Southampton Business School

Location:  Highfield Campus
Salary:   £31,406 to £38,587
Full Time Permanent
Closing Date:  Friday 22 October 2021
Interview Date:   To be confirmed
Reference:  1514121TR

Use your ideas to create exceptional employability opportunities.

It is hard to imagine a more progressive Higher Education establishment. This is a valuable opportunity to support thinking in how education should be connected to employability, and to enhance the career prospects of our students. Joining a deeply ambitious team in the Business School, you will have the scope to work with academia, employers and students alike. As a member of the widely-respected Southampton Business School (SBS) in a University that has a worldwide reputation for excellence, you will be responsible for helping hundreds, if not thousands, of our graduates embark on the brightest careers. 

As one of the UK’s top business schools, we encourage and inspire the next generation of business leaders. Utilising a multidisciplinary approach, we combine cutting-edge research with an exceptional education to ensure our students are ready for the challenges of the future. Through an integrated enterprise strategy and well-established links with many of the world’s most successful companies, we give our students the skills and knowledge they need to drive change in every sector. And when these students are ready to leave us and embark on their careers, they do so with an innovative mindset, ready to solve the most pressing challenges faced by businesses, organisations and governments. 

As a member of the Careers, Employability, Placements, & Alumni Relations (CEPAR) team, you will ensure students start their employability journey early by presenting them with the scope to develop their skills and embrace career opportunities. Working with both undergraduate and postgraduate SBS students, you will encourage them to build up their portfolio of employment-related activities, ultimately providing them with the tools they need to build their LinkedIn profiles and secure the best possible jobs. As such, you will take responsibility for researching, implementing and assessing the success of a number of different workstreams ranging from experiential learning through to live projects and virtual internships. Identifying and onboarding companies who can support these initiatives, you will incentivise students to complete a number of events, assignments and internships. You will also gain support from the SBS Heads of Teaching and Programme Leaders in order to embed employability within the curriculum.

To make the most of this unique role – which is one of the first posts of its kind – you will have a comprehensive understanding of the Higher Education landscape. As such it is possible that you have worked in a similar role within a HE establishment, or you will have relatable experience of developing successful employability resources and initiatives, plus a good knowledge of academia. Capable of working on multi-stakeholder projects, you will enjoy working in partnership with the Professors and Lecturers, plus external business networking groups. Highly organised with the capacity to work independently, you will be a proactive individual who has the desire to inspire students, and you will be well-versed in the labour market and current employability trends. 

This is an exciting opportunity to make your mark within a leading Russell Group university. If you would like to apply for this fascinating challenge, you should be ready to answer two important questions: 

1. What will you do in the first three months of the role? 
2. In your opinion, what does the employability landscape look like? 

For an informal discussion about this opportunity, please contact Dr Philip Alford, Director CEPAR, at p.r.alford@soton.ac.uk.  

What we can offer you

We support a flexible approach to work. With an understanding that there is a need to be on campus or visiting local business as part of the role we welcome hybrid working.    

We offer a generous holiday allowance, which with Bank holidays and additional university closure days, totals to 44 days per annum. We will support your long-term future too, with access to the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS), subsidised health and fitness facilities and a range of discounts.

As a university we aim to create an inclusive environment that attracts, supports and retains the best students and staff from diverse backgrounds and experiences from across the world. We are proactive in fostering a culture of inclusion, respect and equality of opportunity. We believe that we can only truly meet our objectives if we are reflective of society, so we are passionate about creating a working environment in which you are free to bring your whole self to work.

We select candidates on the basis of merit and ability, and aspire to thrive in the diversity of our workforce.  We welcome applications from all candidates with an interest in the role, and those who are committed to helping us create an inclusive work environment. We encourage applications from candidates from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities, people who identify as LGBTQ+; and people with disabilities. 

How to apply 

You should submit your completed online application form at https://jobs.soton.ac.uk. The application deadline will be midnight on the closing date stated below. If you need any assistance, please call Kate Pounds (Recruitment Team) on +44 (0) 23 8059 2507 or email recruitment@soton.ac.uk  

Application Procedure 

You should submit your completed online application form at https://jobs.soton.ac.uk. The application deadline will be midnight on the closing date stated above. If you need any assistance, please call Kate Pounds (Recruitment Team) on +44 (0) 23 8059 5456 or email recruitment@soton.ac.uk  Please quote reference 1514121TR on all correspondence.