Academic Office

Grade 4: - £19,612 - £21,814 per annum (pro-rata)
Open-Ended/Permanent - Part Time
Contract Duration: Open-ended
Contracted Hours per Week: 17.5
Closing Date: 04-May-2021, 6:59:00 AM 

Job Family: Business Process and People 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 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

The Admissions Administrator will contribute towards a professional, knowledgeable, effective and efficient admissions service delivering the University’s strategic aims and targets and ensuring that University and external regulations and policies are adhered to. The post involves processing applications as part of a team, applying judgement to making criteria-based decisions. It also involves providing information, advice and guidance and developing positive working relationships with other staff within the Recruitment and Admissions Office, across the wider University, and beyond. A commitment to maximising personal and team effectiveness and the principles of equality and diversity is essential.

Recruitment and Admissions Services

Based in the Academic Office (Education Division), Recruitment and Admissions Services brings together a number of teams providing services in events, enquiry management, CRM, data analysis and forecasting, projects and compliance and admissions. It provides an essential service to the University in ensuring its financial sustainability and in delivering student number growth and increasing diversity in line with strategic aims and targets. We are the public face of the University in UK schools and colleges, through our contact with prospects, enquirers and applicants across the world and through our events programme. The team includes a range of professionals from a number of specialisms including administrators, decision makers, data analysts and forecasters, IT specialists, designers and marketers, events managers and recruiters. Further information on Recruitment and Admissions Services can be found at www.durham.ac.uk/academic.office/ugadmissions.

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 Vice Provost (Education) for its management.

The Academic Office includes the following services.

• Academic Registrar's Office
• Access and Engagement
• Curriculum, Learning and Assessment (including Ceremonies, validated programmes and collaborative provision)
• 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.

Core responsibilities:

• Provide a responsive and proactive support service for stakeholders. 
• Focus on checking stakeholder requirements to ensure the delivery of excellence with the frontline stakeholder experience.
• Respond to service users answering and recording standard queries.
• Contribute to the planning of admissions activities, work and deadlines to ensure the smooth running and timeliness of service.
• 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.
• Operate an admissions service and process decisions 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.
• Acquire, maintain and apply a good working knowledge of professional and regulatory procedures, policies and use of systems, including Durham University, UCAS, professional bodies, equalities, data protection and Home Office regulations, and Consumer Protection Law and Data Protection Legislation.
• Liaise with internal and external suppliers, contractors and professional specialists 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 and in order to develop own knowledge of the University and the admissions process.
• 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 admissions to the University. 
• Apply standard professional and recognised regulatory procedures to admissions decisions and process, check and reconcile anomalies within admissions data and information sets.
• Compile, record, store and archive admissions data and information to ensure the accuracy and safety of information.
• Liaise with representatives from other service areas, 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.
• Liaise with internal and external suppliers and specialists to support the organisation, planning and delivery of admissions activity. 
• Work with team members in the Admissions Team, the wider Recruitment and Admissions function and stakeholders across the institution to ensure the smooth running of administrative processes to support admissions.
• Provide expert information, advice and guidance to external customers and their advisors in writing and verbally, including participation in recruitment events, such as open days.
• Any other reasonable duties.

Specific role requirements

Occasional weekend/evening working will be required. This is to attend external events and assist with tasks such as open days and undergraduate confirmation. Due to the operational needs of the Office, annual leave is not permitted between the receipt of A level results and the 31st August each year, and the number of staff permitted to be on annual leave during September and other peak periods is restricted.

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; Ruth Craige (r.h.craige@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

• Excellent oral and written communication skills and ability to demonstrate tact, diplomacy and sensitivity with both internal and external customers in helping to resolve issues.
• Proven IT skills, including use of Microsoft Office with ability to learn new systems.
• Five GCSE’s at least Grade C or level four (or equivalent) including English Language and Mathematics (or equivalent experience).
• Evidence of personal development to maintain skills.
• Post-16 qualification or equivalent experience.
• Relevant administrative experience in a busy office environment including significant checking of information requiring a high level of accuracy and attention to detail.
• Demonstrable ability to provide advice and guidance to a range of customers and colleagues.
• Experience of working on the front line in a busy environment and the ability to work under pressure and meet tight deadlines without compromising on quality.
• Experience of working in and positively contributing towards a team and the ability to develop strong and productive relationships with colleagues across an organisation.
• Ability to solve problems as part of a team and resolve straightforward issues. Ability to work independently and use own initiative in the completion of day to day tasks.
• Experience of working with others to monitor and review service levels.
• Ability to make criteria-based decisions and to think critically with sound judgement.

Desirable Criteria

• Knowledge and understanding of UCAS processes.
• Knowledge and experience of Higher Education admissions processes, including making decisions on applications.
• Knowledge and experience of the Banner student/applicant records system.
• Knowledge of UK points-based immigration policy (specifically Tier 4).

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: Not Applicable.