Experience Durham

Grade 6: - £27,116 - £33,309 per annum
Fixed Term - Full Time
Contracted Hours per Week: 35
Closing Date: 15-Jan-2022, 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:

As a Department Experience Durham is striving to play a pivotal role in developing, delivering and transforming a Wider Student Experience that is as impactful as anything in the world. We remain steadfast in our core commitment to accelerating the growth of far-reaching and market-leading programmes across performance, participation and community outreach, whilst fostering a culture that safeguards academic excellence. We are guided by the belief that an investment in the Wider Student Experience is ultimately an investment in the quality of graduates that the University produces and are motivated by the opportunity to engage and inspire the next generation of talent. In doing so, we feel confident that we are making a positive contribution to the development of rounded, global citizens.

Sport

Durham University is one of Europe’s leading sport universities and has been ranked as Britain’s Number 1 Team Sport University since 2013. In the autumn of 2019 the University will complete the construction of a £32m Sports & Wellbeing Park, adding to a prior investment, on the same site, of £8m in 2012.

Rowing is a leading sport at Durham and the Lead Coach will play a pivotal role within both the Boat Club and the wider Team Durham coaching team. The club currently has 90 members competing in various events around the UK with the top student/athletes aiming for GB Team selection, BUCS and Henley Royal Regatta.

The Boat Club has significant funding from the University, alumni donations and club run revenue generating events. The club is also a funded partner in the GB Team High Performance Programme.

The student/athletes benefit from comprehensive sports medicine and science support which is designed to maximise their development and optimise their performance.

The aim of the club is to provide a challenging and rewarding environment in which the student/athletes can excel and enjoy the sport.

Role

Primarily the Lead Coach will coach and develop the rowing performance programme in conjunction with the Head Rowing Coach. They will assist with identifying and recruiting the best men’s and women’s rowing athletes both undergraduate and postgraduate. As part of the university’s broader community engagement programme the Lead Coach may assist with the junior high performance pathways and wider community programmes and that will sit alongside developing relationships both internally and externally for the benefit of the programme.

The Lead Coach will be expected to assist in delivering fund raising opportunities in order to grow the programme, where required.

Core responsibilities:

• Experienced coach, planning and co-ordinating of projects and work streams with inter-related activities.
• Plan and organise own workload with or without involvement with project work streams.
• Specialist support with problem solving and query handling.
• Reactive and proactive coaching provision with others to deliver an excellent stakeholder experience.
• Relationship building, network participation internally and externally to build and update knowledge and skills.
• Engage with external peers and specialists to exchange knowledge and information.
• Supervises rowers undertaking activities, events and project work.
• Interpret, design and present information, data, equipment and resources.
• Implement and monitor protocols, procedures, processes and regulations.
• Monitor and report incidents both on and off the water.
• Carry out more in-depth investigations, searches and research information and data to identify trends and patterns.
• Take responsibility for day to day decision making within own area of responsibility for operational aspects of service delivery, translating external requirements into practical application and advice.
• Implement and monitor recognised procedures to ensure compliance and meet University values of inclusion, diversity and participation.
• Contribute to business meetings, working groups and committees to help shape the rowing programme delivery and stakeholder expectations.
• Accountable for managing/maintaining financial and budget records and reconciling consumable expenditure queries.
• Involved in the purchase and return of goods and services.
• Support the capture of business requirements from users and work with colleagues to translate these into recommendations for future service provision.

Role responsibilities:

• Manage the rowing programme in a variety of different buildings and environments and outlets across the University.
• Act as a recognised point of contact between the University and key internal and external stakeholders, including donors and employers.
• Carry out internal and external presentations and public relations events promoting the Durham reputation, and encouraging participation and income generation.
• Gather, record and analyse customer feedback from all service users.
• Identify potential service improvements, make recommendations.
• Develop, plan and deliver events and activities for students, staff and visitors.
• Responsible for curating the set-up, order, display and information pertinent to the service area and / or activity. 
• Work with other functional areas and families across the University to ensure the most diverse and accessible promotion of services, events and activities.
• Ensure the safety and security of service and public areas, responding to incidents and providing reports.
• Act as first point of contact for student welfare issues where required. 
• Any other reasonable duties.

Specific role requirements

The role will be required to work unsocial hours and weekends.  The role will also be required to drive.

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.

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.

SECONDMENT

The post is full time / part time, fixed term for a year period 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;
3. Completion of a Word document, with examples of how you satisfy the person specification. 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; Robert.dauncey@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 and the ability to develop effective working relationships, both internally and externally.
2. Proven IT skills, including use of Microsoft Office.
3. Post-16 qualification or equivalent experience.
4. British Rowing Level 3 Coaching qualification
5. Evidence of personal development to maintain skills. 
6. Experienced service provider with knowledge and expertise used to contribute to the delivery and development of services, events and activities within the organisation.
7. Demonstrable ability to provide advice and guidance to a range of customers and colleagues.
8. Experience of implementing policy and procedures and involvement with future changes for a service area.
9. Ability to solve problems as part of a team and resolve issues, plan solutions and make pragmatic decisions.
10. Ability to effectively network and exchange advice and information for development purposes. 
11. Ability to contribute to planning at operational level.
12. A clean driving license.

Desirable Criteria:

An understanding of the HE sporting landscape.

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