Social Sciences Faculty Office

Grade 4: - £21,630 - £23,144 Per Annum
Open-Ended/Permanent - Full Time
Contracted Hours per Week: 35
Closing Date : 13-Oct-2022, 6:59:00 AM 

The Department and role purpose

The Faculty of Social Sciences and Health is nationally and globally leading, ranked in the top 50 in the world by the THE World University Rankings. It has an ambitious vision to further develop in its ability to deliver world-class education and research.

The Faculty Office supports the Executive Dean in:

• Development and delivery of agreed strategic and operational projects, activities and processes
• Departments to deliver the agreed outcomes from the annual planning round;
• Coordination of activities across Departments in collaboration with relevant professional service teams;
• Providing processes to support the delivery of high quality staff and student experience.

The role of the Faculty Administrator is to:

• manage student and staff-facing processes and systems - primarily those in support of the Faculty's education strategy - ensuring that a professional service standard is maintained at all times;
• support to the Faculty Administration Manager for operations processes, including administration of appeal, concessions, Exam Board and HR processes. Ownership and management of student concession, appeals and exam board processes will constitute the majority of the role;
• support the Faculty Leadership Team by providing comprehensive support for meetings, committees and working groups - scheduling meetings, managing paperwork, producing minutes, and following up on actions;
• provide routine office administration.

Core responsibilities:

• Resolve queries and requests for information and advice and escalate more specialist and complex queries or issues to more experienced team members. 
• Provide a responsive and proactive support service for all stakeholders, in particular Faculty Leadership Team  
• Focus on checking stakeholder requirements to ensure the delivery of excellence with the frontline stakeholder experience. 
• Provide a prompt response to service users answering and recording standard queries and bookings for activities and/or events, referring to other staff and departments as appropriate. 
• Contribute to the planning of team activities, work and deadlines to ensure the smooth running and timeliness of service for all stakeholders.  
• 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, to include confidential material.  
• Deal with information 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 organise, plan and prepare for events, meetings and activities such as staff induction, committee meetings, external stakeholder meetings etc. 
• Liaise with internal and external colleagues and organisations to pass on information as appropriate. 
• Apply professional and regulatory procedures and processes and use of systems as instructed. 
• Liaise and collaborate with staff in other areas of the organisation to ensure a seamless, smooth and efficient service. 

Role responsibilities:

• Work with team members to ensure the smooth running of administrative processes to support all stakeholders and business activities.
• Apply standard professional and recognised regulatory procedures to process, check and reconcile anomalies within data and information sets as appropriate.
• Compile, record, store and archive electronic data and information to ensure the accuracy and safety of information, particularly with respect to student processes, concessions, appeals, exam, personnel, health and safety, contractual/service documentation. 
• Liaise with all stakeholders, external professional organisations 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, including minutes, in standard professional formats. 
• Process and update key business documentation, particularly with regard to student exam, appeal and concession data as well as HR and other associated policies.  
• Liaise with internal and external suppliers and specialists with the organisation, planning and delivery of services, activities and events.
• Make venue, catering, travel and/or equipment arrangements for events, meetings and activities to support staff recruitment, research, teaching and network building with internal and external stakeholders. 
• Any other reasonable duties. 

Specific role requirements:

• Be prepared to work out of normal office hours on occasion and with notice e.g. to support events.
• All Professional Services staff are supported to undertake a minimum of 21 hours of Continuous Professional Development (CPD) (pro rata) which can include a range of e-learning packages, job shadowing, volunteering opportunities and more.
• Please note the University is currently undergoing a hybrid working pilot which, to ensure a vibrant campus, requires staff to spend some time on site (with arrangements to be determined locally).

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. Please see section ‘What you are required to submit’ for further information.

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.

What you are required to submit

• A CV; 
• A Person Specification evidence table which evidences your experience, strengths and potential relating to the essential and desirable criteria of the position.

Please ensure that you submit all documentation listed above (Part 1 AND Part 2) or your application cannot proceed to the next stage.

Contact details

For further information regarding the role, please contact Jo O'Neill-Jones, Faculty Administration Manager, via jo.o'neill@durham.ac.uk.

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.

Person specification - skills, knowledge, qualifications and experience required

Essential Criteria

• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Excellent IT skills, including strong evidenced use of Microsoft Office/365 Confidence with data (e.g. demonstrated by advanced skills in Excel, Power Automate)
• Relevant administrative experience in a busy office environment
• Ability to work under pressure and meet tight deadlines without compromising on quality.
• Accuracy and attention to detail
• Demonstrable ability to provide advice and guidance to a range of customers and colleagues.
• Ability to solve problems as part of a team and resolve a range of issues.
• High level of discretion and the ability to maintain confidentiality
• Evidence of personal development to maintain skills.

Desirable Criteria

• Experience of student support or educational processes
• Demonstrable ability to enhance processes to improve the efficiency or quality of the team
• Experience of working in Higher Education.
• Post-16 qualification or equivalent experience.
• Educated to degree level 
• Experience of meeting support and minute writing

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.

DBS Requirement: Not Applicable.