Admissions Coordinator

Academic Office

Grade 5: – £24,285 – £27,131 per annum

Fixed Term – Full Time

Contract Duration: Fixed term till 31 October 2023

Contracted Hours per Week: 35

Closing Date: 29-Sep-2022, 6:59:00 AM

The closing date for applications is Wednesday 28th September at midnight.

Important Information

1 full time position fixed term until 31 October 2023

Please note that when applying you will be considered for all positions. If invited to interview, you will be able to express a preference for the role.

Reward And Benefits

To support the delivery of the University’s People Strategy to attract, retain and reward the very best, we offer a fantastic range of rewards and benefits to our staff, including:
27 days annual leave, plus 4 customary days and 8 bank holidays (pro-rata for part time) and the option to purchase additional leave;
Automatic enrolment into a pension scheme;
Corporate and local discounts;
Wellbeing resources and discounted health benefits;
Health discounts on sports and activities at Maiden Castle Health and Activity Centre;
Reward and Recognition Schemes;
Personal and career development;
And SO much more, with further information available here

When appointing to this role the University must ensure that it meets any applicable immigration requirements, including salary thresholds which are applicable to some visas.

The Department And Role Purpose

Based in the Global Division, Recruitment and Admissions Services brings together a number of teams providing services in events, enquiry management, CRM, data analysis and forecasting, projects and compliance and admissions. It provides an essential service to the University in ensuring its financial sustainability and in delivering student number growth and increasing diversity in line with strategic aims and targets. We are the public face of the University in UK schools and colleges, through our contact with prospects, enquirers and applicants across the world and through our events programme. The team includes a range of professionals from a number of specialisms including administrators, decision makers, data analysts and forecasters, IT specialists, designers and marketers, events managers and recruiters.

The Admissions Coordinator supports a professional, knowledgeable, effective and efficient admissions service delivering the University’s strategic aims and targets and ensuring that University and external regulations and policies are adhered to. The post involves processing applications with a focus on certain departments and/or applicants, applying judgement to independently make criteria-based decisions. The post will take a lead within the admissions team on an area of work, identifying opportunities to make improvements where possible and then promoting these ideas to others. It also involves providing information, advice and guidance and developing positive working relationships with other staff within Recruitment and Admissions, across the wider University, and beyond. A commitment to maximising personal and team effectiveness and the principles of equality and diversity is essential.

Core Responsibilities
Act as more knowledgeable team member without responsibility for team members.
Plan and organise own workload with or without involvement with project work streams.
Resolve queries and requests for information and advice and escalate more specialist and complex queries or issues to more experienced team members.
Provide advice, guidance, information and training where necessary to team members on admissions decision making, data handling and recording to disseminate and share practice.
Contribute to the ADR process, assisting with the identification of development needs where appropriate.
Supervise the implementation of changes to service procedures and practice.
Contribute to individual and collaborative decision making with joint planning and team objectives to meet excellence in the stakeholder experience.
Provide feedback to team members about the monitoring and achievement of team objectives and performance expectations.
Work collaboratively across the organisation and/or externally with colleagues and stakeholders to deliver a service.
Provide guidance and advice to resolve problems and queries for a broad range of service users.
Plan and organise own workload and activities for others with or without involvement with other project work streams.
Organise and schedule resources, activities and events. Identify priorities and monitor processes and activities to ensure success.
Analyse work activities to ensure the effective and efficient use of capital and consumable equipment and resources.
Liaise with contacts internally and externally to build links to pass on information for effective working.
Advise others and make recommendations into work processes and procedures for consideration by senior management to improve services.

Role Responsibilities
Deliver support services to ensure the effective and efficient running of admissions business processes and systems.
Independently apply judgement to make accurate decisions on applications in accordance with agreed criteria, ensuring applications are processed in line with University and external regulations.
Monitor and evaluate service delivery to ensure compliance with regulatory and professional procedures and standards.
Collaborate with colleagues across professional and administrative areas to ensure seamless admissions service provision.
Monitor data accuracy checks to identify anomalies and ensure the integrity of decision making and data and information.
Update data and information on systems and media for recording, storing, communicating and informing service users and team members.
Work with internal and external partners (in particular admissions leads in academic departments) to deliver cross-functional admissions services and activities.
Work with internal and external partners to deliver cross-functional services and activities.
Analyse data and statistics and provide reports for higher level decision makers.
Accurately record information and data and disseminate within internal networks including committees.
Contribute to the development and implementation of admissions policy and procedures.
Provide expert information, advice and guidance to external customers and their advisors in writing and verbally.
This includes participation in recruitment events, such as open days.
Any other reasonable duties.

Specific Role Requirements

Occasional weekend/evening working will be required. This is to attend external events and assist with tasks such as open days and undergraduate confirmation. Due to the operational needs of the Office, annual leave is not permitted between the receipt of A level results and the 31st August each year, and the number of staff permitted to be on annual leave during September and other peak periods is restricted.

Working Arrangements

At Durham we recognise that our staff and students are our greatest asset and we want to support the health and wellbeing of all. Hybrid working supports this ethos and provides many benefits to our colleagues, including empowering people, where their role allows, to work in a manner which is more suitable for them, whilst encouraging our commitment to environmental sustainability.

Depending on the needs of the business and the job role, Durham University is piloting hybrid working for all Professional Services colleagues in the academic year 2021/2022, which may include the opportunity to work both on and off campus and to flex working hours. If appointed to the post, your line-manager will discuss the specific arrangements with you. Any hybrid arrangements are non-contractual and may change within the pilot and when the pilot ends.

Durham University

OUR CHARACTERISTICS: We are a globally outstanding centre of teaching and research excellence, a collegiate community of extraordinary people, in a unique and historic setting.

