Experience Durham

Grade 5: - £22,417 - £25,941
Fixed Term - Full Time
Contract Duration: 18 months
Contracted Hours per Week: 35
Closing Date: 28-Jan-2021, 7:59:00 AM

Job Family: Community, Participation and Engagement Services

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, 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   

As a Department, Experience Durham is striving to play a pivotal role in developing, delivering and transforming a Wider Student Experience that is as impactful as anything in the world. We remain steadfast in our core commitment to accelerating the growth of far-reaching and market-leading programmes across performance, participation and community outreach, whilst fostering a culture that safeguards academic excellence. We are guided by the belief that an investment in the Wider Student Experience is ultimately an investment in the quality of graduates that the University produces and are motivated by the opportunity to engage and inspire the next generation of talent. In doing so, we feel confident that we are making a positive contribution to the development of rounded, global citizens.

 Media Durham and the role of Coordinator

The Wider Student Experience and the provision of opportunities for students to participate, excel and engage in the wider community (what we term as student enrichment at Durham) is a key pillar of the University Strategy.

Student enrichment across the University is broken down into seven Domains of Participation – one of these is the Arts and Culture. In recent years we have made great strides in both Music and Theatre and have sector leading programmes in both areas. Alongside Music and Theatre we have now made the decision to prioritise the development of student film and broader media including radio and photography – the coordination and development of these areas will sit under the umbrella of Media Durham.

The Media Durham Coordinator will be responsible for supporting the development of these student media activities enabling students to excel, increasing levels of participation and embedding join initiatives with wider community partners.  This work will be undertaken in close collaboration with both our Colleges and the Students’ Union. Film making will be a particular focus of the role and the successful post holder will be required to deliver training to students, staff and members of the wider community whilst also undertaking some filming projects themselves. With this in mind, demonstrable experience of film making is critical. The Media Durham Coordinator will also have the opportunity to work directly with the Department of Modern Languages and Culture (MLAC) as they further develop undergraduate modules in film making – partnership work, internal and external will be a key component of the role and the opportunity to collaborate with MLAC is a prime example of this.

The post holder will also support the development of an on-line platform that will be designed to host digital student enrichment activity, to enhance accessibility and to showcase live and on-demand face-to-face performances and events including music concerts, theatre performances, sporting competition, volunteering projects and guest speakers. The Media Durham Coordinator will work directly with students and staff, including the University Marketing Team, to coordinate the on-going development and population of this platform as we aim to enhance accessibility, broaden enrichment activity and showcase the achievements of our outstanding students to the wider world including our global alumni and prospective undergraduate and postgraduate applicants.

Core responsibilities:

• Act as more knowledgeable team member and coordinate and deliver training for students without responsibility for team members.
• Plan and organise own workload with or without involvement with project work streams.
• Resolve queries and requests for information and advice from both students and staff and escalate more complex queries or issues to more experienced team members.
• Respond to the  needs of students and student organisations to deliver and shape an excellent student media  experience.
• Apply theory and practice, from academic and professional development and previous knowledge within a service team to support the growth of student media activity.
• Contribute to collaborative decision making within Media Durham with service provision to deliver an excellent student experience in accordance with policy and procedures.
• Work collaboratively across the organisation, including our Colleges, the Students’ Union and the Marketing Team and externally with colleagues,stakeholders and partners to enhance student media activities. .
• Provide general guidance and advice to resolve problems and queries from individual students and student organisations associated with media.
• Collaborate with team members to implement alterations to enhance the provision of student media.
• Organise and schedule resources, activities and events including the coordinating of Media Durham student equipment rentals and oversight of the on-line Media Durham platform
• Identify priorities and monitor processes and activities to ensure success and growth of student media.
• Analyse activities of students and staff to ensure the effective and efficient use of Media Durham equipment and resources and recommend changes where relevant
• Provide film making demonstrations and instruction to students and staff across the institution and within the wider community.
• Support the capture of requirements from students and student organisations and work with colleagues to translate these into recommendations for future student media  provision.
• Liaise with contacts and participate in networks and communities internally and externally, contributing to effective collaborative working.
• Make recommendations into work processes and procedures for consideration by senior management to improve student media services and provision.

Role responsibilities:

• Deliver student training and provide coordinating support to ensure the effective and efficient running of Media Durham outreachactivities that enhance the student experience and impact positively upon the wider-community.
• Monitor student feedback and, in consultation with student leaders, identify necessary changes to meet the requirements of individual students and student organisations.
• Collaborate within the Experience Durham  Team and across other services to ensure the seamless provision of support and opportunities for individual students and student organisations.
• Contribute to student engagement, promotion of events and communication of activities including presentations with or without team members.
• Welcome and induct external specialists, to deliver a range of workshop , activities, events and training to enhance the student experience and reputation of Durham.
• Liaise across the organisation, including our Colleges, the Students’ Union and the Marketing Team to update and exchange key student media information to ensure advice given to staff, students and external partners 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 development opportunities for students and student organisations..
• Accurately record information and data and disseminate within internal networks.
• Support the management and coordination of activities, training and/or events.
• Act as first point of contact for student welfare issues where required.
• Prepare written reports for consideration by management where required.

Specific role requirements:

In order to support individual students and student organisations effectively there will be a requirement to undertake evening and weekend work although, generally, this will be during undergraduate term time only.

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. Answer questions giving examples of how you satisfy the person specification essential criteria.  (The Realising Your Potential Approach criteria may be referred to during interview) 

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; Quentin Sloper via email: q.r.sloper@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, and the ability to present effectively.
3. Five GCSE’s at least Grade C or level four (or equivalent) including English Language and Mathematics (or equivalent experience). 
4. Post-16 qualification or equivalent experience.
5. Demonstrable film making experience.
6. Evidence of a commitment to personal development to maintain skills.  
7. Demonstrable ability to proactively work with team members to ensure the delivery of high quality outcomes.
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.

Desirable Criteria

Relevant industry and professional recognition, and certification of achievement of skills and knowledge of film making or broader media.

Relevant experience in a similar role / environment.

Experience of providing training to individual and small groups.

DBS Requirement: Not Applicable.