Learning and Teaching Administrator

Durham Law School is a world leader in legal education and research with a distinguished 50-year history. Our award-winning 66 academic staff are producing ground-breaking research with significant impact and are highly active in public engagement both nationally and internationally. We are a top 50 QS World Ranked law school and our research ranked 3rd by grade point average in the UK’s last national Research Excellence Framework exercise in 2014. Durham Law School is consistently ranked among the top ten or higher UK law schools across various league tables, including 5th in The Daily Telegraph, 7th in The Guardian and 10th in The Times

Our Law School enjoys a supportive and engaging research environment strongly committed to equality and diversity. It is dedicated to promoting the values advanced by Athena Swan and the Race Equality Charter, and Durham Law School strives to ensure an inclusive and enriching environment for all staff and students.  Durham Law School has approximately 1100 undergraduates, 115 taught postgraduates and 70 postgraduate research students. Our LLB entry requirements are A*AA/AAA or equivalent. We are proud to deliver some of the best results for student satisfaction and employability among law schools – and our graduates include some of the law’s leading figures, such as current members of the UK Supreme Court, the Court of Appeal, the Government, and Members of Parliament.

The Learning and Teaching Administrator is responsible primarily for supporting with a wide range of staff and student outreach activities and communications. The successful candidate will be responsible for updating and formatting websites related to Durham Law School and the wider University, updating and taking a lead on social media accounts.  You will work independently, taking a day to day decisions and using his/her experience and initiative to decide on appropriate courses of action and resolve problems. You will work flexibly to ensure the team functions effectively in meeting priorities, working in accordance with University and Departmental policies and procedures, demonstrating a commitment to customer service excellence.

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  Provide a responsive and proactive support service for stakeholders, including academic staff, students, University and Departmental colleagues and external partners.
  
• Provide all elements of communications support required including staff and student engagement, updating web pages, social media accounts.
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  Provide 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.
  
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  Contribute to the planning of team activities, work and deadlines to ensure the smooth running and timeliness of service from the point of enrolment to graduation.
  
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  Solve day-to-day routine problems and source background information within the role.
  
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  Record data and information accurately, including student marks, and provide reports as required to colleagues and committees.
  
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  Flexible in approach to accommodate the needs of team members and/or service users.
  
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  Assist team members to organise, plan and prepare for events, meetings and activities, such as induction and open days.
  
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  Liaise with internal and external colleagues and organisations to pass on and receive information.
  
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  Apply professional and regulatory procedures and processes and use of systems.
  
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  Liaise and collaborate with staff in other areas of the organisation to ensure a seamless, smooth and efficient service.
  
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  Resolve queries and requests for information and advice and escalate more specialist and complex queries or issues to more experienced team members.
  

• Work with team members to ensure the smooth running of administrative processes to support staff and students and programme activities.
• Provide all elements of communications support required including staff and student engagement, updating web pages, social media accounts.
• Apply standard professional and recognised regulatory procedures to process, check and reconcile anomalies within data and information sets.
• Compile, record, store and archive student data and information to ensure the accuracy and safety of information.
• Monitor and track data, including assessment submissions and student progress, initiating follow up procedures and drafting routine correspondence where necessary.
• Liaise with members of academic staff, University staff, external examiners,  professional organisations and agencies where necessary.
• Use standard office-based digital systems, tools and equipment to carry out data recording, communications and networking, such as marks entry, collection and dissemination of student feedback.
• Provide service and support for networks, committees and meetings, to draft and distribute documents and communications in standard professional formats, including preparation for the Board of Examiners and its Sub-Committees.
• Process and update key business documentation, including handbooks, the virtual learning environment, and student concession requests.
• 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 recruitment and teaching activities.
• Accurately record financial transactions in liaison with relevant staff.
• Any other reasonable duties.

Specific role responsibilities:

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

Realising Your Potential Approach 

The Realising Your Potential Approach clarifies the behaviours expected to be demonstrated by all staff across Professional Services in the University regardless of their role. Along with the core responsibilities, role responsibilities and the person specification, the Realising Your Potential Approach behavioural indicators are used to inform the recruitment and selection process. Further information on the Realising Your Potential Approach is available here.

Durham University

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 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.

• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Proven IT skills, including use of Microsoft Office, Webpage/Website development and the use of Social Media for communication purposes. 
• Five GCSE’s at least Grade C or level four (or equivalent) including English Language and Mathematics (or equivalent experience).
• Relevant communications experience to support student and staff engagement.
• Demonstrable ability to provide advice and guidance to a range of customers and colleagues.
• Experience of working on the front line with service delivery, and the ability to work under pressure and meet tight deadlines without compromising on quality.
• Accuracy, numeracy and attention to detail.
• A high level of discretion and the ability to maintain confidentiality

• Experience of working in Higher Education
• Experience of working in a multicultural environment.