Student Records & Awards Officer

at  University of Derby

JOB DETAILS

Department
The Registry
Responsible to
Senior Student Records and Awards Officer
Location
Kedleston Road, Derby Campus
Salary
£27,280 to £29,634 per annum (for exceptional performers, there is scope for further progression up to £34,090 per annum)
Closing date
Monday 30 September 2024
Contract type
Permanent
Post type
Full-time
Adaptive working type
Hybrid
This role will be based on site, primarily in the named location with the opportunity to work remotely available in line with our Adaptive Working Framework.
Reference
0270-24
About the University
We have one simple promise – to make a positive impact. Through our ground-breaking research, teaching excellence and commitment to sustainable living, we are changing lives for the better.
The University of Derby is a modern university with a modern outlook. Everything we do is driven by delivering excellence and opportunities for our students, our staff and our region.
We have some of the best university facilities in the UK and achieve outstanding results for our teaching and research and have been awarded Gold in the prestigious Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) 2023 – making it one of the top universities in the country recognised for its outstanding student experience and student outcomes.
Financially strong and seriously ambitious we offer our employees an inclusive culture that centres itself around staff wellbeing, where you can be confident you will receive all the help and encouragement you need to build a rewarding career with lots of opportunities to enhance your skills.
About the College/Department
The Registry strives to provide an outstanding service to all our users and to be thought leaders in our fields of expertise, developing research informed practise. Registry teams work collaboratively with stakeholders to deliver a high-performance culture that promotes wellbeing, diversity and opportunity for all, supporting excellent student experience.
Located within The Registry - Student Records & Awards (SRA) is the centralised function for the governance and assurance of the student record journey – from the point of enrolment through to graduation ceremony. This key role is within the Assessment and Awards theme of Student Records and Awards.
About the role
Working in a fast past customer service team, you will deliver a valuable service to students, and a high standard of supporting administrative functions, through the provision of information, advice and guidance services. You will provide operational delivery, monitoring and line management in the central student records, exams, awards and graduation service for the institution by working collaboratively with the Research Student Office and College Registry Teams. This will entail working at various levels across the institution on planning and delivery in line with university regulations, university policies and strategy. Creating and monitoring transactional data to meet operational priorities and to ensure agreed service levels are met effectively and efficiently. Additionally taking a supporting role on institutional liaison with external organisations and representative bodies.
Working closely with the Senior Student Records and Awards Officer you will operationally support and line-manage the Student Records & Awards team and work closely with key stakeholders to ensure a process of fair and compliant records, fees/funding, exams, awards and graduation management at the University.
About You
This role requires experience of line management. Key to the role is your ability to demonstrate good judgement within all situations be they in person, written or over the telephone, and have the ability to respond appropriately, professionally and within the regulations.
You will have excellent attention to detail with the ability to follow processes and procedures. You will have experience of managing priorities, planning own workload, whilst taking a sense of ownership as relevant to the role. Being able to demonstrate excellent customer service is essential.

