Learning and Teaching Manager

Job Title: Learning & Teaching Manager 
Department: Law
Grade: Grade 7 
Salary range: £35,333 - £42,115 per annum/ pro rata    - Salary can be negotiable depending on experience with possible progression based on performance within the role.
Working arrangements: Full Time, permanent 
Closing date: 18th October 2022
Potential interview date:  TBC/ Early November 
   
The University

At Durham University we are proud of our people.  A globally outstanding centre of educational excellence, a collegiate community of extraordinary people, a unique and historic setting – Durham is a university like no other. We believe that inspiring our people to do outstanding things at Durham enables Durham people to do outstanding things professionally and personally.  Across the University we have a huge variety of roles and career opportunities, which together make us a large and successful community, which is a key hub of activity within our region and nationally.  We would be thrilled if you would consider joining our thriving University. Further information about the University can be found here

The Role and Department     

Durham Law School is a leading law school. Consistently ranked in the Top 10 nationally and Top 50 globally, it has been growing strongly over the past few years and now comprises a community of over 100 academics and professional support staff. Durham Law School fosters innovative and interdisciplinary approaches to legal research and wishes to attract scholars with strong backgrounds in these areas. The Law School provides a supportive environment for its community of academics, which comprises a very generous sabbatical policy and an infrastructure of high-profile research centres that brings together colleagues for collaborative projects.  The School is housed in the iconic Palatine Centre overlooking Durham Cathedral in the heart of  the city, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is located on the main East Coast trainline connecting to London and Edinburgh and also within convenient reach of Newcastle Airport. The School has an extensive network of leading international partner institutions and close ties with the City of London and the Inns of Court. It counts among its alumni two Supreme Court Justices.

Our top-ranked global law courses are very competitive with an excellent and diverse student population from across the world delivering a cutting-edge, research-led curriculum with a commitment to small group teaching through seminars and tutorials much prized by employers.

Our School’s strategic objectives put EDI at the heart of everything that we do. We are committed to Equality Diversity and Inclusion and actively develop our policies and procedures to ensure that everyone within our community is treated fairly and is provided with the same opportunities. This applies to our everyday working in teaching, research and administration, including academic progression and promotion processes. Our Law School has recently been awarded the Athena Swan Bronze award.

Role Purpose

The Learning and Teaching Manager will work towards enhancing the quality of existing programmes, contributing towards reviews and evaluation for the purposes of continual improvement. S/he will work with colleagues to inform planning and developments in line with strategy and mission statements, implementing new programmes and initiatives.

The Learning and Teaching Manager will manage a team of professional service staff, ensuring the provision of an efficient administrative service, supporting a wide range of teaching, learning and assessment activities from the point of student enrolment through to graduation, ensuring the student experience is at the forefront of delivery.

Core responsibilities:

• Provide high level support in medium to large or complex departments.
• Experienced manager with responsibility for the management of a complex teaching and learning environment.
• Work closely with Programme Director(s) and senior management to provide input to the design and development of programmes and service processes for one or more service areas or projects, ensuring that systems are put in place to deliver agreed outcomes.
• Manage operational service activities to ensure excellence in the stakeholder experience.
• 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 HR issues within a team, referring more complex issues to appropriate support services/senior management.
• Lead the team and the HR lifecycle, including recruitment, induction, coaching, mentoring and training of 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 programme budgets, keeping records and assessing actual expenditure against an agreed financial plan.
• Devolve responsibilities to team members to ensure continuity of service provision and encourage skills development.

Role responsibilities:

• Contribute to strategic projects and initiatives, working with colleagues to inform planning and developments in line with the department strategy and mission statement.
• Manage specific projects to develop and enhance teaching and learning activities.
• Provide management for all aspects of programme delivery and/or processes ensuring a high quality and timely service to all stakeholders, including prospective, existing and past students and staff, ensuring that robust and secure systems are in place to ensure programme delivery to the highest standards, whilst meeting appropriate deadlines.
• Oversee the process for student engagement, dealing with complaints and complex issues, with referral and signposting to University services where appropriate.
• Within the context of the Recruiting the Next Generation of Students programme, liaise with the Student Recruitment and Admissions Office to ensure that those with admissions responsibility within the School are working effectively with support services to recruit and select the most appropriate candidates.
• Oversee and support the delivery of open events, recruitment fairs, and visits.
• Manage and monitor performance and workload outcomes and/or staff, planning cover to ensure smooth service provision through peaks and troughs.
• Analyse and evaluate student feedback and provide reports and statistical data to Senior Management, identifying areas for improvement and making recommendations to inform future strategy.
• Be a recognised source of expertise, providing advice to stakeholders in relation to University, School and/or Department policy, procedures and regulations.
• Ensure the review and improvement of systems and procedures in line with University, School, Department or unit framework.
• Ensure regulations and procedures are updated to take account of internal and external changes.
• Coordinate and oversee committee working, acting as Secretary to the Board of Examiners and Education Committee, providing advice and support to the Board, demonstrating a detailed knowledge and understanding of assessment rules, regulations and procedures, and providing support for appeals and assessment irregularities.
• Maintain awareness of the external environment and sector best practice to support high quality services. 
• Ensure the department's profile, integrity and quality is maintained through good customer care practices.
• Anticipate changes in the needs of the students and ensure that support mechanisms are established, maintained and developed to meet and manage student expectations.
• Contribute to the review and accreditation of programmes, e.g. participating in the annual review of taught programmes, managing the curriculum review process. 
• Working with the School Manager in the preparation of the annual workload model to include discussing with staff workload queries.
• Contribute and support the Dean and School Manager with strategic objectives/work relating to Learning and Teaching.
• Any other reasonable duties in-line with role salary grade. 

