Change and Benefits Realisation Manager - Academic Services - 81375 - Grade 8

at  University of Birmingham

POSITION DETAILS

Academic Services
Location: University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham UK
Full time starting salary is normally in the range £45,585 to £54,395 with potential progression once in post to £61,198
Grade: 8
Full Time, Fixed Term contract up to September 2026
Closing date: 1st October 2024
This role is also open as an internal secondment opportunity which would need to be agreed by your current line manager.

QUALIFICATIONS

• A first degree (First or Upper Second) or equivalent.
• A postgraduate qualification in a relevant field is desirable.

SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

• Relevant professional experience in a complex Higher Education Institution.
• Experience of developing effective networks and strong relationships with academics, Professional Services and other partners.
• Demonstrable experience in a benefits management environment
• Experience of the development/implementation of benefits management strategies, techniques, processes and tools.
• Relevant Change Management qualification, ideally the ADKAR methodology as a PROSCI Change Management Practitioner
• Demonstrable experience of cost benefit analysis methods, benefit mapping and benefit profiling tools
• Proven record of pro-active senior stakeholder engagement and working directly with executive teams, Senior Responsible Owners and corporate finance
• Application of structured business improvement techniques to identify business benefits
• Experience in challenging existing practises to support the organisation to continuously deliver benefits
• Strong facilitation skills, including workshops, and face-to-face.
• Outstanding writing skills, with the ability to write/prepare high quality papers, presentations, reports and briefings to Programme Board and University Committee level. This includes a clear style of communication and the ability to write for different audiences.
• Highly developed research skills and experience of producing and analysing complex source material, information and data and turning these into purposeful reports that influence policy and assist decision making.
• Demonstrable experience of successful management of a range of highly complex cultural change projects of a comparable size
• Excellent oral communication and presentation skills.
• Be able to exercise discretion regarding the handling and management of sensitive information.
• Excellent IT, organisational and administrative skills.
• An ability to work simultaneously and effectively to progress several different tasks.
• Experience of working as part of a team, not of all whom are within the same line management structure and where it may be necessary to persuade those who are in a more senior position.

PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS AND KNOWLEDGE

• Strong intellectual ability and the ability to apply this to management tasks.
• Knowledge of recognised methodologies for systematic process reviews such as lean, systems thinking, six sigma etc., and the situations in which these are most appropriately applied.
• A high degree of initiative, personal judgement, resourcefulness, tenacity, resilience and a self-motivating approach. The ability to complete tasks based on only broad direction and with minimum supervision.
• Enthusiasm and willingness to meet challenging demands, working to different people, deadlines and within budget.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, including tact and diplomacy. The post holder must inspire confidence and command authority with a range of colleagues including senior academic colleagues, senior University managers, and external contacts.Significant interest in and knowledge of higher education policy context at a national and international level, including an understanding of and empathy with academic priorities.
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  Informal enquiries to Mary Li m.li@bham.ac.uk
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ROLE SUMMARY

StARS (Student Administration Refresh and Simplification) is a University-wide programme to simplify, standardise and improve our student administration services, enabled by a replacement and upgrade of our student record system. Its vision is to deliver a better experience for students, academics and Professional Services staff; and enables a fundamental shift towards a more flexible set of capabilities and services that are fit for the future.
This is a key role in the successful delivery of the changes required to achieve the benefits associated with the StARS Programme. This ambitious programme will deliver significant business change to enhance the effectiveness of our services and deliver a more responsive and personalised approach for both students and staff. This programme will be delivered in partnership with colleges and wider-University Professional Services, and in conjunction with a refresh to the student record system, Banner.
The successful applicant will combine a track record of delivering change in complex organisations with a collaborative approach and a flair for communication and engagement. They will help to shape the change agenda, ensuring the programme delivers against the strategic priorities of the University.
Reporting to the Lead for Business Change and Benefits, the postholder will be responsible for leading the team of Business Change Officers, developing and managing an appropriate change strategy and implementing and delivering process improvement methodologies, across all phases of the Programme. This will require close working with the Programme Director(s), Lead for Business Change and Benefits and Project Managers, academic and professional services colleagues from across the University to ensure the benefits and associated changes are identified and validated.
Whilst the post holder will work full time on the Programme, they will also have close links with the Strategic Change Team which is responsible for supporting a portfolio of complex change initiatives of strategic importance across the University.