Trevelyan College

Grade 4: - £20,092 - £22,254 per annum
Fixed Term - Full Time
Contracted Hours per Week: 35
Closing Date: 05-Nov-2021, 7:59:00 AM

When appointing to this role the University must ensure that it meets any applicable immigration requirements, including salary thresholds which are applicable to some visas.

The Department and role purpose: 

The Colleges and Student Experience Division includes the 15 Maintained Colleges, Experience Durham, the Student Support and Wellbeing Directorate, and the Wider Student Experience Operations Directorate.

There are two full-time roles available (one in Trevelyan College and one in Ustinov College). The postholders will be involved in a wide range of activities aimed at furthering the College and University strategy, especially in relation to the effective administration of the college.

The Student Support Administrators will be a primary point of contact for the students of the College and will form part of an efficient and effective administrative support service to the college management team in relation to student support.

Trevelyan College

Trevelyan College was founded in 1966 and named after George Macaulay Trevelyan, the famous historian and Chancellor of the University from 1950 to 1957. Trevelyan was originally a women's college – It was the last purpose-built all-female college to be built for a British university. Men were admitted for the first time in 1992 and the College now attracts a wide diversity of students, both undergraduate and postgraduate, with a broad range of interests, experiences and backgrounds. The new College tagline “Explore without Limits” reflects the College's focus on providing students with the opportunities they need to challenge themselves and develop into well-rounded, future-ready graduates. Trevelyan also has a Senior Common Room, comprising members from both within and outside the University, and a thriving and supportive alumni community.

Ustinov College

Ustinov College was established in 1965 as the University’s Graduate Society. Ustinov became a college in 2003 and was named in honour of then Chancellor, Sir Peter Ustinov. Ustinov relocated to its current main site at Sheraton Park, Neville’s Cross in 2017-18 and has a separate site near University Hospital North Durham that traditionally accommodates students with families. Ustinov is Durham University’s solely postgraduate college with approx. 1500 members at both postgraduate taught and research level. Ustinov’s college motto is Strength in Diversity and this is reflected in both a very diverse College community studying across all academic disciplines, and the range of scholarly activities that are offered in College. Ustinov’s flagship scholarly programme, the Global Citizenship Programme, underpins many activities and events across the year with an active Graduate Common Room providing an engaging and lively social activity schedule.

Core responsibilities:

• Provide a responsive and proactive support service for students of the College.
• Focus on checking student requirements to ensure the delivery of excellence in the frontline student experience.
• Respond to students and members of University staff, answering and recording standard queries and bookings for activities such as student support appointments.
• Contribute to the planning of team activities, work and deadlines to ensure the smooth running and timeliness of service.
• Solve day-to-day student facing 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 a booking and enquiry service and process requests finding solutions or escalating queries where necessary.
• Flexible in approach to accommodate the needs of team members and/or students.
• Assist team members to organise, plan and prepare for events, meetings and activities.
• Apply professional and regulatory procedures and processes including in relation to the use of systems.
• Liaise and collaborate with staff in other areas of the organisation 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 that students can receive support in a timely manner.
• Apply recognised professional and/or organisational service level standards to enhance the student experience.
• Liaise with internal and external suppliers and specialists with the organisation in relation to the planning and delivery of services, activities and events.
• Work with team members and others across the organisation to prepare for the delivery of activities and events.
• Record, collate, analyse, store and report data and information on the level and uptake of services and quality of experience.
• Compile, record, store and archive data and information to ensure the accuracy and safety of information.
• Provide service and support for networks, committees and meetings, to draft and distribute documents and communications in standard professional formats.
• Any other reasonable duties.

Specific role requirements

The postholder may on occasion be required to be available in the evening and weekends to participate in College and University events such as Open Days.

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.

SECONDMENT

The posts are full time, fixed term until 31 December 2022 and may be offered on an internal secondment basis subject to the agreement of the current line manager.

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;

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;

Mrs Sarah Prescott, Vice Principal of Ustinov College, sarah.prescott@durham.ac.uk

Dr Martin Brader, Vice Principal of Trevelyan College, m.d.brader@durham.ac.uk

Contact information for technical difficulties when submitting your application

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 of our colleagues are aligned to both our values and commitment to EDI.

Person specification - skills, knowledge, qualifications and experience required

Essential Criteria:

1. Excellent oral and written communication skills.
2. Proven IT skills, including use of Microsoft Office.
3. Five GCSE’s at least Grade C or level four (or equivalent) including English Language and Mathematics (or equivalent experience).
4. Post-16 qualification or equivalent experience.
5. 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.
6. Relevant experience in a similar role / environment.
7. Experience of working as part of a team in a customer focussed service to ensure the delivery of high quality services. 
8. Experience of providing advice and guidance to a range of customers and colleagues.  
9. Ability to solve problems as part of a team and resolve straightforward issues.

Desirable Criteria

• Evidence of personal development to maintain skills.  
• Relevant industry and professional recognition and certification of achievement of skills and knowledge.

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.

Job Family: Community, Participation and Engagement 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 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.

DBS Requirement: Not Applicable.