Durham Law School

Grade 7: - £33,797 - £40,322 per annum
Fixed Term - Full Time
Contract Duration: Until 30 June 2022
Contracted Hours per Week: 35
Closing Date: 12-Mar-2021, 7:59:00 AM   

This is a fixed term post to cover a period of maternity leave and is anticipated to be for a term of until 30 June 2022, but may be terminated during this period by either party on the provision of four working weeks notice.  

Job Family: Business Process and People 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 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.

The Department and role purpose     

Durham Law School is a world leader in legal education and research with a distinguished 50-year history. Our award-winning 66 academic staff are producing ground-breaking research with significant impact and are highly active in public engagement both nationally and internationally. We are a top-50 QS World Ranked law school and our research was ranked 3rd by grade-point average in the UK’s last national Research Excellence Framework exercise in 2014. Durham Law School is consistently ranked among the top ten or higher UK law schools across various league tables, including 3rd in The Daily Telegraph and 8th in The Times and The Guardian.

Our Law School enjoys a supportive and engaging research environment strongly committed to equality and diversity. It is dedicated to promoting the values advanced by Athena Swan and the Race Equality Charter, and Durham Law School strives to ensure an inclusive and enriching environment for all staff and students. We offer personal research allowances, additional research funding through our research committee and research groups, one of the most generous research leave schemes in the sector and mentoring support to all academic staff. We have particular research strength in the areas of Public Law and Human Rights, Commercial and Corporate Law, EU and International Law, and Biolaw broadly construed. Other areas of broad research expertise include Chinese Law, Comparative Law, Law and Gender, and Legal Theory.

We are home to a wide-range of research groups including the Centre for Chinese Law and Policy (CCLP), the Centre for Criminal Law and Criminal Justice, the Centre for Ethics and Law in the Life Sciences (CELLS), the Durham European Law Institute (DELI), Gender and Law at Durham (GLAD), the Human Rights Centre, the Institute for Commercial and Corporate Law and Law and Global Justice among others. Outside the Law School, our academic staff are active in various research groups, including the Global Policy Institute, the Wolfson Research Institute for Health and Well-being, the Centre for Political Thought and much more.

Durham Law School has approximately 1,100 undergraduates, 130 postgraduates and 50 postgraduate research students. Our LLB entry requirements are A*AA/AAA or equivalent. Over the last three years, three Law staff have won the University’s top award for excellence in teaching and learning presented at summer congregation in Durham Cathedral. We are proud to deliver some of the best results for student satisfaction and employability among law schools – and our graduates include some of law’s leading figures, such as current members of the UK Supreme Court, the Court of Appeal, the Government, Members of Parliament and beyond.

Our top-ranked global law courses are very competitive with an excellent and diverse student population of high ability and potential from across the world. We deliver a cutting-edge, research-led curriculum with a commitment to small group teaching through seminars and tutorials much prized by employers. Our academic staff are either currently members of the Higher Education Academy or pursuing accredited qualifications in higher education teaching. We promote both research and teaching innovation series fostering new ideas at all stages of development and engaging with best practice internationally. All teaching is supported through a virtual learning environment, where Durham University is a leading adopter of this technology.

The Learning and Teaching Manager will work towards enhancing the quality of existing programmes, contributing towards reviews and evaluation for the purposes of continual improvement. S/he will work with colleagues to inform planning and developments in line with strategy and mission statements, implementing new programmes and initiatives.

The Learning and Teaching Manager will manage a team of professional service staff, ensuring the provision of an efficient administrative service, supporting a wide range of teaching, learning and assessment activities from the point of student enrolment through to graduation, ensuring the student experience is at the forefront of delivery.

Core responsibilities:

• Provide high level support in medium to large or complex departments.
• Experienced manager with responsibility for the management of a complex teaching and learning environment.
• Work closely with Programme Director(s) and senior management to provide input to the design and development of programmes and service processes for one or more service areas or projects, ensuring that systems are put in place to deliver agreed outcomes.
• Manage operational service activities to ensure excellence in the stakeholder experience.
• Internal and external relationship development and partnership working, networking and participation to engage and influence future services and the University reputation.
• Provide feedback on team and individual performance and identify development needs, conducting regular staff ADR and performance reviews.
• Handle the vast majority of HR issues within a team, referring more complex issues to appropriate support services/senior management.
• Lead the team and the HR lifecycle, including recruitment, induction, coaching, mentoring and training of team members.
• Maintain an awareness of current policy for University business goals such as widening participation and access.
• Contribute to business meetings, working groups and sub committees at departmental and operational service levels.
• Responsible for managing programme budgets, keeping records and assessing actual expenditure against an agreed financial plan.
• Devolve responsibilities to team members to ensure continuity of service provision and encourage skills development.

