Programme Administrative Assistant

15924BR

Cardiff School of Social Sciences

Administrative Support

Advert

Programme Administrative Assistant

An exciting opportunity has arisen in the School of Social Sciences Education and Students team for a new Programme Administrative Assistant. As a valued member of the Education and students team, you will be responsible for providing a comprehensive professional administrative support to the School, offering support and guidance to applicants, students and staff in respect to the taught programmes of study that we offer. As a valued member within the student hub, you will provide a front line service to staff and students managing daily in person and electronic enquiries. You will also provide support and assistance to other members of the Education and Student Team to ensure the delivery of an effective and efficient service.

This post is full time, open-ended and available immediately.

Salary: £21,197 - £23,144 per annum (Grade 3)

Responsible to Mrs Jackie Swift, Teaching and Learning Team Manager

For further information contact Mrs Jackie Swift [email protected], Telephone 029 2087 5333

Date advert posted: Wednesday, 25 January 2023

Closing date: Sunday, 12 February 2023

Please be aware that Cardiff University reserves the right to close this vacancy early should sufficient applications be received.

Cardiff University is committed to supporting and promoting equality and diversity and to creating an inclusive working environment. We believe this can be achieved through attracting, developing, and retaining a diverse range of staff from many different backgrounds who have the ambition to create a University which seeks to fulfil our social, cultural and economic obligation to Cardiff, Wales, and the world.  In supporting our employees to achieve a balance between their work and their personal lives, we will also consider proposals for flexible working or job share arrangements.

Job Description

Provide an administrative service to the School, engaging and completing a range of routine tasks to meet operational and customer service requirements. Providing support and guidance on our taught programmes of study to staff and students and ensuring the Education and Students team is supported and key duties undertaken.

Key Duties

• Deal with a range of enquiries from students, staff and external partners on programme administration and support in a professional manner. Take time to fully establish the requirements of the enquiry, adapting standard responses accordingly, and escalating where necessary.
• Develop detailed knowledge of University procedures in relation to programmes of study, admissions, assessment, student support, extenuating circumstances and discipline.
• Work as part of a team to support intake and selection procedures for the programme, develop and update documentation, timetable lectures and classes, process standard forms and manage assessment procedures for all programmes.
• Use and advise others on the use of systems and software (SIMS, Grademark, Turnitin, Qualtrex, Blackboard, Business Objects, Timetabling software, programme software).
• Act as minute secretary to School Committees and meetings, where needed, taking and producing minutes and keeping accurate records.
• Take an active part in supporting School events such as induction, assessments graduation, poster days and conferences.
• Input data on to central databases (SIMS) and local files, ensuring accuracy of reporting, confidentiality and data protection.
• Assist Programme Administrators with the production and updating of print and web-based programme and module information, such as handbooks.
• Collaborate with others in order to make recommendations for developments of established processes and procedures relating to programme management and student support.
• Take a proactive approach to supporting our programmes, students and staff.
• Undertake a variety of administrative duties to support the team and School.
• Undertake basic analysis of data to inform decisions, establishing basic trends and patterns in data and creating reports as appropriate.
• Lead by example and support other employees across the school on the details of the administration of our programmes, our student cohorts and School-based policies.

• As part of a team, deliver frontline services to students and staff, answering a wide range of queries, resolving issues and making referrals where needed.
• Establish working relationships within the team and engage with monitoring and reviewing procedures to help improve service levels.
• Undergo personal and professional development that is appropriate to and which will enhance performance.
• Ensure that an understanding of the importance of confidentiality is applied when undertaking all duties.
• Abide by University policies on Health and Safety, Equality and Diversity and data protection.
• Perform other duties occasionally which are not included above, but which will be consistent with the role.

Person Specification

Essential Criteria

• A-Levels or equivalent.
• Experience of supervising others.
• Experience of working in a Higher Education environment.
• Fluency in Welsh, written and oral.

The Person Specification is split into 2 sections: essential and desirable.  Please demonstrate clearly how you meet all of the essential criteria.  Where possible you should give examples of how, when and where you have used your experience, knowledge, specific skills and abilities to match those required for this particular job role.

Please ensure that you communicate this fully by creating a supporting statement document, listing all of the criteria and commenting against each one as to how you meet them.  This will need to be completed before you begin making your application on line as you will be required to upload it. 

When attaching the supporting statement to your application profile, please ensure that you put your name and the  vacancy reference number, e.g. Supporting Statement for NAME XXXXBR.’

The desirable section contains a list of skills, qualifications and experience that it would be beneficial for the jobholder to have.

All short-listing decisions will be based initially on essential criteria, with desirable being used to further select or deselect candidates as appropriate. 

We interview those candidates who are the closest match to the identified criteria.

Additional Information

Cardiff University School of Social Sciences

The School of Social Sciences is an internationally recognised centre of excellence in research and teaching across a range of subject areas, including Social Policy, Sociology, Criminology, Education, Social Psychology, and Social Work.

We deliver a substantial programme of research, both fundamental and strategic, funded by ESRC, AHRC, MRC, charitable foundations, the European Union, Central Government departments and agencies and voluntary associations.  In the 2021 UK Research Excellence Framework the School was returned to two sub panels, Sociology and Education. We were placed in the top ten in each sub panel by grade point average, joint first for impact in Education and fourth overall for research power in Sociology.

The School has a large student population, with almost 1000 undergraduates, and 300 postgraduates.  We have ESRC recognition for doctoral training in the fields of Criminology, Social Policy, Sociology, Education, and Science, Technology and Innovation and have secured a large number of ESRC collaborative doctoral awards. Our taught and postgraduate research programmes welcome students from around the world.

The School hosts a number of research centres and institutes, including the University’s  Police Studies Institute (UPSI), now part of the University’s Crime & Security Research Institute; the Wales Institute for Economic Research & Data (WISERD); the Children's Social Care Research and Development Centre (CASCADE); the Centre for Development, Evaluation, Complexity and Implementation in Public Health Improvement (DECIPHer); the Cardiff Unit for Research and Evaluation in Medical and Dental Education (CUREMeDE); and the Seafarers’ International Research Centre (SIRC). Many of the School’s research centres are housed in the University’s Social Science Research Park (SPARK) – a world first, and part of the University’s wider Innovation Campus.

The School of Social Sciences holds an Athena SWAN Bronze Award that recognises good employment practice and a commitment to develop the careers of women working in academia. Cardiff University is an equal opportunities employer and positively encourages applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates regardless of sex, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, religion or belief, marital status, or pregnancy and maternity. We actively encourage women to apply. We will also always consider proposals for flexible working or job share opportunities.

Job Category

Admin / Clerical