Student Recruitment Assistant Manager

Academic Office

Grade 6: - £27,929 - £34,308 per annum
Open-Ended/Permanent - Full Time
Contracted Hours per Week: 35
Closing Date: 05-Dec-2022, 7:59:00 AM

Job Title: Student Recruitment Assistant Manager
Department: Student Recruitment and Admissions
Grade: Grade 6
Salary range: £27,929 - £34,308 per annum
Working arrangements: 35 hours per week, Monday to Friday. We operate hybrid working and are on site two days per week with the remaining time working from home.
Closing date: Sunday 4th December 2022
Potential interview date:    tbc

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.  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.  Whether you are at the very start, middle or end of your career, there is a role for you. We believe everyone has their own unique skills to offer. We would be thrilled if you would consider joining our thriving University.  Further information about the University can be found here

The Role and the Department

The Schools Liaison Assistant Manager will provide support to the Student Recruitment Manager to establish, develop and maintain productive relationships with schools, colleges, other key pre-HE constituencies and stakeholders across the UK. They will be a primary point of contact between the University and key stakeholders in schools and colleges. The main duties of the post include the delivery of information and advice to school groups in target and feeder schools across a range of engaging events, presentations and activities; ensuring that accurate information about Durham University is fully accessible to potential applicants. Using creativity and influencing skills the post holder will ensure that schools and their students are aware of the exciting opportunities that Durham has to offer and subsequently encourage their most able students to apply to the University. Collaboration, initiative and interpersonal skills will also be used in the development of relationships with internal stakeholders such as academics, colleges staff and others to ensure high quality activities are collaboratively delivered to school groups both onsite, off-campus and digitally. They will be responsible for delivering a strategy which will strengthen and deepen the relationships made with key schools and colleges and ensure they are kept as informed partners. In addition, the post holder will also be expected to contribute towards the delivery and milestones of the University’s Access and Participation Plan.

Student Recruitment and Admissions 

Based in the Global Division, Student Recruitment and Admissions brings together a number of teams providing services in events, enquiry management, CRM, data analysis and forecasting, projects and compliance and admissions. It provides an essential service to the University in ensuring its financial sustainability and in delivering student number growth and increasing diversity in line with strategic aims and targets. It is the public face of the University in UK schools and colleges, through contact with prospects, enquirers and applicants across the world and through our events programme. The team includes a range of professionals from a number of specialisms including administrators, decision makers, data analysts and forecasters, IT specialists, designers and marketers, events managers and recruiters. It supports academic departments in the development of their contributions to recruitment and provides domestic market insight and customer relationship management. The team is responsible for adherence to requisite regulations and UCAS contract requirements.   

The department works in collaboration with colleagues in the Marketing Team (Marketing and Communications) to develop pre-contact and conversion marketing campaigns and with the International Office for international student recruitment.

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:

• 27 Days annual leave per year in addition to 8 public holidays and 4 customary days per year – a total of 39 days per year.  
• 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.
• 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).
• 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. 
• 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. 
• We offer generous pension schemes. 

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.  Where there are desirable criteria we would also urge you to provide any relevant evidence.  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 during the process, via automated emails from our e-recruitment system. Please check your spam/junk folder periodically to ensure you receive all emails 

What you are required to submit:

• A CV 
• A covering letter
• A word document that uses a table format to detail your experience, strengths and potential in relation to the essential and desirable criteria in the person specification. 

Contact details 

If you would like to have a chat or ask any questions about the role, Jen Barton would be happy to speak to you. Jennifer.barton@durham.ac.uk

Typical Role Requirements

Service Delivery

• Specialist support with problem solving and query handling. 
• Reactive and proactive service provision with others to deliver an excellent stakeholder experience. 
• Interpret, curate, design and present information, data, equipment and resources. 
• Monitor and report incidents. 
• Carry out more in-depth investigations, searches and research information and data to identify trends and patterns. 
• Accountable for managing/maintaining financial and budget records.
• Involved in the purchase and return of goods and services. 
• Ensure projects, activities, budgets, information and documents comply with internal University and external regulation, policy and procedures. 
• Ensure accuracy by instituting recognised and routine checks, assessment criteria and techniques. 
• Record data and information accurately, provide reports and distribute information to key stakeholders in the process or service. 
• A commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion and the University’s values.

Planning and Organising

• Plan and organise own workload with or without involvement with project work streams. 
• Implement and monitor protocols, procedures, processes and regulations. 
• Implement and monitor recognised procedures to ensure compliance and meet University values of inclusion, diversity and participation. 
• Manage and organise schools liaison service processes, activities, events and/or resources to achieve defined targets and outcomes. 
• Develop, implement and enforce recognised procedures to ensure compliance, co-ordinate effort and contribute to team goals. 

Teamwork

• Support the capture of business requirements from schools and colleges and work with colleagues to translate these into recommendations for future service provision.

Communication and Networking

• Relationship building, network participation internally and externally to develop effective relationships with staff in schools and colleges and build and update knowledge and skills. 
• Engage with external peers and specialists to exchange knowledge and information. 
• Supervises service users and stakeholders undertaking activities, events, project work and exhibitions. 
• Contribute to business meetings, working groups and committees to help shape service delivery and stakeholder expectations. 
• Use a range of digital media and tools to communicate with a diverse range of key stakeholders, both verbally and in written format who may need to access information across different geographic and time zones. 
• Develop, plan and deliver internal and external events and activities for schools and colleges. 
• Establish, maintain and develop productive and ongoing relationships with stakeholders to influence perception of the Department within the University and the University to potential students along with their schools, colleges and advisers.

Knowledge and Experience

• Experienced service practitioner, planning and co-ordinating of projects and work streams with inter-related activities. 
• Take responsibility for day to day decision making within own area of responsibility for operational aspects of service delivery, translating external requirements into practical application and advice. 
• Provide professional guidance and advice to staff and students with the operational running of budgets, processes, data and information recording and assessment data.  
• The duties of the post will include regular evening and weekend work with periods of time away from the University on national and regional visits and assisting with tasks such as open days.
• Annual leave is restricted at certain points of the year when there is a peak of activity.
• Successfully demonstrate an ability to work with young people by submitting to an Enhanced Disclosure check by the Disclosure and Barring Service (formally CRB).
• Any other reasonable duties. 

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. 

When appointing to this role the University must ensure that it meets any applicable immigration requirements, including salary thresholds which are applicable to some visas.

DBS Requirement: Please note that the successful applicant will require DBS disclosure.