifications and experience required

Essential Criteria

• Current comprehensive knowledge of the undergraduate experience, preferably at Durham.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills and the ability to develop effective working relationships, both internally and externally.
• Proven IT skills, including use of Microsoft Office.
• Five GCSE’s at least Grade C or level four (or equivalent) including English Language and Mathematics (or equivalent experience).
• Post-16 qualification or equivalent experience.
• Demonstrable ability to proactively work with team members to ensure the delivery of high quality services.
• Ability to solve problems as part of a team and resolve issues, plan solutions and make pragmatic decisions.
• Ability to contribute to planning at operational level.
• Knowledge of the current national agenda to ensure fair access to higher education and a commitment to the principles of equality and diversity and of academic excellence.

Desirable Criteria

• Relevant industry and professional recognition, and certification of achievement of skills and knowledge.
• Evidence of personal development to maintain skills.
• Relevant experience in a similar role / environment.
• Ability to effectively network and exchange advice and information for development purposes.
• Involvement in either a Durham University 14-19 outreach programme, or another 14 – 19 outreach programme related to Higher Education.
• Empathy for young people who have no direct understanding or experience of higher education.

Realising Your Potential Approach

The Realising Your Potential Approach clarifies the behaviours expected to be demonstrated by all staff across Professional Services in the University regardless of their role. Along with the core responsibilities, role responsibilities and the person specification, the Realising Your Potential Approach behavioural indicators are used to inform the recruitment and selection process. Further information on the Realising Your Potential Approach is available here.

DBS Requirement: Please note that the successful applicant will require DBS disclosure.