Department Overview

The Educational Equity Initiative (EEI) acts as a hub for education institutions, government agencies, philanthropists, employers and the private sector community groups and employers to work together to create more equitable learning pathways across the life-course. Its purpose is to generate a step-change in understanding of, and approaches to, educational equity, leading to better outcomes for people from disadvantaged and marginalised backgrounds, and the communities in which they live and work. It will deliver this through a programme of research, development and engagement generating a ‘Birmingham Education Policy Manifesto’ centred around the pursuit of more equitable outcomes, and by demonstrating through the University’s own work with partners across both the city-region and internationally how the policies advocated can be delivered in practice.

The Educational Equity Initiative has secured a major philanthropic investment (£1.2 million) to deliver the Teachers for Education Equity programme in Malaysia, working with refugee schools and other teacher development organisations (Teach for Malaysia). This is a complex programme of teacher development, research and knowledge exchange that spans multiple stakeholder organisations in Malaysia and the region. It operates across jurisdictions and will need to be underpinned by strong relationships with policy makers, UNHCR, and other international, governmental, non-governmental and philanthropic funders. The postholder will work closely with the Development and Alumni Relations Office (DARO) to keep the anchor funders and other donors updated. While the Teachers for Educational Equity pilot programme will run in Malaysia, core funders and EEI share the ambition of scaling the programme, up and out into additional international contexts in which education for refugee and undocumented children is extremely limited.

Role Summary

This post will manage the extension and development of this important and complex project. The post-holder will play a significant role in joining up resources and strategy across academic teams, internal specialist departments and external agencies.

The post holder will take responsibility for monitoring and managing the programme’s budget and fees model, the programme’s risk analysis, and work with multiple stakeholders to ensure regulatory compliance. They will compile reports for leadership, and work with DARO on the annual review and progress reports for our anchor funder, to trigger further fees payments as identified in the contract. They will work closely with colleagues from across the University to tell the stories of success and provide content for future funding proposals.

Working with Development and Alumni Relations (DARO) they will develop funding proposals to alumni and trusts; alongside working Research Support Services Division, to develop funding bids for research councils and international agencies. While the relationships that underpin the programme are targeted primarily for the expansion of the Teacher for Educational Equity Malaysia, they have potential to be of significant value more widely across the University.

The post holder will work collaboratively with the Academic Leads for Teachers for Educational Equity, with professional services colleagues in the School of Education and the senior philanthropy Manager (Asia) College of Social Sciences, including funding, development and alumni and communications specialists.

Main Duties

Project Delivery

Responsible for managing a large project with contributors from multiple areas. This will include some or all of the following:

• leading on the management of the project, including influencing and developing complex project plans; working with senior members of the College/Professional Service to identify and shape the strategic direction, operational plans, and key deliverables over the short, medium and long term. This will require your expert judgement to make decisions or to predict future impact of projects.
• identifying objectives and indicators of success, monitoring and recording impact for reports and updates to the donors and other stakeholders
• establish effective networking relationships with all stakeholders (which could include University Executive Board members, project boards, College Boards, senior professional services leaders, colleagues across the University and external organisations).
• managing the budget for the project as required and identifying changes to future fees funding models dependent on geolocation
• delivering project outputs agreed with senior management, on time, to budget and to the agreed quality standard. This will include day to day operational management of the project, with close stewardship of substantial and diverse funding sources.

Monitoring, evaluation and communication

• Develop and implement a comprehensive evaluation strategy for the project, including producing high quality written reports and analysis for a range of audiences including the University senior governance groups and major funders.
• Maintain a risk register as appropriate, and communicate risks in a timely manner, proactively proposing solutions.
• Engage and communicate with a variety of stakeholders to ensure progress but also to disseminate outputs of the project as appropriate. This will include developing internal and external networks with key senior stakeholders, partners and the wider community.

General

• Actively manages equality, diversity and inclusion through monitoring and evaluation and actively challenging unacceptable behaviour.
• Supports the University’s sustainability agenda through resource efficient working.
• Any other duties commensurate with the grade.

Required Knowledge, Skills, Qualifications, Experience

• Relevant degree or relevant equivalent professional qualification, plus significant project management experience (in increasingly large and/or complex projects) or substantial relevant experience evidencing the experience required in this role.
• Extensive experience of working with senior academic stakeholders, with proven skills in providing authoritative advice and guidance to senior audiences, and the ability to gain buy-in.
• Authoritative knowledge of the work practices, processes and procedures relevant to the role, including broader sector/commercial awareness.
• Ability of a high standard of professional writing and an ability to produce reports for senior stakeholders, and to produce and analyse source material, information and data.
• Proven ability to meet targets, with minimal supervision to deadlines, and the ability to work independently.
• Substantial experience of engaging, and collaborating, with internal and external stakeholders, acting in the best interests of the University’s reputation, the project, and its stakeholders.
• Proven analytical and problem-solving skills that will help to identify and implement improvements and efficiencies across the project or project, with the intellectual confidence to make complex, evidence driven proposals.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills with the ability to influence and negotiate effectively with a range of stakeholders.
• Experience of managing large