Faculty of Business

Grade 3: - £17,682 - £19,133 Pro Rata
Fixed Term - Part Time
Contract Duration: 1st June 2021 – 31st May 2022
Contracted Hours per Week: 9
Closing Date: 07-Jul-2021, 6:59:00 AM 

Durham University

Durham University is one of the world's top universities with strengths across the Arts and Humanities, 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.

Durham University Business School

Dynamic and vibrant, Durham University Business School is one of Durham University’s four Faculties and is comprised of three research-intensive departments: Accounting, Economics and Finance, and Management and Marketing. Known for its global reputation, its impact on policy and practice and its strong focus on ethics, responsibility and sustainability, the School aims to be a leading European business school with a strong global presence by 2027. 

The School currently has 180 academic and teaching staff, with plans and resource commitments to grow to 230 by 2027. The School has a high-quality portfolio of programmes at undergraduate, masters and doctoral level, across all subject areas.  The school’s student population is around 4000, across undergraduate, postgraduate and research programmes, attracting a talented and diverse student intake (with over 130 nationalities).

Our vision is to lead business thought and practice to improve global wealth and well-being. Our associated mission is to create, share and use knowledge to deliver equitable and sustainable futures around the world. We pursue this mission by advancing world changing knowledge and securing global impact through increasingly collaborative research across disciplines and around the world. Further information on the School can be found at http://www.dur.ac.uk/business/.

The Department and role purpose    

Durham University Business School, one of the longest established business schools in the UK, is a multi-disciplinary School characterised by academic excellence, internationally-rated research and superb student support services. The School's diversity and international standing is reflected in the student intake (with over 110 nationalities); accreditation by AACSB, AMBA, and EQUIS; and high positions in the UK and European Business School rankings. Further information on the School can be found at http://www.dur.ac.uk/business/ .

The Business School’s inclusion and performance in a number of key global rankings is of critical importance in order to maintain and enhance our international profile and attract new high-calibre students onto our programmes.

Already one of the most thriving alumni communities in the UK, our rich and varied student experience means that our alumni have great affection for Durham and for its place and impact on their lives. This role will provide essential support for our rankings work by engaging with our many alumni (over 9000) who are based in China, with particular emphasis on social media which is their preferred method of communication. In doing so, the role will help to support the achievement of the University’s and Business School’s strategic aims.

Core responsibilities:

• Provide a highly responsive and/or frontline service to stakeholders.
• Assist team members within a wider service team with a rotation of tasks and duties or with own small area of day to day responsibility.
• Respond to service users logging and recording queries and information systematically in accordance with procedures.
• Operate a system to record, dispense and distribute resources and information as required.
• Assist team members to concentrate effort on a more regular basis to achieve common goals.
• Follow a set of pre-determined tasks and objectives, with some discretion for variation, referring to team members where necessary.
• Gather and collate data and information for others to use for evaluation and decision making.
• Contribute to the tidying, set-up and maintenance of facilities, equipment and resources.
• Liaise with representatives from other teams/service areas where necessary.
• Collaborate with team members to identify work flows, timescales and where support is required.

Role responsibilities:

• Deliver a frontline service to stakeholders with team members within a defined service area for concentrated periods of time.
• Engage efficiently and effectively with stakeholders, who will primarily be Business School alumni, with particular emphasis on communication via social media.
• Follow University identification and security procedures when dealing with stakeholders new to a service area.
• Provide direction to service users about the range of events and activities and how to access them.
• Assist team members where necessary to review and update risk assessments.
• Respond to first-line queries from stakeholders and other contacts where necessary.
• Any other reasonable duties.

Specific role requirements:

• Fluent Chinese speaker, in order to be able to post appropriately on Chinese social media
• Familiarity with Chinese-specific social media and digital engagement tools
• Alumna or alumnus of Durham University Business School, in order to understand the nature of the alumni network
• Other ongoing connection with Durham University Business School, to maintain awareness of references

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. In a separate document, evidence of how you meet the person specification and Realising Your Potential Approach requirements as detailed below.

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 Vicki Hind on v.f.hind@durham.ac.uk

Person specification - skills, knowledge, qualifications and experience required

Essential Criteria

• Good oral and written communication skills.
• Good 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).
• Experience of working as part of a team in a customer focussed service to ensure the delivery of high quality services.
• Experience of managing time in order to meet deadlines.
• Ability to solve problems as part of a team and resolve straightforward issues.
• Fluent Chinese speaker
• Familiarity with Chinese-specific social media and digital engagement tools

Desirable Criteria

• Evidence of personal development to maintain skills.
• Experience of providing advice and guidance to a range of customers and colleagues.
• Alumna or alumnus of Durham University Business School
• Ongoing connection with Durham University Business School

Realising Your Potential Approach

Providing excellent student services and professional support -  Providing the best quality service to all our students and customers. Building genuine and open long-term relationships in order to drive up service standards and to enhance their experience.

1. Resolving problems efficiently in a cheerful, friendly manner
2. Setting appropriate boundaries and managing expectation
3. Being clear about where you can be flexible and where

Working Together -

Working co-operatively with others in order to achieve objectives. Applying a wide range of interpersonal skills.

1. Monitoring and reviewing the effectiveness of working relationships
2. Having a good grasp of where your responsibility ends and that of others begins

Respecting Others - Embracing diversity by promoting and maintaining an inclusive and supportive work and study environment that enables all members of our University community to achieve their full potential.

1. Acting fairly and respectfully towards others in both verbal and non-verbal communication
2. Practices being non-judgemental towards others – avoids making decisions or judgements about people based on their sex, marital status, sexual orientation, disability, race, religion, colour, nationality, ethnic origin or age
3. Behaving responsibly by reporting any incidents of bullying, harassment and victimisation
4. Challenging questionable behaviour and practices which are not in keeping with respect for others

DBS Requirement: Not Applicable.