Senior Programme Officer (Maternity Cover)

Job description

The Senior Programme Officer provides essential administrative support to students and academics. Working in a fast-paced environment, the role includes taking responsibility to resolve complex queries and issues, supporting activities such as timetabling and the production of handbooks, using databases and Microsoft Excel to maintain accurate student data on progress and achievement, and delivering a high-quality service across the student lifecycle. Working with colleagues to plan and coordinate a varied set of activities, you will have opportunities to further develop your knowledge of regulations and process and be part of professional networks promoting best practice. As part of the King’s community, you’ll work alongside inspiring academic staff, administrators, students and external stakeholders. The post holder work alongside a small team of programme officers ensuring activities are carried out efficiently and that administration of all matters relating to the student and staff support across the department is carried out to a high-level of accuracy and consistent standard. 

“Please note that there is a requirement to travel 1 day per week to the Shrivenham campus where our team is based. The travel expenses will be covered by the School of Security Studies”.

This post is a 12 month fixed term post to cover maternity leave from 16th October 2023 to 18th October 2024. 

This is a full-time post.

Key responsibilities

• Work with relevant colleagues to plan programme 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 programme administration processes relevant to the area of work, including assessment processes, in line with university deadlines and regulations, and Faculty and external requirements
• Coordinate the management of day to day student enquiries with the Programme Officers and Senior 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
• Ensure that quality assurance requirements and, where required, accreditation requirements are met for all provision. To service committees as directed by your line manager. Coordinate module evaluation processes in line with current university best practice
• 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
• 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
• Provide programme administration including assessments
• Work with the wider university community to ensure up-to-date and consistent practices are followed when utilising systems (e.g. student records systems and virtual learning environments) to undertake both day-to-day functions and higher-level processes such as reporting and extracting data, ensuring accuracy of data and identifying and resolving issues
• Engage with and triage students’ pastoral care needs, resolving straightforward issues where appropriate and escalating with, and informing, key stakeholders as per university frameworks
• Receive, investigate and resolve low-level complaints and address service setbacks, exercising judgement and escalating to line manager where required
• Take personal accountability for the data quality of student records, ensuring records are accurately maintained in accordance with the 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
• Carry out other reasonable responsibilities commensurate with the grading of the post as required

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 written and oral communication skills including the ability to draft documents and correspondence autonomously to a broad range of audiences

2.     Excellent time management and organisational skills and the ability to work to tight deadlines

3.     Excellent working knowledge of Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook

4.     Data driven decision making approach, utilising appropriate information as required

5.     Experience in the use of databases and student records systems (such as SITS) to provide management information data to a high level of detail and accuracy

6.     Experience of stakeholder management, ability to work with a broad range of stakeholders in a professional and assured manner

7.     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

8.     Collaborative and relationship-oriented approach to teamwork

9.     Proactive approach, and the ability to work independently

10.   Commitment to equality and diversity in the workplace

Desirable criteria

1.      Degree level or equivalent qualification or experience

2.     Experience of using virtual learning environments

3.     Ability to work under pressure to complete a range of competing priorities and requesting and utilising support as and when required.

4.     Strong numeracy skills and ability to analyse complex numerical data.

Further information

The role will be located at the Defence Studies Department in Shrivenham, Wiltshire with a requirement for occasional travel to The Strand, London. As this post is based within a military establishment his position is subject to a satisfactory security clearance to work at the Defence Academy of the UK.

School of Security Studies: www.kcl.ac.uk/security-studies  

Defence Studies Department:  www.kcl.ac.uk/dsd/about

Department of War Studies:  www.kcl.ac.uk/warstudies/about

King’s Institute for Applied Security Studies: www.kcl.ac.uk/kiass

The selection process will consist of a panel interview and presentation.