What you need to demonstrate when you apply

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

1. Five GCSEs at least Grade C or level four (or equivalent), including English.
2. Administrative experience within a university or equivalent office environment.
3. Experience of working with budgets and previous responsibility for recording and reporting financial expenditure.
4. Experience of working with university students, or an equivalent age group (18–30), in an educational setting.
5. Experience of working with external partners and stakeholders.
6. Experience of working collaboratively with other team members to ensure the delivery of high-quality services, as well as evidence of working independently when required.
7. Experience of managing spreadsheets and Microsoft Forms, with demonstrable attention to detail.
8. Experience of supporting marketing and communications, including the use of platforms such as Canva and PowerPoint, and social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn.

Skills/Abilities/Knowledge

1. Effective communication skills, both written and verbal – aspects of the role will require short presentations being delivered to student groups.
2. Excellent digital skills, including but not limited to Microsoft 365, Teams, Zoom, email, LinkedIn. Willingness to learn new systems, if required.
3. Excellent customer service skills including the ability to engage with a range of different audiences.
4. Strong attention to detail with a systematic approach to tasks, including an ability to prioritise own workload to manage competing demands on time.
5. Ability to work flexibly when required – this may include working outside normal 9-to-5 hours and occasional overnight stays away from Durham.
6. Strong interpersonal skills to assist with working collaboratively with students on a regular basis.

Desirable Criteria

1. Willingness to learn new skills and undertake continuous professional development.
2. Familiarity with web updating within the T4 environment.

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, please contact Chantelle Cumming, Senior Manager: chantelle.cumming@durham.ac.uk.

Typical Role Requirements

• Contribute to equality, diversity and inclusion and the University’s values.
• 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 and make recommendations based on your findings.
• Scholar Recruitment: including setting up the online application process via the Pebblepad/Microsoft Forms of equivalent system, supporting the Senior Manager with liaising with internal and external stakeholders to ensure opportunities are widely and equitably marketed, providing support to the selection panel and collating information about the participants, under the supervision of the Senior Manager of the Laidlaw Leadership and Research Programme. This will also involve working with internal University stakeholders and the Laidlaw Marketing team to ensure brand compliance.
• Laidlaw Financial and Programme Reporting: including reporting on financial income and expenditure related to the Laidlaw programme, and compiling relevant reports for internal and external colleagues, under the supervision of the Senior Manager for the Laidlaw Leadership and Research Programme.
• Enhance Durham University’s reputation by providing support to the running of internal and external outreach activities.
• Monitor and analyse the use of relevant IT platforms, and the Scholars Network to ensure efficiency, and report your findings to senior colleagues.
• Provide administrative support for managing workshops: including use of the Personal Development Management (PDMS) software, CANVA, Microsoft Forms, PebblePad, and processing of attendance and evaluation records.
• Monitor feedback on the services and identify changes that will improve the service level that is provided and compliance.
• Ensure that information recorded is accurate and provide reports and analysis of patterns and trends to senior colleagues.
• Prepare reports for consideration by senior managers.
• Support the welfare of students and refer them to appropriate support services when necessary.
• Provide administrative support for some financial operations, which may include ordering and invoicing, processing timesheets, tracking financial spend, monitoring budgets and other associated tasks.
• Assisting in any other office duties, as required.

Planning and Organising

• Plan and organise own workload to deliver the role.
• Organise and schedule assigned resources, activities and events.
• Monitor processes and activities to ensure team priorities are met.
• Help manage and coordinate events, conferences and other activities.
• Laidlaw Scholar Event Management: including sourcing and booking venues, providing appropriate resources, and ensuring accurate event records are maintained, under the supervision of the Senior Manager of the Laidlaw Leadership and Research Programme.
• Assisting students with their travel requirements working alongside Key Travel to ensure all travel is coordinated and aligned to the students Leadership in Action, or conference requirements, reporting to the Senior Manager for the Laidlaw Leadership and Research Programme for approval.
• Supporting Laidlaw Scholars with the completion of their Risk Assessments prior to their travel, with overall support from the Senior Manager for the Laidlaw Leadership and Research Programme.

Teamwork

• Provide specialist support and advice to Laid