Specific role requirements

• Work outside normal office hours during peak periods.

Working at Durham 

A competitive salary is only one part of the many fantastic benefits you will receive if you join the University: you will also receive access to the following fantastic benefits: 

•    30 Days annual leave per year in addition to 8 public holidays and 4 customary days per year – a total of 42 days per year.  
•    The University closes between Christmas and New Year – please include or delete if not applicable 
•    We offer a generous pension scheme, As a new member of staff you will be automatically enrolled  into the University Superannuation Scheme (USS).
•    No matter how you travel to work, we have you covered.  We have parking across campus, a cycle to work scheme which helps you to buy a bike and discount with local bus and train companies.
•    There is a genuine commitment to developing our colleagues professionally and personally.  There is a comprehensive range of development courses, apprenticeships and access to qualifications and routes to develop your career in the University.  All staff have dedicated annual time to concentrate on their personal development opportunities. 
•    Lots of support for health and wellbeing including discounted membership for our state of the art sport and gym facilities and access to a 24-7 Employee Assistance Programme.
•    On site nursery is available and children’s clubs in the summer holidays.
•    Family friendly policies, including maternity and adoption leave, which are among the most generous in the higher education sector (and likely above and beyond many employers).
•    The opportunity to take part in staff volunteering activities to make a difference in the local community
•    Discounts are available via our benefits portal including; money off at supermarkets, high street retailers, IT products such as Apple, the cinema and days out at various attractions. 
•    A salary sacrifice scheme is also available to help you take advantage of tax savings on benefits. 
•    If you are moving to Durham, we can help with removal costs and we have a dedicated team who can help you with the practicalities such as house hunting and schools.  If you need a visa, we cover most visa costs and offer an interest free loan scheme to pay for dependant visas.

Durham University is committed to equality diversity, inclusion and values

Our collective aim is to create an open and inclusive environment where everyone can reach their full potential and we believe our staff should reflect the diversity of the global community in which we work.  As a University equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) are a key part of the University’s Strategy and a central part of everything we do.  We also live by our values and our Staff Code of Conduct.  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. It’s important to us that all of our colleagues are aligned to both our values and commitment to EDI.

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.  If you have taken time out of your career, and you feel it relevant, let us know about it in your application.  If you are a candidate with a disability, 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, reasonable adjustments will be made to support people within their role.

What you need to demonstrate when you apply/Person Specification

When you apply it is important that you let us know what skills/experience you have from a similar role and/or what skills/experience you have which would make you right for this role.  Further information about the role and responsibilities is at the end of this job description. 

Where a criteria has an asterix* next to it, it may be given additional weighting when your application is considered.  Your application should cover the following criteria:

Essential Criteria  

Desirable Criteria

How to Apply   

To progress to the assessment stage, candidates must evidence each of the essential criteria required for the role in the person specification above. It will be at the discretion of the recruiting panel as to whether they will also consider any desirable criteria, but we would urge candidates to provide evidence for all criteria.  Please don’t forget to check if there is any weighted criteria (see above).

While some criteria will be considered at the shortlisting stage, other criteria may be considered later in the assessment process, such as questions at interview.   
  
Submitting your application 

We prefer to receive applications online.   We will update you about 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 make sure you have not missed any of our updates.
  
What you need to submit   

•    A CV: and   
•    A supporting statement or covering letter which outlines how you meet all of the criteria within the Person Specification.    
 
Contact details   

For further information or a chat about the role, please contact the Durham Law School Manager: Mr Richard Gwalchmai on [email protected].

Typical Role Requirements
Service Delivery

•    Manage operational service activities to ensure excellence in the stakeholder experience. 
•    Responsible for managing small budgets for consumables and some capital items, keeping records and processing invoices. 
•    Provide management for stakeholder service areas and/or processes ensuring a high quality and timely service to all stakeholders, including prospective, existing and past students and staff. 
•    Ensure regulations and procedures are updated to take account of internal and external changes. 
•    Coordinate and oversee committee working and deal with complaints. 
•    A commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion and the University’s values

Planning and Organisation

•    Provide input to the design and development of service processes, techniques and deliverables for one or more service areas or projects.  
•    Contribute to the analysis of stakeholder feedback to help define needs and requirements, inputting to the design and planning of services. 
•    Analyse service data and provide reports to Service Heads, making recommendations for improvement as appropriate. 
•    Ensure the review and improvement of systems and procedures in line with University, School, Department or unit frameworks. 

Teamwork and Team Development

•    Recognised professional practitioner and management and/or service specialist with responsibility for the management of team members. 
•    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. 
•    Devolve responsibilities to team members to ensure continuity of service provision and encourage skills development. 
•    Manage and monitor performance and workload outcomes and/or staff, planning cover to ensure smooth service provision through peaks and troughs. 

Communications and Networking

•    Internal and external relationship development and partnership working, networking and participation to engage and influence future services and the University reputation. 
•    Contribute to business meetings, working groups and sub committees at departmental and operational service levels. 
•    Provide advice to stakeholders in relation to University, School and/or Department policy, procedures and regulations. 
•    Distribute service information and provide advice to stakeholders regarding compliance and regulations. 

Knowledge and Experience
   
•    Maintain an awareness of current policy for University business goals such as widening participation and access. 
•    Awareness of the external environment and sector best practice to support high quality services.   

•    Any other reasonable duties.   

Useful links

If you would like further information you may find the following will help

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.durham.ac.uk/about-us/governance/information-governance/privacy-notices/privacy-notices/job-applicants/  which provides information on the collation, storing and use of data.   

must ensure that it meets any applicable immigration requirements, including salary thresholds which are applicable to some visas.