Durham University
College Administration Coordinator
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The University
At Durham University we are proud of our people. A globally outstanding centre of educational excellence, a collegiate community of extraordinary people, a unique and historic setting – Durham is a university like no other.
Across the University we have a huge variety of roles and career opportunities, which together make us a large and successful community, which is a key hub of activity within our region and nationally. Whether you are at the very start, middle or end of your career, there is a role for you.
We believe everyone has their own unique skills to offer.
We would be thrilled if you would consider joining our thriving University. Further information about the University can be found here.
Find out more about the benefits of working at the University and what it is like to live and work in the Durham area on our Why Join Us? - Information Page.
The Role and the Department
The Colleges Division includes the 15 Maintained College and this role will be based in Van Mildert College, a large, diverse and welcoming college with a multi-disciplinary community of over 1500 undergraduates and postgraduate students and around 60 staff. Around 500 students live in College. The College works closely with its student common rooms to deliver an enriching student experience that is meaningful for all of its students. It also has a Senior Common Room and alumni community, both of which contribute to the life of the College. We offer opportunities for enrichment and support for all our students, including sports for every skill level, societies for every interest, our own theatre company, big band, house band, choir, dance troupe and more. We host brilliant events year-round, from balls and formal dinners to quizzes and live music nights.
The post-holder will be involved in a wide range of activities aimed at furthering the College and University strategy, especially in relation to the effective administration of the college. Working directly with the Principal and Vice Principal as part of a small team including support staff and student leaders, and liaising with operations staff, they will contribute to building a stimulating and welcoming community at the college.
The successful candidate will be a friendly and motivated individual with a passion to see students from diverse backgrounds progress academically, overcome challenges, and develop as mature, well-rounded individuals equipped to engage with difference. They will be an effective communicator with a strong sense of professionalism and a champion of the College’s values, creating an inclusive environment for all students within the vision, mission and ethos of Van Mildert College.
Further information about the role and the responsibilities is at the bottom of this job description.
Working at Durham
A competitive salary is only one part of the many fantastic benefits you will receive if you join the University:
- You’ll receive 27 days annual leave per year in addition to 8 public holidays and 4 customary days per year - a total of 39 days.
- No matter how you travel to work, we have you covered. We have parking across campus, a cycle to work scheme which helps you to buy a bike and discount with local bus and train companies.
- You can access exclusive discounts via our benefits portal including money off at supermarkets, high street retailers, IT products such as Apple, eating out and days out at various attractions.
- Our on-site nursery is rated Outstanding by Ofsted, and you can access holiday camps for children aged 5-16.
- We provide wide-ranging health and wellbeing support including discounted membership for our state-of-the-art sport and gym facilities and access to a 24-7 Employee Assistance Programme.
- We offer all staff the opportunity to take part in volunteering activities to make a difference to the local community.
- Our family friendly policies, including maternity and adoption leave, are among the most generous in the higher education sector (and likely above and beyond many employers).
- If you are keen on advancing in your role or career, we have a genuine passion for developing our colleagues from qualifications to IT skills, courses and apprenticeships.
- We offer generous pension schemes with varying contribution amounts to help you plan for your future.
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Durham University is committed to equality, diversity and inclusion
Our collective aim is to create an open and inclusive environment where everyone can reach their full potential and we believe our staff should reflect the diversity of the global community in which we work. As a University equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) are a key part of the University’s Strategy and a central part of everything we do. We also live by our values and our Staff Code of Conduct. At Durham we actively work towards providing an environment where our staff and students can study, work and live in a community which is supportive and inclusive.
We welcome and encourage applications from members of groups who are under-represented in our workforce including people with disabilities, women and black, Asian and minority ethnic communities. If you have taken time out of your career, and you feel it relevant, let us know about it in your application. If you are a candidate with a disability, we are committed to ensuring fair treatment throughout the recruitment process. We will make adjustments to support the interview process wherever it is reasonable to do so and, where successful, reasonable adjustments will be made to support people within their role.
What you need to demonstrate when you apply/Person Specification
When you apply it is important that you let us know what skills/experience you have from a similar role and/or what skills/experience you have which would make you right for this role. Further information about the role and responsibilities is at the end of this job description. Where a criteria has an asterisk* next to it, it may be given additional weighting when your application is considered.
Your application should cover the following criteria:
Essential Criteria
Qualifications/Experience
- Five GCSEs at least Grade C or level four (or equivalent) including English Language and Mathematics or a Post-16 qualification or equivalent experience.
- Experience of working in a busy office environment delivering front line administrative services to a high standard.
- Experience of managing time to meet deadlines and working under pressure without compromising on quality.
- Experience of providing advice and guidance to a range of customers and colleagues.
- Experience of supervising others.
Skills/Abilities/Knowledge
- Excellent spoken and written communication skills including the ability to develop effective working relationships, both internally and externally.
- Strong digital competence across a range of digital devices and apps including Microsoft 365 applications.
- Ability to solve problems yourself and as part of a team and resolve issues, plan solutions and make pragmatic decisions.
- Committed to continuing professional development.
- Ability to participate in networks to share and discuss good practice and exchange information.
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Desirable Criteria
- Experience of working in an educational setting
How to apply
To progress to the assessment stage, candidates must evidence each of the essential criteria required for the role in the person specification above. Where there are desirable criteria we would also urge you to provide any relevant evidence. Please don’t forget to check if there is any weighted criteria (see above).
While some criteria will be considered at the shortlisting stage, other criteria may be considered later in the assessment process, such as questions at interview.
Submitting your application
We prefer to receive applications online. We will update you about your application at various points during the process, via automated emails from our e-recruitment system. Please check your spam/junk folder periodically to ensure you receive all emails
What you are required to submit:
- A CV
- A supporting statement which shows examples of how you meet all of the criteria within the Person Specification
Contact details
If you would like to have a chat or ask any questions about the role, Deborah Monk, Vice Principal, would be happy to speak to you. Contact her at d.l.monk@durham.ac.uk.
Typical Role Requirements
Service Delivery
- Contribute to equality, diversity and inclusion, and the University’s values.
- Ensure that relevant regulatory and professional standards are reflected within services being delivered by your team.
- Supervise the implementation of changes to policies and procedures relating to your service area.
- Respond to queries and provide information/advice, while raising more specialist or complex queries with more experienced team members.
- Use your experience and problem-solving skills to investigate and resolve issues relevant to your role, including dealing with queries from students and colleagues and make recommendations based on your findings.
- Ensure that processes and business systems effectively support the services being delivered by the team, for example by maintaining our process library.
- Ensure that data is accurate and provide reports and analysis to senior colleagues and committees.
- Use digital media such as SharePoint, Canva and Social Media to update team members and communicate with colleagues, students and external contacts.
Planning and Organising
- Plan and organise your workload and the activities of other team members to deliver the role.
- Organise and schedule assigned activities and events.
- Contribute to planning the operational priorities of your team and make suggestions to senior colleagues on how to improve the service.
- Monitor processes and activities to ensure team priorities are met.
Teamwork and Team Development
- Supervise and delegate tasks to other members of the team and make sure that they are completed.
- Explain systems and procedures to new starters and provide specialist advice and guidance (including any training) to help less experienced team members carry out their role.
- Contribute to performance review processes by providing feedback on individual and team objectives and expectations and considering any development needs.
- Make changes to the services provided by your team in discussion with other team members.
- Identify opportunities and contribute to decisions on how to improve services being
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