Durham University
Senior Strategy, Planning, and Insight Officer
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Senior Strategy, Planning and Insight Officer
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. We believe that inspiring our people to do outstanding things at Durham enables Durham people to do outstanding things professionally and personally.
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.
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 Strategy, Planning and Insight Office (SPIO) aim to be an indispensable partner in driving forward Durham University’s positioning and performance, supporting decisions on our strategy, academic business model, critical initiatives, plans and investments. As the insight hub for the University, we bring together management information, business intelligence, market insight, sector intelligence, risk analysis, horizon scanning, forecasting, and modelling expertise. We seek to be at the forefront of professional practice in strategic analysis and planning, providing exceptional service in strengthening the reputation, quality and financial sustainability of the University.
The purpose of the Senior Officer role is to deliver analytical and planning work across multiple areas of the team’s functions. You will support one of our academic Faculties through the integrated planning process, developing a close understanding of the strategic opportunities and priorities for their departments, and proactively delivering key analysis and insights and guidance to support their development. You will also be involved more widely in supporting the key processes, such the Integrated Planning Process (IPP) and rankings analytics.
You will contribute to the team’s work in business intelligence, data analysis, and reporting; you may already have strong skills in this area, or we can offer significant training including the possibility of an advanced apprenticeship for those who want to develop their analytical or technical skills. We currently use Power BI and Alteryx; you will use these tools and support our customers to engage with the outputs we produce.
The team interacts with a wide range of other staff in the University, including members of the University Executive Committee (UEC), Research and Innovation Services (RIS), Recruitment and Admissions, and Marketing and Communications, to support the development and delivery of strategy. We are a customer-focussed and outward-looking team, with opportunities to be involved in many diverse areas of the University’s work.
Further information about the responsibilities of SPIO can be found at the end of this page.
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 30 days annual leave per year in addition to eight public holidays and four customary days per year – a total of 42 days per year. The University closes between Christmas and New Year.
- We offer a generous pension scheme, and as a new member of staff you will be automatically enrolled into the University Superannuation Scheme (USS).
- No matter how you travel to work, we have you covered. We have ample 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 also take advantage of our cost-effective and environmentally friendly Tusker Car Benefit Scheme, allowing you to lease a brand-new electric or hybrid vehicle with savings on tax and National Insurance.
- We have a genuine commitment to developing our colleagues professionally and personally. There is a comprehensive range of development courses, apprenticeships and access to qualifications and routes to develop your career in the University. All staff have dedicated annual time to concentrate on their personal development opportunities.
- 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.
- Our on-site nursery is rated Outstanding by Ofsted, and you can access holiday camps for children aged 5-16.
- 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).
- We offer all staff the opportunity to take part in volunteering activities to make a difference in the local community.
- 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.
- Various salary sacrifice schemes are also available to help you take advantage of tax savings on benefits.
- If you are moving to Durham, you may be eligible for help with removal costs, and we have a dedicated team who can help you with the practicalities such as house hunting and schools. If you need a visa, we cover most visa costs and offer an interest-free loan scheme to pay for dependant visas.
- Discover more about our total rewards and benefits package here.
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Durham University is committed to equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI)
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, EDI is 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, if 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.
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Where a criterion 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
Qualifications/Experience
- Educated to degree level (or equivalent experience).
- Professional practitioner with knowledge and expertise in the delivery and development of services and activities within the organisation.
- Experience of implementing policies and procedures and supporting change and service improvements.
- Experience of providing specialist advice and guidance to a range of customers and colleagues, including more senior colleagues.
- Experience of participating in internal or external networks to share and discuss good practice, develop strong and productive working relationships and positively influence an organisation’s reputation.
Skills/Abilities/Knowledge
- Accuracy, numeracy and the ability to analyse, interpret, contextualise and explain complex information and data sets to a variety of audiences. (*)
- Advanced skills in data analysis, interpretation and application (e.g., benchmarking, forecasting, market trend analysis, statistical techniques).
- Excellent spoken and written communication skills, with strong attention to detail.
- Demonstrable the ability to develop effective working relationships, both internally and externally.
- Strong digital competence across a variety of digital devices and apps including digital communication tools, Microsoft 365 applications, and data manipulation software.
- Committed to continuing professional development to maintain professional expertise and practice.
- Knowledge and experience of ensuring compliance with regulatory and organisational policy and guidelines.
- Ability to solve problems and decide on and plan appropriate solutions.
- Highly organised, able to successfully manage a varied workload to tight deadlines.
Desirable
- Knowledge and experience of the Higher Education sector and recent policy developments.
- Experience of using a data visualisation platform such as Power BI or Tableau to create effective and engaging reports.
- Experience of using an analytics platform such as Alteryx or Azure Synapse.
- Experience of delivering training.
- Knowledge and experience of risk management practices and principles.
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. It will be at the discretion of the recruiting panel as to whether they will also consider any desirable criteria, but we would urge candidates to provide evidence for all criteria. Please don’t forget to check if there are 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 throughout the selection process, via automated emails from our e-recruitment system. Please check your spam/junk folder periodically to make sure you have not missed any of our updates.
What you need to submit
- A CV
- A supporting statement or covering letter which outlines how you meet all the criteria within the Person Specification
Contact details
For a chat about the role or any further information, please contact Chris Walker, Head of Risk and Opportunity Management (christopher.walker@durham.ac.uk) or Adrian Bailes, Senior Planning Manager (adrian
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