Role responsibilities:

• Contribute to strategic projects and initiatives, working with colleagues to inform planning and developments in line with the department strategy and mission statement.
• Manage specific projects to develop and enhance teaching and learning activities.
• Provide management for all aspects of programme delivery and/or processes ensuring a high quality and timely service to all stakeholders, including prospective, existing and past students and staff, ensuring that robust and secure systems are in place to ensure programme delivery to the highest standards, whilst meeting appropriate deadlines.
• Oversee the process for student engagement, dealing with complaints and complex issues, with referral and signposting to University services where appropriate.
• Within the context of the Recruiting the Next Generation of Students programme, liaise with the Student Recruitment and Admissions Office to ensure that those with admissions responsibility within the School are working effectively with support services to recruit and select the most appropriate candidates.
• Oversee and support the delivery of open events, recruitment fairs, and visits.
• Manage and monitor performance and workload outcomes and/or staff, planning cover to ensure smooth service provision through peaks and troughs.
• Analyse and evaluate student feedback and provide reports and statistical data to Senior Management, identifying areas for improvement and making recommendations to inform future strategy.
• Be a recognised source of expertise, providing advice to stakeholders in relation to University, School and/or Department policy, procedures and regulations.
• Ensure the review and improvement of systems and procedures in line with University, School, Department or unit framework.
• Ensure regulations and procedures are updated to take account of internal and external changes.
• Coordinate and oversee committee working, acting as Secretary to the Board of Examiners and Education Committee, providing advice and support to the Board, demonstrating a detailed knowledge and understanding of assessment rules, regulations and procedures, and providing support for appeals and assessment irregularities.
• Maintain awareness of the external environment and sector best practice to support high quality services. 
• Ensure the department's profile, integrity and quality is maintained through good customer care practices.
• Anticipate changes in the needs of the students and ensure that support mechanisms are established, maintained and developed to meet and manage student expectations.
• Contribute to the review and accreditation of programmes, e.g. participating in the annual review of taught programmes, managing the curriculum review process. 

Specific role requirements

• Work outside normal office hours during peak periods.
• Undertake national and international travel to support programme activities where appropriate.

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   

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 person specification criteria. This may require completion of the 'Supporting Evidence' application section if specified by the recruiting manager. Please ensure you give detailed examples of how you meet these criteria if requested.    

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

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.

Contact details:   

For further information please contact: Lauren Curry on lauren.m.curry@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 excellent working relationships both internally and externally.
2. Highly developed IT skills, including a detailed working knowledge of MS windows and Microsoft Office. and the capacity to engage with technical aspects of specific areas of concern
3. Educated to degree level (or equivalent experience).
4. Continuing professional development required to maintain professional recognition.
5. Professional practitioner with knowledge and expertise used to contribute to the delivery and development of services, events and activities within the organisation.
6. Experience of implementing policy and procedures and involvement with future changes for a service area.
7. Knowledge and experience of ensuring compliance with regulatory and organisational policy and guidelines.  
8. Experience of providing specialist advice and guidance to a range of customers and colleagues, including more senior colleagues.
9. Experience of being able to network effectively and develop strong and productive working relationships, to influence perceptions of the University.
10. Experience of managing and developing a team or teams and/or line management qualification.
11. Proven project management, planning and organisational experience.
12. Ability to negotiate successfully towards optimal solutions.
13. A capacity to synthesise complex ideas and to analyse procedures and requirements with meticulous attention to detail.
14. Ability to anticipate and analyse problems and propose workable solutions.
15. Excellent organisational skills, combined with the ability to act calmly and complete tasks when working under pressure.

Desirable Criteria

1. A postgraduate qualification.
2. Experience of working in a higher education environment.
3. Experience of working in a multicultural environment.
4. Capacity to think strategically.

DBS Requirement: Not Applicable.