OUR VALUES: We are inspiring, challenging, innovative, responsible and enabling.

Durham University is one of the world’s top universities with strengths across the Arts and Humanities, Business, Sciences and Social Sciences. We are home to some of the most talented scholars and researchers from around the world who are tackling global issues and making a difference to people’s lives.

The University sits in a beautiful historic city where it shares ownership of a UNESCO World Heritage Site with Durham Cathedral, the greatest Romanesque building in Western Europe. A collegiate University, Durham recruits outstanding students from across the world and offers an unmatched wider student experience.

Durham University seeks to promote and maintain an inclusive and supportive environment for work and study that assists all members of our University community to reach their full potential. Diversity brings strength and we welcome applications from across the international, national and regional communities that we work with and serve.

It Is Expected That All Staff Within The University
Contribute to our learning culture by engaging in mentoring, training and coaching.
Positively contribute to fostering a collegial environment; as well as demonstrating commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion.
Have due regard to Health and Safety requirements appropriate to grade and role.

Family key attributes

Roles in this family provide a comprehensive service and deliver the efficient administration and governance of the University.

Overall family purpose
Deliver direct and indirect services to stakeholders.
Provide advice and answer queries as part of an enquiry-desk/help-desk function.
Respond to and manage requests for information and resources.
Deliver services to meet regulatory requirements and procedures.
Plan and deliver a joined-up approach to University business and people services.
Align business processes and services to meet operational and strategic policy objectives.
Deliver business processes to ensure effective management, governance and the economic viability of the University.
Encourage, collaborate and participate in the development of productive cross-institution relationships and working.
Provide excellent professional services that meet strategic and operational goals and business needs.
Carry out monitoring, analysis, development and planning to design new services and service updates for continuous improvement whilst meeting changes in regulations.
Engage with specialist professionals, consultants, and suppliers to exchange knowledge and facilitate partnership working.
Work collaboratively and network across the University with staff in other families to ensure a smooth, timely and high-quality delivery of service.
Align and deliver programmes and activities to meet operational and strategic objectives to enhance the stakeholder experience.
Engage and encourage participation with external professionals, schools, alumni and donors.

Link to key strategic plan
An economically sustainable approach to delivering Professional Services across the University;
A joined-up approach to University professional services, regardless of location or line management;
A culture and practice of continuous improvement;
Design services that meet business need;
A stakeholder-focused orientation, offering satisfying careers to all staff;
Support and facilitate programmes that offer intellectual challenge, cohesiveness and a strong sense of progression;
Ensure that an increasingly diverse workforce is treated equally, fairly and with respect, and that all staff are demonstrably valued and actively engaged.

Recruiting to this post

In order to be considered for interview, candidates must evidence each of the essential criteria required for the role in the person specification. In some cases, the recruiting panel may also consider the desirable criteria, so we recommend you evidence all criteria in your application.

Please note that some criteria will only be considered at interview stage.

How To Apply

We prefer to receive applications online.

Please note that in submitting your application Durham University will be processing your data. We would ask you to consider the relevant University Privacy Statement https://www.dur.ac.uk/ig/dp/privacy/pnjobapplicants/ which provides information on the collation, storing and use of data.

Information if you have a disability

The University welcomes applications from disabled people. 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, adjustments will be made to support people within their role.

If you are unable to complete your application via our recruitment system, please get in touch with us on [email protected].

What You Are Required To Submit
A CV;
Completion of the application questions with examples of how you satisfy the person specification criteria. Please ensure you give detailed examples of how you meet these criteria.

Please ensure that you submit all documentation listed above or your application cannot proceed to the next stage.

Contact details

For further information regarding this post, please contact;

Charlotte Hogg, [email protected] for posts in the UG Admissions Team

Contact information for technical difficulties when submitting your application

If you encounter technical difficulties when using the online application form, we prefer you send enquiries by email. Please send your name along with a brief description of the problem you’re experiencing to [email protected]

We will notify you on the status of 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 ensure you receive all emails.

At Durham University, our aim is to create an open and inclusive environment where everyone can reach their full potential and believe our staff should reflect the diversity of the global community in which we work. We welcome and encourage applications from members of groups who are under-represented in our work force including people with disabilities, women and black, Asian and minority ethnic communities.

As a University we foster a collegiate community of extraordinary people aligned to the University’s values. Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) are a key part of the University’s Strategy and a central part of everything we do. 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, and in doing so, recruit the world’s best candidates from all backgrounds and identities. It’s important to us that all of our colleagues are aligned to both our values and commitment to EDI.

Essential Criteria

Person specification – skills, knowledge, qualifications and experience required
Ability to make criteria-based decisions and to think critically with sound judgement.
Excellent oral and written communication skills and the ability to develop effective working relationships, both internally and externally.
Advanced IT skills, including use of Microsoft Office.
Five GCSE’s at least Grade C or level four (or equivalent) including English Language and Mathematics (or equivalent experience).
Evidence of personal development to maintain skills.
Post-16 qualification or equivalent experience.
Relevant administrative experience in a busy, data-driven office environment.
Experience of working with complex administrative processes and requiring a high level of accuracy and attention to detail.
Demonstrable ability to proactively work with team members to ensure the delivery of high quality services.
Experience of working on the front line in a busy environment, and the ability to work under pressure and meet tight deadlines without compromising on quality.
Demonstrable ability to provide high quality advice and guidance to a range of customers and colleagues.
Ability to solve problems as part of a team and resolve issues, plan solutions and make pragmatic decisions.
Ability to effectively network and exchange advice and information for development purposes.

Desirable Criteria
A good understanding of the student experience provided at Durham University
Knowledge and experience of Higher Education admissions processes, including making decisions on applications.
Knowledge of UKVI student visa regulations.

DBS Requirement: Not Applicable.