POSITION DETAILS

Academic Services
Location: University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham UK
Full time starting salary is normally in the range £29,647 to £31,460, with potential progression once in post to £35,388
Grade: 5
Full Time, Permanent
Closing date: 30th March 2025

ROLE SUMMARY

The FGA Advisors undertake important activities associated with the University’s Degree Congregations and the administration of student loans, bursaries, scholarships, prizes and hardship funds. They act as an initial point of contact for the team, providing specialist information, advice and guidance on the various government support schemes and other financial help available to students. The post holder will be allocated a portfolio of scholarships and activities to support and will act as a key point of contact for colleagues across the University. They will also contribute to the development and maintenance of the Funding, Graduation & Awards (FGA) website, social media campaigns and associated communications. They will have opportunities to contribute to creative projects in support of the wider objectives of the team, working to provide an excellent graduation experience and finding innovative means of improving funding knowledge and financial capability amongst our students.

MAIN DUTIES

• To resolve student funding and graduation enquiries from prospective and current students, parents, staff and external stakeholders. The post holder will be expected to communicate important advice and financial information to students (and applicants), and to be actively involved in promoting and disseminating the work of FGA. Activities will include offering face-to-face advice at on-campus and virtual events, answering sensitive and complex enquiries via email and through online channels, escalating to senior members of the team if necessary.
• To contribute to the development and maintenance of FGA’s online presence, including Frequently Asked Questions, webpages, social media activities and direct emails. To undertake analytics and market research to assess the effectiveness and reach of this content, reporting on findings, identifying issues and making suggestions for improvements.
• To support the administrative and event-management work associated with Degree Congregations, helping to ensure the effective delivery of ceremonies and enhance the graduation experience.
• To liaise with colleagues across the University, gaining the necessary cooperation, trust and respect to facilitate a coordinated approach to the administration of awards and prizes. To be responsible for maintaining a comprehensive contact list, keeping written procedures up to date, and the construction of communications to students and staff as needed.
• To provide advice, training and support to users of the University Funding Administration System (UFAS). As a representative of the Funding, Graduation and Awards team, to set an appropriate tone for collaborative working across the group.
• To assess students’ applications for funding against eligibility criteria for a wide range of financial support packages within a specified time span, dealing with all aspects of the application process and enquiries. This will involve keeping students accurately informed at each stage of the process by communicating the rules governing the various awards, requesting additional evidence as required for the application, and transmitting decisions. The post holder will have a portfolio of awards and funding streams, for which they will be expected to develop and maintain expert knowledge of complex systems and procedures.
• To process financial awards to students, including US Loan allocations and government-funded bursaries, maintaining all associated records and documentation to ensure a comprehensive audit trail. This will include accurately inputting data on the appropriate computerised systems and using this information to generate reports and provide trend analysis.
• To liaise with a range of external organisations (for example, the Student Loans Company, NHS Business Services Authority, and Department for Education) to ensure that students get the funding they are entitled to receive and that issues are resolved in a timely manner.
• To undertake a range of administrative duties to support the work of the team. To maintain a working knowledge of the roles of other members of the FGA team to provide support during peak periods and cover for absences.
• To attend training courses and development activities, using relevant learning opportunities to improve results. The post holder will be expected to keep their knowledge of funding streams up to date, proactively finding opportunities to improve their understanding of these complex systems. To identify potential service improvement and suggest solutions to problems.
• To support equality and value diversity, moderating own behaviour to avoid unfair discriminatory impact or bias on others.
• To undertake such other duties commensurate with the grade as may be required from time to time by the Head of FGA or other senior members of the team.