Student Recruitment (Enquiries) Administrator - College of Engineering and Physical Sciences - 58872

STUDENT RECRUITMENT (ENQUIRIES) ADMINISTRATOR) – 58872

Position Details

College of Engineering and Physical Sciences
Location: University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, UK
Full time starting salary is normally in the range £22,050 to £23,535, with potential progression once in post to £28,631
Band 400
Full Time
Permanent
Closing Date:  28 August 2022

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  

Background
This post plays a key role in the successful recruitment of students to the University of Birmingham. It provides a professional and high quality first line of support to prospective students who are making enquiries to the University about undergraduate or postgraduate study. Inbound enquiries are received through multiple communications channels and this postholder will answer questions or seek specialist support where appropriate. They will also contribute to the wider student recruitment activities, such as open days, supporting the organisation and delivery.

Main Duties 

Providing a high level of front-line service to all those making enquiries: 

•    Responding to all forms of enquiry; web, email, phone, social media, in person 
•    Responding to a broad range of enquirers across the breadth of the applicant lifecycle, including international, parents, teachers and internal members of staff 
•    Conducting assessment and escalation of enquiries where appropriate, whilst being responsible for the successful completion of all escalated enquiries
•    Monitor levels and types of enquiries, reporting to the line manager as appropriate 
•    Ensuring all enquiries are accurately recorded and registered for reporting and quality control purposes 
•    Review and update the knowledge base in response to enquiry trends, where appropriate and without the need for external verification, update/remove existing content 
•    Establish and maintain links with key contacts from other professional services/college teams and colleagues in External Relations to ensure the most accurate and up-to-date information is available to enquirers 
•    To be responsible for producing regular and ad hoc reports 
•    To alert the line manager of potential backlogs or system issues with the possibility of damaging knock-on effects
•    To lead, as appropriate, on specified areas of expertise, ensuring other team members are sufficiently briefed and providing expert advice where required to colleagues from the wider university 
•    To use their discretion and judgment to deal with complex enquiries and/or difficult person(s) and complaints without the need for escalation, and support other members of the team as appropriate 
•    Be competent in the use of both UG and PG Admissions systems and processes, as well as developing an appreciation and understanding of non-standard applications 
•    Be able to interpret complex information and assess against strict criteria when giving advice and guidance critical to an applicant enquiry 
•    Check current applications for completeness and/or their current status and providing the appropriate advice and support where required

Supporting broader student recruitment: 

•    Supporting the organisation and delivery of events such as open days, including providing expert advice at the events
•    Support with the administration of proactive communications to prospective students
•    Provide admin support for other student recruitment activities such as promotional materials and content

Other duties:

•    Participate in training and development 
•    Contribute to team activities
•    Helping induct new or temporary members of staff 
•    To undertake other tasks which will be required from time to time such as involvement in Confirmation and Clearing, outreach events and other general office duties

Person Specification 

•    Excellent customer service and interpersonal skills including politeness, diplomacy, tact and courtesy, as the role involves considerable contacts with others, both internal and external to the University; 
•    A good level of education overall with minimum Grade C at GCSE in English and Mathematics or equivalent; 
•    Good team working skills and the ability to work collaboratively across the wider team and beyond
•    A proactive approach to problem solving and difficult situations; 
•    Ability to prioritise workloads in the face of conflicting demands; 
•    The ability to adapt to new or demanding situations, and to demonstrate leadership on their areas on specific responsibility.
•    Accuracy and attention to detail in data entry and in providing information. 
•    Accuracy in use of oral and written English for answering queries in person, by telephone, in writing and composing emails and letters. 
•    Use of IT systems for data entry, retrieval, and general office operations. 
•    Able to handle confidential information and apply appropriate regulations.
•    Flexible approach to work 
•    An understanding of how providing excellent customer service is a key component of an integrated approach to recruitment. 
•    Evidence of ability to use diagnostic tools in triaging to be able to quickly and efficiently identify the needs of the enquirer.
•    Highly organised.
•    An up-to-date understanding of University developments and priorities, as well as an awareness of the wider Higher Education sector.

Informal enquiries can be made to Jennifer Brookes; [email protected] 

We value diversity at The University of Birmingham and welcome applications from all sections of the community
Valuing excellence; sustaining investment