Department of Engineering

Grade 5: - £22,417 - £25,941 per annum
Open-Ended/Permanent - Full Time
Contracted Hours per Week: 35
Closing Date: 05-Jul-2021, 6:59:00 AM 

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    

The Department of Engineering is consistently one of the very best UK engineering departments with an outstanding reputation for excellence in teaching, research and employability of our students. The Department is ranked 4th in the Guardian and 6th in The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2019 in the UK for General Engineering.  Ranked in the top 5 in the UK for Research impact at REF 2014, this dynamic department is an excellent place to work.  The strategic vision for the Department includes a growth plan of over 50% over the next five years, with a significant enhancement of the research challenge portfolio, and a drive to enrich our undergraduate, postgraduate taught and postgraduate research provision.  It is an exciting time to join this expanding Department and make your mark.

The Learning and Teaching Coordinator is responsible for the provision of a professional, efficient administrative service, taking responsibility for operational aspects of taught programme delivery and other Departmental activities. The post holder will ensure deadlines are met and service delivery standards are maintained, working in accordance with University and Departmental policies and procedures.

 The Learning and Teaching Coordinator will support the Learning and Teaching Manager and Director of Taught Studies, ensuring the provision of a professional, efficient administrative service, supporting a wide range of administrative activities. The Learning and Teaching Coordinator will have specific responsibility for supporting the premium Master of Energy Systems Management programme.  They will work independently, taking day to day decisions and using his/her experience and initiative to decide on appropriate courses of action and resolve problems. They will work flexibly to ensure the team functions effectively in meeting priorities, working in accordance with University and Departmental policies and procedures, demonstrating a commitment to customer service excellence. Taking responsibility for operational aspects of the Department, they will liaise with other PSS divisions across the University.

The post holder will provide student support including resolving queries and providing information on academic and welfare related issues, making referrals to other staff, teams and services where appropriate, escalating more specialist and complex queries or issues, as required.

The Learning and Teaching Coordinator will possess excellent organisational and time management skills, display initiative and flexibility and demonstrate a commitment to customer service and excellence.

Core responsibilities:

• Act as more knowledgeable team member without responsibility for team members.
• Plan and organise own workload, taking responsibility for operational aspects of programme delivery, ensuring deadlines are met and service delivery standards are maintained. 
• Resolve queries and requests for information and advice and act as a key contact in relation to taught student or programme issues, signposting to other staff or departments where appropriate and escalating more specialist and complex queries or issues to more experienced team members.
• Respond to stakeholder needs to deliver and shape an excellent stakeholder experience.
• Apply theory and practice, from academic and professional development and previous knowledge within a service team.
• Contribute to collaborative decision making within the team with service provision to deliver an excellent stakeholder experience in accordance with policy and procedures.
• Work collaboratively across the organisation and/or externally with colleagues and stakeholders to deliver a service.
• Provide guidance and advice to resolve problems and queries for a broad range of service users developing expertise in relation to taught student admissions, progress and assessment policies and processes.
• Collaborate with team members to implement new policies and procedures.
• Organise and schedule resources, activities and events, e.g. post application open days, induction programmes, outreach activities.
• Identify priorities and monitor processes and activities to ensure success, e.g. monitor progress against deadlines, ensure accurate recording of data, produce documentation and multimedia material to promote taught programmes.
• Provide more in-depth independent research and analysis activities within the role.
• Analyse work activities to ensure the effective and efficient use of capital and consumable equipment and resources.
• Provide demonstrations and instruction to others outside the team.
• Support the capture of business requirements from users and work with colleagues to translate these into recommendations for future service provision.
• Liaise with contacts and participate in networks and communities internally and possibly externally, contributing to effective collaborative working, including support for SAC, concessions and appeals cases.
• Advise others and make recommendations into work processes and procedures for consideration by senior management to improve services.

Role responsibilities:

• Deliver support services to ensure the effective and efficient running of business processes and systems, ensuring taught students receive appropriate support and guidance.
• Monitor and evaluate taught programme delivery to ensure compliance with regulatory and professional procedures and standards, including UK Border Agency requirements
• Plan and coordinate a range of teaching, learning and assessment activities, e.g. supporting and assisting with the organisation of all stages of the assessment process,
• Collaborate with colleagues across professional and administrative areas to ensure seamless service provision.
• Use initiative to identify student welfare issues, escalating to decision makers where appropriate, acting as the first point of contact for taught student and providing advice and help on academic and pastoral issues.
• Develop and enhance operational and administrative policies, systems and procedures, fostering a continuous improvement philosophy.
• Monitor data accuracy checks to identify anomalies and ensure the integrity of data and information, e.g. maintaining procedures for monitoring student attendance and engagement, coordinating data collection and admin support for timetabling of taught programmes, etc.
• Coordinate and monitor the implementation of departmental and University policies and initiatives, ensuring regulations and procedures are up to date and the Department is in compliance.
• Update data and information on systems and media for recording, storing, communicating and informing service users and team members including, but not limited to, taught programme websites and online content (e.g. DUO).
• Work with internal and external partners to maintain effective relationships, and to plan and deliver complex collaborative programme activities, where appropriate, in particular for the Master in Energy Systems Management programme.
• Promote the Department at Open Days and Educational Fairs and various recruitment activities, including providing support for outreach and widening participation activities.
• Produce reports and analyse and interpret statistical information for higher level decision makers within agreed timeframes, interpret programme data and statistics, ensuring that appropriate levels of confidentiality are maintained at all times.
• Accurately record information and data and disseminate within internal networks including committees.
• Act as Secretary to specified committees, arranging meetings, drafting the agenda, taking and disseminating minutes, and ensuring follow up of actions.
• Contribute to the development and implementation of policy and procedures within own area of working.
• Prepare and contribute to written reports for consideration by management where required.
• Contribute to the preparation of documentation associated with external accreditation, quality management and enhancement activities related to taught programmes and the wider student experience.
• Any other reasonable duties appropriate to the grade as required.

Specific role requirements:

The Learning and Teaching Coordinator will have specific responsibility for supporting the premium Master of Energy Systems Management programme. 

They may be required to work outside of normal working hours on occasions.

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. The person specification grid.  Please copy and paste the grid from this job description into a separate Microsoft Word document, complete the evidence columns and submit this alongside your other application material.

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: 

Dr Ruth Vater, Department Manager, ruth.vater@durham.ac.uk;

or Dr Charlotte Quarless, Learning and Teaching Manager, charlotte.m.quarless@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 the ability to develop effective working relationships, both internally and externally.
• Proven 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). 
• Evidence of personal development to maintain skills.
• Post-16 qualification or equivalent experience.
• Relevant administrative experience in a busy office environment.
• Demonstrable ability to proactively work with team members to ensure the delivery of high quality services.
• Demonstrable ability to work without direct supervision, exercise initiative and demonstrate a proactive approach to identifying process efficiencies, and be able to plan work over an annual cycle.
• Experience of working on the front line with service delivery, and the ability to work under pressure and meet tight deadlines without compromising on quality.
• Demonstrable ability to provide advice and guidance to a range of customers and colleagues.
• Ability to solve problems as part of a team and resolve issues, plan solutions and make pragmatic decisions.
• Ability to effectively network and exchange advice and information for development purposes.  

Desirable Criteria

• Experience of working in the Higher Education sector.
• Familiarity with student record systems.
• Experience of organising programmes of events and monitoring attendance, particularly under the UKVI guidelines.
• Experience of timetabling.
• Experience of developing and maintaining databases.

DBS Requirement: Not Applicable.