Recruitment and Admissions

Grade 6: - £27,116 - £33,309 per annum
Open-Ended/Permanent - Full Time
Contracted Hours per Week: 35
Closing Date: 11-Jul-2022, 6:59:00 AM

The closing date for applications is Wednesday 15 June at midnight.

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 Access and Engagement Assistant Manager will provide management support to the access and participation activities performed by the team. The post holder will be responsible for supporting and deputising for Access and Engagement Managers in delivering widening participation strategies and fulfilling the requirements of the University’s Access and Participation Plan.

The main purpose of this role is to support the planning and delivery of widening access and participation projects. This role will specialise within the Access Team and will have a particular focus on the recruitment of Home Black-heritage students. The role holder will develop effective and meaningful relationships with relevant internal and external stakeholders. They will play a key role in growing and developing the University’s Space to Explore Potential (STEP) programme. The role will also have significant involvement in the planning and delivery of the University’s Sutton Trust UK Summer School and will be expected to contribute to one or more initiatives operated by Access and Engagement and/or the wider Student Recruitment and Admissions Department, as required.

The Access and Engagement Team

Access and Engagement is part of the broader Student Recruitment and Admissions Department (see below). Access and Engagement works to inspire, educate, motivate and support the choices of young people traditionally under-represented at university, and Durham University in particular. We are ambitious, passionate about our work, and committed to making a positive difference. Widening Participation is a key target in the University’s Education Strategy.

Further information on Access and Engagement can be found at https://www.dur.ac.uk/academic.office/access-engagement/.

Student Recruitment and Admissions

Based in the Global Division, Student Recruitment and Admissions brings together a number of teams providing services in events, enquiry management, CRM, data analysis and forecasting, projects and compliance and admissions. It provides an essential service to the University in ensuring its financial sustainability and in delivering student number growth and increasing diversity in line with strategic aims and targets. It is the public face of the University in UK schools and colleges, through contact with prospects, enquirers and applicants across the world and through our events programme. The team includes a range of professionals from a number of specialisms including administrators, decision makers, data analysts and forecasters, IT specialists, designers and marketers, events managers and recruiters. It supports academic departments in the development of their contributions to recruitment and provides domestic market insight and customer relationship management. The team is responsible for adherence to requisite regulations and UCAS contract requirements.

The team works in collaboration with colleagues in the Marketing Team (Marketing and Communications) to develop pre-contact and conversion marketing campaigns and with the International Office for international student recruitment.

Core responsibilities:

• Supervisory responsibilities for services, resources and people.
• Provide induction and ongoing development support and training to team members.
• Contribute to the ADR process, assisting with the identification of development needs where appropriate. 
• Plan and organise own workload, and allocate and monitor work activities for others.
• Act as first point of contact for HR issues when supervising a team.
• Experienced Access and Engagement practitioner, planning and co-ordinating of Access and Engagement projects and work streams with inter-related activities.
• Plan and organise own workload.
• Senior support with problem solving and query handling.
• Reactive and proactive Access and Engagement provision with others to deliver an excellent experience for young people, teachers and parents.
• Relationship building, network participation internally and externally to build and update knowledge and skills, particularly with schools and colleges, external organisations such as charities and internal staff.
• Engage with colleagues from other institutions and organisations to exchange knowledge and information.
• Supervise widening participation activities including residential summer schools and school visits.
• Interpret, design and present information which supports the enrolment of under-represented groups.
• Implement and monitor protocols relating to child safeguarding.
• Monitor and report incidents with particular reference to young people attending events and activities.
• Carry out in-depth investigations, searches and research information and data to identify trends and patterns in higher education progression of under-represented groups.
• Take responsibility for day to day decision making on widening participation events and activities.
• 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 service delivery and stakeholder expectations.
• Accountable for managing/maintaining financial and budget records and reconciling consumable expenditure queries to ensure good value for money in relation to tuition fee income
• Monitor and evaluate stakeholder feedback and work with colleagues to translate this into improvements to widening participation activities.
• Involved in the purchase and return of goods and services.

Role responsibilities:

• Manage and organise widening participation activities, events, staff and/or resources to achieve Access and Participation Plan targets and outcomes.
• Supporting and encouraging Graduate Ambassadors.
• Develop, implement and enforce recognised procedures to ensure compliance, co-ordinate effort and contribute to team goals.
• Provide professional guidance and advice to staff and student workers with the operational running of budgets, processes, data and information recording.
• Ensure projects, activities, budgets and documents comply with internal University and external regulation, policy and procedures, particularly the Office for Students.
• Ensure accuracy by instituting recognised and routine checks, assessment criteria and techniques.
• Record data and information accurately, provide reports and distribute information to key stakeholders in the process or service.
• Use a range of digital media and tools to communicate with a diverse range of key internal and external stakeholders, both verbally and in written format who may need to access information.
• Establish, maintain and develop productive and ongoing relationships with stakeholders to influence perception of the University.
• Contribute to the measures and targets laid out in the University’s Access and Participation Plan.
• Help continue the University’s current success in promoting fair access and support the development of new approaches to encourage and persuade young people from non-HE backgrounds to apply and enrol at Durham.
• Support areas of Access and Engagement’s work, such as Supported Progression, the Sutton Trust Summer School Programme and Schools Engagement.
• Manage student helpers working on Access activities.
• Any other reasonable duties.

Specific role requirements:

• DBS Check
• Ability to travel independently between remote locations and transport promotional materials and equipment (i.e. display stands), with the requirement to travel and work during evenings and weekends, including spending time residentially for example when running summer schools.

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.

Interviews are anticipated to take place during July 2022.

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 cover letter and/or other word document that sets out, with specific examples, how you satisfy the person specification. Please ensure you give detailed examples of how you meet each of the essential and desirable criteria. We encourage applicants to consider using a table format or to use sub-headings for each of the 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 Richard Coldwell, Senior Manager of Access and Engagement (richard.coldwell@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. 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. Evidence of personal development to maintain skills.
6. Experience of providing advice and guidance to a range of customers and colleagues.
7. Ability to effectively network and exchange advice and information for development purposes.
8. Experience of working on complex logistical activities and events with young people, preferably in a higher education setting.
9. Ability to create materials and resources aimed at instructing whilst engaging young people. The ability to create online resources, or at least the willingness to learn, will be essential
10. An understanding of current trends in higher education, especially student recruitment, social mobility and fair access.
11. Understanding and commitment to the principles of equality, diversity, and inclusion.

Desirable Criteria

• A degree or equivalent experience. 
• Experience of supervising/managing a team and/or a line management qualification.
• Experienced service provider with knowledge and expertise used to contribute to the delivery and development of services, events and activities within the organisation. 
• Experience of implementing policy and procedures and involvement with future changes for a service area.

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.

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.