Grey College
Grade 6: - £26,715 - £32,817
Open-Ended/Permanent - Part Time
Contracted Hours per Week: 28
Closing Date : 04-Mar-2020, 7:59:00 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.  

Link to key strategic plan

• An economically and environmentally sustainable approach to delivering stakeholder focussed 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   

Founded sixty years ago, Grey College is one of the residential colleges of Durham University, with vibrant undergraduate and postgraduate communities of around 1,350 students. Grey College is situated in a beautiful, landscaped setting very close to the main Mountjoy Site, whilst being just a short walk from the centre of town. All College members share an excellent and welcoming community life, with our students known for their tolerance and friendliness and their desire to contribute to the wider life of College, the University and the local community. Grey College is a place where all can come to excel, both inside and outside their chosen subject, and the College provides our students with an excellent place to develop outside their degree through both participation and leadership across areas such as the arts, sport and volunteering.

The post-holder will work closely with other members of the Student Development and Support Team, under the supervision of the Vice-Master, providing appropriate development opportunities and support to student members of Grey College. The Student Experience Officer will help enable a wealth of further opportunities for Grey College students through our Opportunities programme, enabling them to unlock their broader potential and effectiveness and to make the most of their creativity.

Core responsibilities:

• Experienced service practitioner, planning and co-ordinating of projects and work streams with inter-related activities.
• Plan and organise own workload with or without involvement with project work streams.
• Specialist support with problem solving and query handling.
• Reactive and proactive service provision with others to deliver an excellent stakeholder experience.
• Relationship building, network participation internally and externally to build and update knowledge and skills.
• Engage with external peers and specialists to exchange knowledge and information.
• Supervises service users and stakeholders undertaking activities, events, project work and exhibitions.
• Interpret, curate, design and present artefacts, information, data, equipment and resources.
• Implement and monitor protocols, procedures, processes and regulations.
• Monitor and report incidents.
• Carry out more in-depth investigations, searches and research information and data to identify trends and patterns.
• Take responsibility for day to day decision making within own area of responsibility for operational aspects of service delivery, translating external requirements into practical application and advice.
• Implement and monitor recognised procedures to ensure compliance and meet University values of inclusion, diversity and participation.
• Contribute to business meetings, working groups and committees to help shape service delivery and stakeholder expectations.
• Accountable for managing/maintaining financial and budget records and reconciling consumable expenditure queries.
• Involved in the purchase and return of goods and services.
• Support the capture of business requirements from users and work with colleagues to translate these into recommendations for future service provision.

Role responsibilities:

• Manage frontline stakeholder services in a variety of different buildings and environments and outlets across the University.
• Act as a recognised point of contact between the University and key internal and external stakeholders, including donors and employers.
• Carry out internal and external presentations and public relations events promoting the Durham reputation, and encouraging participation and income generation.
• Gather, record and analyse customer feedback from all service users.
• Identify potential service improvements, make recommendations.
• Develop, plan and deliver events and activities for students, staff and visitors.
• Responsible for curating the set-up, order, display and information pertinent to the service area and / or activity. 
• Work with other functional areas and families across the University to ensure the most diverse and accessible promotion of services, events and activities.
• Ensure the safety and security of service and public areas, responding to incidents and providing reports.
• Act as first point of contact for student issues where required. 
• Contribute to the development of appropriate structures, procedures, events and initiatives for maximising opportunities for personal development of all student members of Grey College
• Advise, guide and inspire student leaders in matters relating to the provision of opportunities for personal development.
• Engage internal and external stakeholders in support of student personal development initiatives.
• Identify funding needs and opportunities relating to opportunities for personal development; drafting business cases, grant and sponsorship applications; handle related stewardship and reporting.
• Organise events and initiatives that support the College’s fundraising and alumni relations strategy.
• Take day-to-day responsibility for the management of the College’s activities relating to the Durham Inspired Award, including the oversight of mentoring and assessment within the College.
• Support the Master and Vice-Master in the administration of the Grey College Trust.
• Any other reasonable duties.

Specific role requirements:

• Being an integral and visible member of the College Community (this may include working some evenings and weekends to support the delivery of College activities and initiatives as appropriate).
• Participating in rota duties for the provision of out-of-hours Emergency Cover at the discretion of the Master.

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. Answers to the essential criteria questions.

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; Thomas Allen, thomas.allen@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:

1. Excellent oral and written communication skills and the ability to develop effective working relationships, both internally and externally.
2. Proven IT skills, including use of Microsoft Office.
3. Educated to degree level (or equivalent experience).
4. Evidence of personal development to maintain skills.  
5. Experienced service provider with knowledge and expertise used to contribute to the delivery and development of services, events and activities within the organisation.
6. Demonstrable ability to provide advice and guidance to a range of customers and colleagues.
7. Experience of implementing policy and procedures and involvement with future changes for a service area.
8. Ability to solve problems as part of a team and resolve issues, plan solutions and make pragmatic decisions.
9. Ability to effectively network and exchange advice and information for development purposes. 
10. Ability to contribute to planning at operational level

DBS Requirement: Not Applicable.