Principal accountabilities

• Support with the line management to the Senior Student Records & Awards Advisors ensuring that they are enabled and supported to deliver excellent services, in line with the goals set out by the Senior Student Records and Awards Officer and Assistant Registrar. This would include regular one-to-ones, objective setting and reviewing and managing performance of individuals and recruitment of new staff.
• Support with the upholding and guard the student, academic and research regulations and policies and the interpretation of them. Hold the same regard for other internal/external policies and procedures. Work with the Assistant Registrar to implement practice which enhances the student experience and upholds the values of equality, diversity and inclusion.
• Support with the effective and timely delivery of seamless processes for the delivery of the University assessment, awards, conferment’s and graduation ceremonies. This will include working in continuous collaboration with the Colleges and professional services and continuous audit to ensure accuracy of the timetables and to resolve any omissions or errors on the information with the relevant stakeholders.
• Operationally manage and monitor the service delivery, highlighting complex queries, issues and areas of improvement for records, fees/funding, exams, awards and graduation management and associated KPI’s. This will include research and recommendation of regulatory changes, ensuring effective governance of data for external returns e.g. HESA and metrics for university league tables.
• Maintain and evolve further the student-centred culture to support institutional goals for student experience, retention and progression. In doing so, to continually improve the approach, tools and methodologies used by Student Records & Awards (and thus transferred into Research, College Registry teams and other business units) when supporting student needs.
• Uphold and guard relevant university & UKVI regulations and policies and the interpretation of them ensuring that internal processes are fit for purpose.
• Work with the Senior Student Records and Awards Officer to implement practice which enhances the student experience and upholds the values of equality, diversity and inclusion.
• Ensure that customer services provided to University staff, applicants and students are delivered efficiently and to a high standard. Assist in establishing service level agreements with internal customers and service providers.
• Support institutional liaison with relevant bodies and in particular helping gather information to assist with responding to consultations and directives as required.
• Ensure clear, effective and timely communication as appropriate to internal and external stakeholders. Maintain accurate records to enable evidence-based challenge and support.
• Create and maintain effective audits and monitoring processes using transactional data to ensure quality assurance of work undertaken. Have insight on bottlenecks and workload levels of team members to redistribute work as needed to plug gaps and maximise resources.
• Deputise for/represent the Senior Student Records and Awards Officer when required by supporting management of relationships and the profile of the Student Records and Awards area.
• Help ensure that at all times the teams act in a responsible, professional manner and comply with General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) and data security legislation/policy. In doing so, ensure data is extracted, shared, handled and stored appropriately and removed responsibly in accordance to the University’s retention policy.
• Develop and document all the key operational policies, procedures and standards and ensure they are regularly reviewed and updated. Provide training and development on these policies and procedures on a regular basis to ensure relevancy of practice and compliance across all business units.
• Provide a good level of technical expertise, support and tactics to benefit effectiveness of operational activity, student experience, retention, progression and compliance.
• Contribute to and assist with preparing for team meetings, briefings, committees/groups and training.
• Help develop and deliver a programme of induction, training and continuous development for staff from The Registry, College Registry teams, academics in Colleges and relevant business units to ensure a deep understanding of relevant procedures, delivery schedule, systems, data/reporting, compliance requirements and technicalities.
• Provide advice, guidance and instruction as needed to the team for complex cases.
• Acknowledge, investigate and respond to FOI, Subject Access Requests and informal/formal complaints as expected and in doing so highlighting any change in practice that may be required.

Person specification

QUALIFICATIONS

• HND (or equivalent qualification) or comparable knowledge and transferable skills gained through professional experience

EXPERIENCE

• Experience of managing and leading a team and successfully managing competing priorities within a resource-limited environment effectively
• Experience of successful implementation of business processes and systems
• Experience of managing change at an operational level
• Experience of understanding requirements, planning work and managing expectations
• Operational leadership of a successful service

SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE & ABILITIES

• Working collaboratively across boundaries to achieve common goals
• Building and maintaining strong working relationships at all levels across an organisation
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills including the ability to demonstrate tact and diplomacy in dealing with a wide range of contacts both internal and external to the University
• Strong customer and service focus, and able to take ownership of the customers experience and deliver excellence
• Excellent organisational skills and ability to take ownership to manage own time, solve problems and team priorities effectively
• Excellent writing skills
• Good judgement of situations and people and the ability to respond appropriately, professionally and commendably
• Ability to adapt and be flexible
• Ability to understand and apply regulations/rules e.g. GDPR
• Confident to demonstrate digital competency across a range of technologies, including but not limited to Microsoft Office
• Create innovative solutions to problems, addressing the root cause and thus making a positive impact
• Good level of ability in people and operational leadership and management
• Good analytical skills and ability to convey messages
• Consistently act a positive role model to the team and strives for all team members to perform to their highest potential by inspiring and motivating others to achieve their best at all times.
• Resilient and able to work through service pressures methodically and calmly
• Ability to be flexible and adaptable with the ability to work across teams, building and developing effective relationships to ensure the best result for the team.
• Focused and driven to achieve excellence in their own work and the work of others.
• Ability to think outside of the box and strives to constantly deliver efficient ways of working, creating a team ethos that this is the norm.
• Ability to consider a problem through widely asking searching questions. Ability to look at things from all aspects to produce innovative solutions.

