POSITION DETAILS

College of Engineering and Physical Sciences
Location: University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham UK
Full time starting salary is normally in the range £32,296 to £34,866 with potential progression once in post to £39,105
Grade: 6
Full Time, Fixed Term contract up to December 2025
Closing date: 20th March 2025
This role is also open as an internal secondment opportunity which would need to be agreed by your current line manager.

QUALITY ASSURANCE AND EDUCATION SUPPORT

• To develop and maintain effective and efficient administrative and organisational support for the Education Support and Quality function.
• Provide informed and relevant advice to Schools in all matters relating to taught programme administration.
• Provide expert advice in relation to data reporting and analysing data to senior academic staff within the College.
• Build effective networks and relationships with external and internal contacts.
• Act as a key contact and link between the School and other College and University support services and ensure that the appropriate academic and professional services staff are kept fully informed regarding changes and updates in practice and policy.
• Ensure that responsibilities are carried out in accordance with Policies, Codes of Practice and Regulations as defined by the School, College and University and to be pro-active in offering advice based on these regulations and procedures to students and staff where required and appropriate.
• Reviewing School and College policies and procedures, anticipating changes that may need to be made and suggesting improvements.
• Working closely with key members of academic and professional services staff to provide an effective administrative service in response to changing needs and priorities; advising other managers and colleagues on matters relating to programme administration and academic administrative support.
• Maintain a focus on the quality of the student experience in your service area, working collaboratively and creatively with colleagues to support student engagement and promote enhancement opportunities.
• Provide senior administrative support to internal and external reviews and audits, such as the Higher Education Review.

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, QUALIFICATIONS, EXPERIENCE

• Educated to Degree level (or equivalent level qualifications) - where no equivalent qualification is held, relevant work experience evidencing progression and development together with evidence of the transferable skills and ability to work at this level will normally be required.
• Educated to at least A Level standard or equivalent.
• Significant practical experience in a similar senior administrative role within a customer service-based environment.
• Experienced in a role where you are expected to provide staff support, development, and motivation.
• Significantly experienced in communicating and collaborating with all levels of staff and able to demonstrate a proven ability to set and maintain standards for your designated service, communicating your own expectations and possibly the expectations of senior colleagues.
• Able to influence change and decision making by evaluating work and analysing the benefits, costs and risks of alternative scenarios.
• Personally well organised, with high levels of team organisation skills, including the ability to ensure deadlines are met by prioritising the work of yourself and your team.
• Ability to work flexibly responding to changing business needs and changes to external legislation, for example Home Office rules and guidance.
• Ability to deal with confidential and sensitive data in accordance with appropriate legislation.
• Strong IT skills, including word-processing, databases and spreadsheets. Experience and a good working knowledge of large-scale data management systems, such as BOXI, or be sufficiently IT-literate (to a high standard) to be able to acquire such knowledge quickly and using own initiative which can be applied to the role.
• Experience of setting up and maintaining complex working systems.
• Experience of operating effectively and efficiently in a busy multifunctional environment, prioritising a heavy workload and working to tight deadlines, taking account of the needs of the main areas of activity in Schools and the variety of customers.
• Excellent communication skills; ability to communicate effectively with staff and students at a variety of different levels and from different professional backgrounds.
• A high degree of resourcefulness e.g. the ability to transfer existing knowledge to new situations to formulate a solution to a problem.
• Able to ensure accuracy, even when performing routine tasks and demonstrate attention to detail.
• An ability to independently and confidently seek out and apply or advise on matters of University of Birmingham legislation.
• Experience of working in higher education and familiarity with University procedures, policies, structures and systems is desirable but not essential.
• Knowledge of the protected characteristics of the Equality Act 2010, and how to actively ensure in day to day activity in own area that those with protected characteristics are treated equally and fairly.

ROLE SUMMARY

The College Education Support Team Manager is based within the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences, Education Support Team. The post holder will support the delivery of teaching and learning related activity across the College, which will involve managing a team of Professional Services support staff and working closely with key senior academic and professional services educational leads across the College.
The role is based within a fast-paced environment, therefore the ability to manage multiple deadlines and adapt quickly to changing priorities is key. A high degree of initiative and creativity in finding solutions to complex problems is actively encouraged and the post holder will be expected to proactively engage with/contribute to process improvement and the development of service delivery capability across the College.
The post holder will be responsible for developing systems and processes for operational activities in the College, advising on the most appropriate mechanisms for successful delivery, and recommending implementation. Additionally, an element of the role will involve leading on areas for improvement and delivering high-level project support to the Education function. This will include developing, implementing, and prioritising projects within the Education function, while the wider team provides education-related support across the College as needed
They will advise the Deputy Director of Operations (Education) and the Head of Operations (Education) on policy and procedural matters relevant to their role and be expected to work effectively and capably with professional and academic colleagues throughout the University.