Academic Office

Grade 4: - £19,612 - £21,814 per annum
Fixed Term - Full Time
Contract Duration: Until June 2022
Contracted Hours per Week: 35
Closing Date: 15-Sep-2021, 6:59:00 AM

The Department and role purpose:

A maternity cover post has become available within the Engagement side of the Access and Engagement Office.

Access and Engagement is part of 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 Pro-Vice Chancellor (Education) for its management.

The following services fall under the remit of the Academic Office:

• Access and Engagement
• Curriculum, Learning and Assessment
• 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.

Access and Engagement supports the Higher Education choices of young people who are traditionally underrepresented at university and encourages anyone with academic ability to consider applying to Durham, regardless of background. The service is based within the Academic Office, which is part of the University's Education Division.

The Access and Engagement Administrator will perform a range of clerical duties to provide essential support to the access and participation activities performed by the team. The post holder will be responsible for supporting Access and Engagement Managers in delivering widening participation strategies and fulfilling the requirements of the University’s Access and Participation Plan.

The role holder will specialise in one of the following areas:

Access

Access includes projects to support admissions pathways to the University. This includes projects such as Supported Progression and the Sutton Trust Summer School Programme.

Engagement

This area involves working with schools and colleges to support recruitment of students from under-represented backgrounds.

Core responsibilities:

• Provide a responsive and proactive support service for young people, teachers and parents.
• Focus on checking stakeholder requirements to ensure the delivery of excellence with the frontline stakeholder experience.
• Respond to enquiries relating to summer schools, school visits and access and participation activities, utilising the customer relationship management system to record and monitor interactions.
• Contribute to the planning of team 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 sensitive data and information about young people accurately, adhering to child safeguarding protocols and provide reports as required to team members and more experienced staff.
• Operate a booking and enquiry service for summer schools and school visits and process requests 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.
• Liaise with internal and external suppliers, contractors and professional specialists to pass on information and arrange payments.
• Apply professional and regulatory procedures and processes and use of systems, with particular regard to child safeguarding and data security.
• Liaise and collaborate with staff in other areas of the University to ensure a seamless, smooth and efficient service.
• 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 Access and Engagement processes to support young people, teachers, parents and internal stakeholders.
• Apply standard professional and recognised regulatory procedures to process, check and reconcile anomalies within data and information sets, with particular regard to child safeguarding.
• Compile, record, store and archive data and information using Access databases and the Higher Education Access Tracker (HEAT) database to ensure the accuracy and safety of information.
• Use Microsoft Office, particularly Access, the Banner Student Records system, the University finance system and the Higher Education Access Tracker to carry out data recording, communications and networking.
• Provide service and support for networks, committees and meetings, such as access and participation workshops, team meetings and meetings with stakeholders, 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 within the organisation, particularly Event Durham, planning and delivering services, activities and events.
• Make venue, catering, travel and/or equipment arrangements for events, meetings and activities, including large-scale residential events.
• Arrange payments using the University’s financial system and in accordance with its financial regulations.
• Any other reasonable duties.

Specific role requirements 

DBS Check

Working Arrangements

At Durham we recognise that our staff and students are our greatest asset and we want to support the health and wellbeing of all. Hybrid working supports this ethos and provides many benefits to our colleagues, including empowering people, where their role allows, to work in a manner which is more suitable for them, whilst encouraging our commitment to environmental sustainability.

Depending on the needs of the business and the job role, Durham University is piloting hybrid working for all Professional Services colleagues in the academic year 2021/2022, which may include the opportunity to work both on and off campus and to flex working hours. If appointed to the post, your line-manager will discuss the specific arrangements with you. Any hybrid arrangements are non-contractual and may change within the pilot and when the pilot ends.

Please note that this role may include occasional evening and weekend working. This will be discussed in more detail at the interview stage.

MATERNITY COVER

Appointment to this post is fixed term to cover the substantive post holder’s maternity leave and is not anticipated to be extended.

Reward and Benefits

To support the delivery of the University's People Strategy to attract, retain and reward the very best, we offer a fantastic range of rewards and benefits to our staff, including:

• 27 days annual leave, plus 4 customary days and 8 bank holidays (pro-rata for part time) and the option to purchase additional leave;
• Automatic enrolment into a pension scheme;
• Corporate and local discounts;
• Wellbeing resources and discounted health benefits;
• Health discounts on sports and activities at Maiden Castle Health and Activity Centre;
• Reward and Recognition Schemes;
• Personal and career development;
• And SO much more, with further information available here

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. 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.

Information if you have a disability

The University welcomes applications from disabled people. We are committed to ensuring fair treatment throughout the recruitment process. We will make adjustments to support the interview process wherever it is reasonable to do so and, where successful, adjustments will be made to support people within their role.

If you are unable to complete your application via our recruitment system, please get in touch with us on e.recruitment@durham.ac.uk.

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 in the essential and desirable criteria;
3. A Word document, with examples of how you satisfy the person specification and the Realising Your Potential Approach criteria.  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.

Contact details

For further information regarding this post, please contact; Ashley Callard at a.a.callard@durham.ac.uk

If you encounter technical difficulties when using the online application form, we prefer you send enquiries by email.  Please send your name along with a brief description of the problem you’re experiencing to e.recruitment@durham.ac.uk

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.

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.

As a University we foster a collegiate community of extraordinary people aligned to the University’s values.  Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) are a key part of the University’s Strategy and a central part of everything we do.  At Durham we actively work towards providing an environment where our staff and students can study, work and live in a community which is supportive and inclusive, and in doing so, recruit the world’s best candidates from all backgrounds and identities. It’s important to us that all

Person specification - skills, knowledge, qualifications and experience required

Essential Criteria

• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• 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.
• Demonstrable ability to provide advice and guidance to a range of customers and colleagues.
• Experience of working in a team.
• Ability to solve problems as part of a team and resolve straightforward issues.  
• Ability to work with a range of staff at all levels, and be able to explain University policy and procedures with both internal and external stakeholders.
• Able and willing to be adaptable to the fluid nature of outreach work and participate in a mixture of long-term and short-term projects.
• Be a good communicator with a professional telephone manner and a proven ability to interact with young people aged 14 years of age and over and external stakeholders.

Desirable Criteria

• Relevant administrative experience in a busy office environment.
• 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.

Realising Your Potential Approach 

Excellent Standards

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.

Durham University

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 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.

DBS Requirement: Please note that the succesful applicant will require DBS disclosure.