BUSINESS REQUIREMENTS

• Willing and able to work flexibly including, when required, outside of normal hours at times as relevant to achieving service delivery, targets and deadlines
• Willing and able to travel and work at any of the University sites as relevant to support staff, attend events, meetings or for presence.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Degree qualification or equivalent
• IT qualifications (or equivalent experience) e.g. excel, access, web development, Share-point, MS 365, MS Teams
• Relevant professional body membership

SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE AND ABILITIES

• Significant management experience in a busy office environment
• Experience of working in a records, fees/funding, exams or awards team
• Experience of working in the Higher Education sector
• Understanding of a post-16 vocational institution

Benefits

• Generous annual leave entitlement of 38 days inclusive of bank holidays and concessionary days (pro rata)
• Local Government Pension Scheme
• Suite of holistic wellbeing benefits and support including family-friendly policies, generous sick pay provision and comprehensive Employee Assistance Programme
• Access to a variety of staff discounts at high street retailers
• Discounted onsite gym
• Discounted access to Devonshire Spa
• Cycle to Work scheme
• A flexible working environment
• A commitment to personal and professional development

Find out more about rewards and benefitsFind out more about rewards and benefits
Key contact
For further information and informal enquiries regarding the role, please contact Emma Richardson, Senior Student Records and Awards Officer via e.richardson@derby.ac.uk
For enquiries regarding your application and for sponsorship eligibility, please contact the recruitment team via recruitment@derby.ac.uk.
Be part of something extraordinary, apply now

• Support with the line management to the Senior Student Records & Awards Advisors ensuring that they are enabled and supported to deliver excellent services, in line with the goals set out by the Senior Student Records and Awards Officer and Assistant Registrar. This would include regular one-to-ones, objective setting and reviewing and managing performance of individuals and recruitment of new staff.
• Support with the upholding and guard the student, academic and research regulations and policies and the interpretation of them. Hold the same regard for other internal/external policies and procedures. Work with the Assistant Registrar to implement practice which enhances the student experience and upholds the values of equality, diversity and inclusion.
• Support with the effective and timely delivery of seamless processes for the delivery of the University assessment, awards, conferment’s and graduation ceremonies. This will include working in continuous collaboration with the Colleges and professional services and continuous audit to ensure accuracy of the timetables and to resolve any omissions or errors on the information with the relevant stakeholders.
• Operationally manage and monitor the service delivery, highlighting complex queries, issues and areas of improvement for records, fees/funding, exams, awards and graduation management and associated KPI’s. This will include research and recommendation of regulatory changes, ensuring effective governance of data for external returns e.g. HESA and metrics for university league tables.
• Maintain and evolve further the student-centred culture to support institutional goals for student experience, retention and progression. In doing so, to continually improve the approach, tools and methodologies used by Student Records & Awards (and thus transferred into Research, College Registry teams and other business units) when supporting student needs.
• Uphold and guard relevant university & UKVI regulations and policies and the interpretation of them ensuring that internal processes are fit for purpose.
• Work with the Senior Student Records and Awards Officer to implement practice which enhances the student experience and upholds the values of equality, diversity and inclusion.
• Ensure that customer services provided to University staff, applicants and students are delivered efficiently and to a high standard. Assist in establishing service level agreements with internal customers and service providers.
• Support institutional liaison with relevant bodies and in particular helping gather information to assist with responding to consultations and directives as required.
• Ensure clear, effective and timely communication as appropriate to internal and external stakeholders. Maintain accurate records to enable evidence-based challenge and support.
• Create and maintain effective audits and monitoring processes using transactional data to ensure quality assurance of work undertaken. Have insight on bottlenecks and workload levels of team members to redistribute work as needed to plug gaps and maximise resources.
• Deputise for/represent the Senior Student Records and Awards Officer when required by supporting management of relationships and the profile of the Student Records and Awards area.
• Help ensure that at all times the teams act in a responsible, professional manner and comply with General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) and data security legislation/policy. In doing so, ensure data is extracted, shared, handled and stored appropriately and removed responsibly in accordance to the University’s retention policy.
• Develop and document all the key operational policies, procedures and standards and ensure they are regularly reviewed and updated. Provide training and development on these policies and procedures on a regular basis to ensure relevancy of practice and compliance across all business units.
• Provide a good level of technical expertise, support and tactics to benefit effectiveness of operational activity, student experience, retention, progression and compliance.
• Contribute to and assist with preparing for team meetings, briefings, committees/groups and training.
• Help develop and deliver a programme of induction, training and continuous development for staff from The Registry, College Registry teams, academics in Colleges and relevant business units to ensure a deep understanding of relevant procedures, delivery schedule, systems, data/reporting, compliance requirements and technicalities.
• Provide advice, guidance and instruction as needed to the team for complex cases.
• Acknowledge, investigate and respond to FOI, Subject Access Requests and informal/formal complaints as expected and in doing so highlighting any change in practice that may be required