Careers & Enterprise

Grade 4: - £21,630 - £23,144 per annum (pro rata)
Fixed Term - Part Time
Contract Duration: 22nd August 2022 - 22nd May 2023 (9month month Fixed term maternity)
Contracted Hours per Week: 21
Closing Date: 01-Sep-2022, 6:59:00 AM

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 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.

The Department and role purpose

Applications are invited to join the growing enterprise team within the Careers & Enterprise Centre.

Consistently ranked as one of the world’s top Universities, Durham has built significantly on its achievements over the last ten years and continues to work towards developing its ambitious goals with commitment and passion. A member of the Russell Group, the University is the third oldest in England but has always been a modern, forward-looking institution.

Careers & Enterprise sits within the Education Division, which is headed by the Pro Vice Chancellor for Education and is part of the University’s developmental approach to ensuring effective student engagement, achievement and positive progression.

The Careers & Enterprise (C&E) Centre is a dynamic and developing team, operating across the university through subject departments, colleges, societies, and industry facing initiatives to support the development and progression needs of students. It aims to help them meet the challenges and opportunities of the constantly developing employment market and become the leaders and innovators of the near future.

Candidates should have an enthusiastic and adaptable approach to contributing to ongoing and new developments within the enterprise remit, as well as a genuine desire to work with students, academics, entrepreneurs, and external business contacts.

Responsible to the Head of Student Enterprise, the role of the Enterprise Team Administrator is to provide a high level of professional administrative support, administering finances within the University procurement guidelines, assisting in the development and administration of special enterprise projects and assisting with enterprise events and activities

The post holder will support smooth running of the activities within premises of the Enterprise Department, contributing to appropriate delivery of various services, maintaining open and collaborative relationships with all colleagues.

This is a wide ranging and versatile opportunity to work with staff leading the academic and operational administration of the Enterprise Department.

Core responsibilities: 

• Provide a responsive and proactive support service for enterprise staff, including proactively managing administrative departmental tasks.
• Focus on checking stakeholder requirements to ensure the delivery of excellence with the frontline stakeholder experience.
• Respond to service users answering and recording standard queries and bookings for activities and/or events.
• 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 data and information accurately and provide reports as required to team members and more experienced staff.
• Maintain and operate a booking system 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 service users.
• Assist team members to organize, plan and prepare for events, meetings and activities including organizing meetings, travel, and conference arrangements.
• Liaise with internal and external suppliers, contractors, and professional specialists to pass on information.
• Apply professional and regulatory procedures and processes and use of systems.
• Liaise and collaborate with staff in other areas of the organization 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 enterprise team members within the Careers & Enterprise Centre to ensure the smooth running of administrative processes to support people and business activities.
• Apply standard professional and recognized regulatory procedures to process, check and reconcile anomalies within data and information sets.
• Compile, record, store and archive data and information to ensure the accuracy and safety of information.
• Liaise with representatives from other service areas, professional organizations, and agencies where necessary.
• Use standard office-based digital systems, tools, and equipment to carry out data recording, communications, and networking.
• Provide service and support for networks, committees, and meetings, 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 with the organization, planning and delivery of services, activities and events.
• Make venue, catering, travel and/or equipment arrangements for events, meetings and activities.
• Assist enterprise staff within the Careers Centre and work with others across the organization to prepare for the delivery of special projects, exhibitions, activities and events, through the provision of administrative support and involvement in the marketing, organization and running of events.
• Responsibility for purchasing goods and services for the enterprise team using the University’s procurement process and purchasing card
• Contribute to the innovative use of IT and social media in the dissemination of information and guidance for students, staff, and external contacts.
• Update web-based media and social media accounts for enterprise related events and activities.
• Any other reasonable duties as may be directed by the Head of the Careers Centre or his/her nominee

Specific role requirements 

Be prepared to work out of normal office hours on occasion and with notice e.g. to support events.

Recruiting to this post

In order to progress to the assessment stage of the recruitment process, candidates must evidence each of the essential criteria required for the role in the person specification above (including the Realizing Your Potential Approach). It will be at the discretion of the recruiting panel as to whether they will also consider the desirable criteria, but we would urge candidates to provide evidence for all criteria.

Please note that some criteria will only be considered for those candidates who proceed to the assessment stage.

It is both anticipated and required that candidates applying for this role will meet the criteria in italic font. Candidates must provide suitable evidence to satisfy the panel that they meet all of these requirements, however it is not anticipated that these criteria will be separately scored as part of the shortlisting process (they will be marked yes or no).

Where a criteria is marked with an Asterix*, the University consider this to be a key requirement for this post and it may therefore receive additional weighting when applications are scored during shortlisting.

Please ensure that you complete all the criteria and submit the grid above or your application cannot proceed to the next stage

Please note that some criteria will only be considered at interview stage.

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.

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

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.

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 above. Please ensure you address the essential criteria in your covering letter

Please ensure that you submit all documentation listed above or your application cannot proceed to the next stage.

Contact details 

For further information please contact Catherine Richardson email: c.l.richardson@durham.ac.uk Tel|: 0191 3341443

Person specification - skills, knowledge, qualifications and experience required

Essential Criteria:

1. Educated to A-Level/National Diploma/NVQ3 or equivalent standard (or equivalent experience)
2. Excellent interpersonal skills, both  written and verbal and the ability to establish effective working relationships with students, staff and external stakeholders
3. Proven advanced IT skills, in particular proficiency in the use of Microsoft Outlook (Outlook, Word, Excel).
4. Relevant administrative experience in a busy office environment with the ability to work quickly and accurately whilst demonstrating attention to detail
5. Previous experience of working in a customer facing service role
6. Ability to solve problems as part of a team as well as working on own initiative and resolve straightforward issues
7. Experience of organizing and promoting events
8. Familiarity with using social media as a marketing tool in a professional environment

Desirable Criteria:

1. Evidence of personal development to maintain skills
2. Appreciation and understanding of graduate enterprise and employability issues
3. Experience of the University’s procurement process and working in Oracle Financials
4. A working knowledge of developing web pages using the University Content Management System

DBS Requirement: Not Applicable.