Engagement and Communications Manager

Student Enrichment Directorate

Grade 7: - £34,304 - £40,927 per annum
Fixed Term - Full Time
Contract Duration: 5 years
Contracted Hours per Week: 35
Closing Date: 08-Aug-2022, 6:59:00 AM

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 Student Enrichment Office

We are striving to play a pivotal role in developing, delivering and transforming a Wider Student Experience that is as impactful as anything in the world. We remain steadfast in our core commitment to accelerating the growth of far-reaching and market-leading enrichment programmes across performance, participation and community outreach, whilst fostering a culture that safeguards academic excellence. We are guided by the belief that an investment in student enrichment is ultimately an investment in the quality of graduates that the University produces and are motivated by the opportunity to engage and inspire the next generation of talent and, in doing so, making a positive contribution to the development of rounded, global citizens.

Role purpose

The Wider Student Experience and the provision of opportunities for students to participate, excel and engage in the wider community (what we term as student enrichment at Durham) is a key pillar of the University Strategy.

Student enrichment across the University is broken down into seven Domains of Participation – one of these is Arts and Culture.  Under the umbrella Media Durham the University has prioritised the accelerated development, growth and support of student film and digital media across the University.

This role sits within the Media Durham team and will contribute to the overall strategy for the promotion of the University’s wider student experience through the provision of specialist knowledge, operational management, and promotion of the University’s new bespoke internal and externally facing digital hub, Durham OnDemand. The Durham OnDemand digital hub will host live and on-demand events and activities across the University’s seven Domains of Student Enrichment Participation and will be integral to realising the University’s objective of providing a high quality blended and complementary wider student experience (WSE).

The Engagement and Communication Manager will have the capacity to manage, coordinate and oversee the successful launch, ongoing evaluation, content population and effective governance of the platform whilst developing a scalable training, coaching and support structure to upskill students and staff from across the University to use the platform to its full potential. The postholder will be expected to build engaging and supportive partnerships, and work with a diverse set of internal and external stakeholders to ensure the successful and sustainable growth of the digital hub and to develop action plans for content creation and platform population.

Core responsibilities:

• Recognised professional practitioner and management and/or service specialist with responsibility for the management of team members.
• Provide input to the design and development of service processes, techniques and deliverables for the University’s digital hub, Durham OnDemand. 
• Manage operational service activities to ensure excellence in the stakeholder experience.
• Contribute to the analysis of stakeholder feedback to help define needs and requirements, inputting to the design and planning for Durham OnDemand.
• Internal and external relationship development and partnership working, networking and participation to engage and influence future services and the University reputation.
• Provide feedback on team and individual performance and identify development needs, conducting regular staff ADR and performance reviews.
• Handle the vast majority of welfare issues within a team, referring more complex welfare issues to appropriate support services/senior management.
• Delivery of ongoing coaching, mentoring and training to team members.
• Maintain an awareness of current policy for University business goals such as widening participation and access.
• Contribute to business meetings, working groups and sub committees at departmental and operational service levels.
• Responsible for managing small budgets for consumables and some capital items, keeping records and processing invoices.
• Devolve responsibilities to team members to ensure continuity of service provision and encourage skills development.

Role responsibilities:

• Provide management for the management and promotion of the University’s new internal and externally facing digital hub, Durham OnDemand.
• Manage and monitor service performance and provide metrics and reports to the Senior Student Enrichment Manager, making recommendations as appropriate, with specific responsibility for on-going platform development and evolution including new features and capabilities within the scope of the maintenance and support SLA agreed with LM.
• Participate in and monitor communities of practice and partnership working internally and externally.
• Network and engage with external and internal stakeholders to gather feedback and identify future service needs, to ensure excellence in service provision. The postholder will engage, inspire and support stakeholders from across the institution to develop action plans for content creation and platform population.
• Prepare and manage the service area budget or budgets and monitor expenditure to ensure cost-effective service delivery.
• developing the framework and structure, in consultation with colleagues in MLAC, to provide a range of coaching and training programmes - at scale - to enhance content creation skill sets within the student body (and WSE focused staff where relevant).
• Contribute to the production and analysis of statistical service metrics to identify successful delivery and areas for future improvement.
• developing commercial partnerships on the back off the platform, including sponsorship.
• Distribute and process key service information to all stakeholders.
• Implement continuous service improvements to enhance the delivery of stakeholder services.
• Communicate with internal and external stakeholders using appropriate media and methods.
• Contribute to the delivery of activities that generate external income, specifically working directly with Marcoms and DARO and the specialist enrichment units to develop bespoke engagement plans for our alumni and wider stakeholders, including the activation of the Pay Per View service where appropriate.
• Develop, modify and optimise service protocols and methodologies in collaboration with relevant stakeholders, developing policies and processes to ensure the effective governance of the platform – and overseeing their day-to-day implementation.
• Develop and oversee the implementation of an action plan with stakeholders to migrate content and specific capabilities from a range of different on-line sites that naturally developed during 2020/21 (and before).
• Develop processes and policies in relation to content population and permissions governance and overseeing their effective implementation on a day-to-day basis.
• Line management of the WSE On-line Graduate Intern.
• Deliver support elements of the wider student experience.  
• Any other reasonable duties.

Specific role requirements

• Some out of hours / evening and weekend work will be required to deliver projects and build and maintain networks.

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.

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:

• 30 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 [email protected] .

What you are required to submit:

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

Contact details Lynsey Finnemore - [email protected]

For further information regarding this post, please contact;

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 [email protected]

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:

Job Family: Community, Participation and Engagement Services

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 an excellent stakeholder experience for our diverse and supportive community.

Overall family purpose

• Provide excellent student support services, development and extra-curricular activities.
• Align and deliver programmes and activities to meet operational and strategic objectives to enhance the stakeholder experience.
• Respond to stakeholders at the point of service delivery, either in situ or remotely.
• Facilitate the development of excellent colleague and academic engagement.
• Provide a stakeholder focussed service designed to increase widening participation and diversity.
• Promote the Durham reputation by establishing and broadening national and international community links to enhance the cultural and economic viability of the City and region.
• Enhance the Durham wider student experience by developing extra-curricular activities.
• Contribute to and enhance active, inclusive and supportive communities of stakeholders.
• Work collaboratively and network across the University with staff in other families to ensure a smooth, timely and high-quality delivery of service.
• Engage with suppliers, consultants and specialist professionals to deliver programmes and activities to enhance the stakeholder experience.
• Engage and encourage outreach and participation with external professionals, schools, alumni and donors.
• Engage and network with both internal and external stakeholders to facilitate knowledge exchange and impact through local, national and international communities.

Link to key strategic plan

• An economically and environmentally sustainable approach to delivering stakeholder focussed services across the University;
• A world-class student, alumni and donor experience;
• Focussed on the needs of all users working together to deliver front-line services as part of the Wider Student Experience;
• Learn from and match best practice in the Wider Student Experience around the world;
• Opening up our world-class sporting facilities to local clubs and athletes;
• Support and facilitate activities as part of the Widening Student Experience at Durham;
• A stakeholder-focused orientation, offering satisfying careers to all staff;
• 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.