Outreach Officer (Levelling Up) - College of Engineering and Physical Sciences - 99500

OUTREACH OFFICER (LEVELLING UP) – 99500

Position Details

College of Engineering and Physical Sciences
Location:  University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, UK
Full time starting salary is normally in the range £27,924 to £30,497 with potential progression once in post to £34,304
Grade 6
Full time
Fixed-term for up to 2 years
Closing Date: 5 June 2022

Due to the nature of the work undertaken in this role all successful applicants will be subject to a satisfactory DBS clearance prior to appointment.

Our offer to you
 
People are at the heart of what we are and do.
 
The University of Birmingham is proud to have been a part of the City of Birmingham and the wider region for over 100 years, and we are equally proud to be recognised as a leading global university.  We want to attract talented people from across the city and beyond, support them to succeed, and celebrate their success.

We are committed to helping the people who work here to develop through our sector-leading Birmingham Professional programme which provides all professional services staff with development opportunities and the encouragement to reach their full potential.  With almost 5,000 professional services jobs in a wide-range of functions in Edgbaston and in our campus in Dubai, there are plenty of opportunities for you to be able to develop your career at the University.

We believe there is no such thing as a typical member of staff and that diversity is a source of strength that underpins the exchange of ideas, innovation, and debate.  We warmly welcome people from all backgrounds and are committed to fostering an inclusive environment where diversity is at the heart of who and what we are, and how we work.

Supporting our people to achieve a healthy work/life balance is important both to our employees and to the success of the University and, depending on the role, we offer a variety of flexible working arrangements. We therefore welcome discussions on all forms of flexible working.  In addition, you will receive a generous package of benefits including 40 days paid holiday a year, one paid day a year for volunteering, occupational sick pay, and a pension scheme. We also have three high quality subsidised day nurseries.

The University is situated in leafy Edgbaston and there are excellent transport links to our beautiful campus, including main bus routes and a train station on site.  On campus we have a state-of-the-art sports centre with pool, shops, places to eat and drink, our own art gallery, museum and botanical gardens.

Find out more about the benefits of working for the University of Birmingham  

Job Summary

The Outreach Officer (Levelling Up) post within the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences will be responsible for co-ordinating and supporting the delivery of the Levelling Up programme. This exciting project aims to inspire young people from diverse and under-represented backgrounds to study Physics while promoting the University of Birmingham as the destination of choice. The postholder will lead on a range of events and activities both online and in-person. They will be responsible for building and managing relationships with programme participants, student tutors and mentors on the programme. They will have oversight of project activities in the School of Physics as well as related projects in other Schools including Mathematics, Metallurgy and Materials and Chemistry. 

The postholder will manage relationships with external stakeholders from other universities and professional organisations who support the programme. They will co-ordinate collaborative work on Levelling Up nationally and support colleagues’ efforts to develop, deliver and evaluate the programme. 

As part of the College Marketing and Communications team, the person appointed to this role will benefit from a broad network of expertise in outreach, marketing, student recruitment and admissions. They will collaborate with University widening participation colleagues and support College and University activities as required. 

Main Duties

The postholder will be responsible for the delivery of the Levelling Up programme. They will:

•    Develop and organise an innovative programme of activities in line with the aims of the programme. Ensure effective management of the activities (i.e. in relation to activity information, room bookings, catering etc.)
•    Develop and maintain excellent working relationships with participants in the programme. Act as the main contact for all liaison activity for the programme.
•    Monitor attendance and evaluate the success of events using appropriate feedback and evaluation methods.
•    Support the recruitment process for any additional programme staff, including temporary staff (e.g. student ambassadors or similar roles), in line with University processes. 
•    Maintain accurate records of metrics, report on outcomes, make evaluations and contribute to future planning of activities.
•    Be able to inspire and engage young people in STEM subjects with their creativity and presentation skills.
•    Work collaboratively with academic staff and students across the College on delivery of Levelling Up activities.
•    Develop and maintain high quality effective relationships with key internal and external stakeholders.
•    Ensure the Levelling Up programme is communicated effectively both externally and internally, collaborating with colleagues in the College and University teams.
•    Produce marketing collateral in accordance with University branding guidelines, working with Creative Media
•    Promote the University’s Levelling Up programme on social media channels  
•    Understand and apply all necessary aspects of GDPR.
•    Manage the general administration for the programme, including any appropriate budgetary activity.
•    Collaborate with the College’s Outreach and Schools Liaison Officer ensuring complementary delivery of activities and co-ordination, in particular school communications.
•    Collaborate with the University’s central Outreach team, co-ordinating efforts where appropriate
•    Carry out other delegated duties as may reasonably be required by the line manager such as student recruitment activity.
•    Act as part of the EPS Marketing and Communications team, contributing to and participating in team activities.
•    The postholder must be prepared to work outside of normal working hours and away from the normal place of work as required throughout the year.
•    Promotes equality and values diversity acting as a role model and fostering an inclusive working culture.

Person Specification

•    Degree level education plus at least five GCSEs at grades A-C, including Mathematics and English 
•    An A-Level in a STEM subject
•    Experience in delivering outreach activities preferably in an education environment
•    Event management experience
•    Excellent organisational skills 
•    Highly developed oral and written communication skills to deal with a wide range of contacts, both internally and externally, and at all levels from school pupils to teachers 
•    Excellent presentation skills and ability to handle groups of varying ages
•    The successful candidate will be required to complete a Disclosure and Barring Service check.
•    Excellent interpersonal skills, including the ability to use tact and diplomacy
•    Demonstrable commitment to customer service. A strong understanding of how to respond to differing stakeholders’ needs
•    Cultural sensitivity 
•    Confidence in dealing with senior staff 
•    Ability to work under pressure, managing competing deadlines
•    Experience of using databases to manage information, including performing mail merge 
•    IT skills, particularly Microsoft Office packages 
•    Experience of using social media in a business environment
•    A high level of initiative is required along with the capacity to work independently
•    A creative approach to problem solving and a ‘can-do’ attitude
•    A strong team player
•    Flexibility to work out of hours, evenings and weekends, when required (e.g. at Open Days)
•    Knowledge of the protected characteristics of the Equality Act 2010, and how to actively ensure in day to day activity in own area that those with protected characteristics are treated equally and fairly.

Informal enquires to Rebecca Rice, email: [email protected]

Valuing excellence, sustaining investment 
We value diversity and inclusion at the University of Birmingham and welcome applications from all sections of the community and are open to discussions around all forms of flexible working.