Senior Programme Officer

Job id: 085875. Salary: £37,332 - £42,099 per annum, including London Weighting Allowance.

Posted: 06 March 2024. Closing date: 24 March 2024.

Business unit: Natural, Mathematical & Engineering Sci. Department: NMES Faculty Office.

Contact details:Christina Ripley. [email protected]

Location: Strand Campus. Category: Professional & Support Services.

The Faculty of Natural, Mathematical & Engineering Sciences (NMES) is looking to recruit full-time Senior Programmes Officers to support the Undergraduate and Postgraduate Taught Programmes in two of our academic departments. These roles will suit a dynamic and motivated administrator ready for the next stage in their career.  

The Senior Programme Officer provides essential support to students and academics working as part of the programmes team to ensure that high quality administrative and student support is provided from enrolment to graduation. Working in a fast-paced environment, the role includes taking responsibility to resolve complex queries and issues, supporting activities such as timetabling, and the production of handbooks, using databases and Microsoft Excel to maintain accurate student data on progress and achievement throughout the student lifecycle.  

Working with colleagues to plan and coordinate a varied set of activities, you will have opportunities to further develop your knowledge of regulations and processes, support the student experience and be part of professional networks promoting best practice. As part of hard-working and friendly department teams, you will manage a team of Programme Officers, and as part of the King’s community, you’ll work alongside inspiring academic staff, professional services and students. 

Both roles will be based at the Strand campus, in the heart of Central London. Professional services staff are currently working on a hybrid basis, meaning the role holders will spend part of their working week on campus and the remainder working remotely. 

We are recruiting to the following posts: 

1 x full time, permanent position in the Department of Engineering 

1 x full time, permanent position in the Department of Physics 

We offer a welcoming environment and welcome applications from applicants of all backgrounds.  We offer a range of provision including flexible working, caring support, training, and a variety of diversity and inclusion networks. Staff can apply for flexible working to help them balance the demands of their professional and personal commitments and we offer comprehensive leave policies for parental, adoption, surrogacy, dependant, and shared leave.   

NMES comprises Chemistry, Engineering, Informatics, Mathematics, and Physics – all departments are highly rated in research activities and have a wide-ranging portfolio of education programmes.  Our staff come from over 45 countries and 56% of our students are from outside the UK. KCL staff are principally located on the Strand Campus in the heart of central London, further details available at: https://www.kcl.ac.uk/nmes   

This is a permanent post

This is a full-time post - 100% full time equivalent

• Work with relevant colleagues to plan programme cycles, considering the provision of processes throughout the academic year, identifying priorities and demonstrating flexibility throughout the cycle, recognising when priorities change, amending plans and adjusting work patterns accordingly
• Coordinate programme administration processes relevant to the area of work, including assessment processes, in line with university deadlines and regulations, and Faculty and external requirements
• Coordinate the management of day to day student enquiries with the Programme Officers to provide responses as appropriate within agreed timeframes, taking responsibility for responding directly to more complex enquiries and escalating with line manager when required
• Ensure that quality assurance requirements and, where required, accreditation requirements are met for all provision. To service committees as directed by your line manager. Coordinate module evaluation processes in line with current university best practice
• Develop and improve the service through eliciting and responding to service user feedback, identifying and suggesting service improvements and implementing new ways of working as directed
• Work flexibly as part of a team, supporting others in times of high-volume activity. Participating in and coordinating new starter inductions. Covering staff absence and deputising for the line manager as and when required
• Work with the wider university community to ensure up-to-date and consistent practices are followed when utilising systems (e.g. student records systems and virtual learning environments) to undertake both day-to-day functions and higher-level processes such as reporting and extracting data, ensuring accuracy of data and identifying and resolving issues
• Engage with and triage students’ pastoral care needs, resolving straightforward issues where appropriate and escalating with, and informing, key stakeholders as per university frameworks
• Receive, investigate and resolve low-level complaints and address service setbacks, exercising judgement and escalating to line manager where required
• Take personal accountability for the data quality of student records, ensuring records are accurately maintained in accordance with the agreed retention schedules
• Ensure all work is carried out in a professional and timely manner, with appropriate confidentiality and sensitivity. To maintain an up to date knowledge of the data protection requirements and to support Freedom of Information and subject access requests

The above list of responsibilities may not be exhaustive, and the post holder will be required to undertake such tasks and responsibilities as may reasonably be expected within the scope and grading of the post.

Essential criteria

1.       Excellent written and oral communication skills including the ability to draft documents and correspondence autonomously to a broad range of audiences 

2.       Strong numeracy skills and ability to analyse complex numerical data 

3.       Excellent time management and organisational skills and the ability to work to tight deadlines 

4.       Excellent working knowledge of Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook and experience in the use of databases and student records systems (such as SITS) to provide management information data to a high level of detail and accuracy 

5.       Experience of stakeholder management, ability to work with a broad range of stakeholders in a professional and assured manner 

6.       Experience of working in a customer facing environment with a knowledge of how to address complaints and service setbacks in a professional and efficient manner 

7.       Experience of managing and delivering a portfolio of taught provision, with a proactive, development focused and transparent approach 

8.       Have a methodical but flexible approach to work, maintaining a high level of accuracy and the ability to work independently 

9.       Proactive, collaborative and relationship-oriented approach to teamwork 

10.    Ability to work under pressure to complete a range of competing priorities, and requesting and utilising support as and when required  

11.    Commitment to equality and diversity in the workplace 

Desirable criteria

1.       Degree level or equivalent qualification or experience 

2.       Experience of using virtual learning environments 

Please state in your application if you have a department preference.