Job description

This role forms part of a busy Assessment team within the Faculty Education Services (Bioscience Education) department. It is responsible for providing a professional and quality service to both the students and academics of the Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine for a large suite of Undergraduate and Postgraduate programmes. 

We are seeking an enthusiastic, proactive administrator who is committed to providing an excellent assessment provision.  The successful applicant will provide administrative support across a range of assessment services.  

The post holder will be expected to communicate with students and will interact with a wide range of academic and professional service staff from across the School and the University.  The Faculty Education Service is a busy department; you will need to be highly motivated, with good time management and excellent attention to detail.   

The post holder must be an excellent communicator able to present information clearly and concisely and disseminate information across varied levels.  Applicants must have customer service skills and some experience of a student record system and/or VLE would be beneficial.  The role holder will be expected to manage a varied workload often across competing priorities, requiring the ability to negotiate and influence to deliver an excellent and effective administrative service. 

This post will be offered on a fixed term contract – approx. 14 months 

This is a full-time post

Key responsibilities

•             Work with relevant colleagues to plan various assessment cycles, considering the provision of processes throughout the academic year, identifying priorities and demonstrating flexibility throughout the cycle, recognising when priorities change, amending plans and adjusting work patterns accordingly.

•             Coordinate assessment administration processes relevant to the area of work in junction with colleagues for a large assessments team. Ensuring a consistent, accurate and timely service across all operational assessment activity; including exam content/paper production, online examination events, coursework/project submission, reconciliation of mark entry and results processing and coordination of student feedback

•             Coordinate the management of day-to-day stakeholder enquiries with the Programme Officers to provide responses as appropriate within agreed timeframes, taking responsibility for responding directly to more complex enquiries and escalating with line manager when required

•             Develop and improve the service through eliciting and responding to service user feedback, identifying and suggesting service improvements and implementing new ways of working as directed

•             To support and co-ordinate servicing responsibilities to Assessment Boards across a range of programmes, production of agenda and board papers, attendance records and secure distribution of papers and formal minute writing.

•             To manage student submissions across a broad range of coursework, assignments, project and portfolio and across a range of UG and PG programmes. Using the online submission systems available such as the virtual learning environment (Keats). Supporting Programme Officers to accurately reconcile late submissions and proactively following up with markers or supervisors who have missing or are late with mark entry requirements.  

•             Responsible for maintaining high standards of accuracy across assessment record data and across multiple systems ensuring data processing meets agreed deadlines in order to deliver student and academic expectations

•             Work flexibly as part of a team, supporting others in times of high-volume activity. Participating in and coordinating new starter inductions. Covering staff absence and deputising for the line manager as and when required

•             Receive, investigate and resolve low-level complaints and address service setbacks, exercising judgement and escalating to line manager where required

•             Accountable for the data quality of assessment records, ensuring record keeping is accurately maintained and is of a highly organised standard, able to withstand the scrutiny of audit at short notice.  This high standard extends across all record keeping whether on spreadsheets, paper or the SITS student record; whether current or archived and in accordance with agreed retention schedules.

•             Ensure all work is carried out in a professional and timely manner, with appropriate confidentiality and sensitivity. To maintain an up to date knowledge of the data protection requirements and to support Freedom of Information and subject access requests

The above list of responsibilities may not be exhaustive, and the post holder will be required to undertake such tasks and responsibilities as may reasonably be expected within the scope and grading of the post.

Skills, knowledge, and experience 

Essential criteria

1.      Excellent attention to detail with methodical, exacting standards of written and numerical accuracy.

2.      Excellent time management and organisational skills with the ability to work under pressure to complete and coordinate a range of competing priorities, bringing a can-do approach to problem solving.

3.      Experience in the use of databases and student records systems (such as SITS) as well as online learning platforms (VLE’s).

4.      Experience of stakeholder management, ability to work with a broad range of stakeholders in a professional and assured manner and with excellent written and oral communication skills, including the ability to draft documents and correspondence autonomously to a broad range of audiences.

5.      Experience of working in a customer facing environment with a knowledge of how to address complaints and service setbacks in a professional and efficient manner.

6.      To foster and build a relationship-oriented approach to teamwork, ensuring colleagues feel supported with relevant guidance and training to complete tasks.

7.      Curious, customer service-oriented approach with a commitment to personal accountability and continuous improvement.

Desirable criteria

1.       Degree level or equivalent qualification or experience of working in the Higher Education sector.