Admissions Officer in Oxford

The College
Brasenose College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford and a registered charity that furthers education, learning and research for the public benefit. During the academic year, there are approximately 365 undergraduates and 250 graduates in residence studying for first degrees and higher degrees. It is one of Oxford’s most popular Colleges and prioritises academic excellence within a very friendly and supportive environment.

Please note this vacancy will close at noon on Tuesday, 9th June. However we reserve the right to close this vacancy early.

The College Office
The College Office is responsible for student administration within Brasenose. It performs a wide range of tasks including schools’ outreach and admissions (including organising interviews for prospective undergraduates), student registry administration (student enrolment, course changes and transcript production), examinations (including both University exams and internal college exams, known as collections). The office is situated in the heart of the College and consists of the Senior Tutor, the Academic Registrar, the Deputy Academic Registrar, the Admissions Officer, the Head of Access and Retention, the Outreach and Schools Liaison Coordinator, and the Academic Assistant. The post holder will report formally to the Senior Tutor.

Admissions at Brasenose College
Brasenose’s core admissions objective is to recruit students with the greatest potential to benefit from an Oxford education, regardless of background. In recent years, the College has attracted a large number of applications from an increasingly diverse range of candidates seeking to become undergraduate or graduate members. On the undergraduate side, Brasenose admits 112 students a year across a balanced range of Humanities, Social Science, and Science subjects. The graduate population is strongly international and students are admitted for a wide range of Masters and Doctorate programmes across the four Divisions (Humanities, Social Sciences, MPLS, Medical Sciences). Brasenose adopts the highest professional standards in admissions administration and the Admissions Officer attends the College’s Admissions Committee and contributes to admissions planning and delivery.

Purpose and Objectives of the Post
The Admissions Officer is responsible for the practical administration of the Undergraduate and Graduate admission processes. They work closely with the Senior Tutor (who is also Tutor for Admissions), Tutor for Graduates, the Academic Registrar, and the rest of the College Office team. The Admissions Officer is supported by a share of the Academic Assistant’s time. In addition to providing support to College Tutors engaged in student selection, they also liaise with University (Departmental/Faculty) admissions coordinators and the central Admissions Office.

Main Work Duties

• Dealing with enquiries relating to admissions, in particular from prospective students, parents and schools, by letter, phone, or email.
• Organizing the Undergraduate Admissions Exercise (the peak period runs October-January), including managing communications with the University Undergraduate Admissions Office, other Oxford colleges, departments and faculties, tutors and applicants.
• Reviewing the organisation of the annual undergraduate interviews to identify improvements and maintain quality.
• Organizing the secure distribution of UCAS forms and written work, the production of timetables for interviews and the co-ordination of accommodation arrangements for candidates coming for interview (if interviews are in-person).
• Promoting and tracking tutor training, including University Admissions training and knowledge of the Contextual Data included on applicant UCAS forms.
• Providing administrative support to the Senior Tutor in the production of offer or rejection letters.
• Handling the post-offer administration for undergraduate offer holders, including certifying qualifications, Financial Declarations, and letters to schools of conditional offer holders.
• Organizing the administration of the results matching process in August under the guidance of the Senior Tutor, including assisting with managing the student number plan and producing confirmation of place letters for candidates.
• Compiling and presenting statistics on admissions for report to the College Admissions Committee or for other purposes (as directed by the Senior Tutor).
• Participating in the annual budget round and managing the agreed Admissions Budget under the supervision of the Senior Tutor.
• Preparing information needed for the annual review of admissions to graduate programmes and working with the Tutor for Graduates, Senior Tutor, and Finance Director on the annual allocation of graduate scholarship funding.
• Liaising with the Development Office over the introduction of new donor-funded scholarships.
• Organising the Organ Scholars admissions process, as well as providing support in the organisation of the Choral Scholars selection process, in association with the Chaplain and Director of Music.
• Providing administrative support to the College’s Admissions Committee, to include minute writing.
• Assisting the Head of Access and Retention with the organisation of Open Days, school visits, mini-conferences and other events that further the College’s aim to admit candidates of the highest ability regardless of background.
• Assisting other staff in the College Office as is needed so as to ensure that the College Office provides effective administrative support for Tutors, students, and prospective students.

Person Specification

Education & Training

• Essential: Good standard of education to A-level (or equivalent)
• Desirable: Undergraduate degree

Work Experience

• Essential: Administrative experience demonstrating competence in activities comparable to those required of the post holder
• Desirable: Experience of Admissions administration or management in Higher Education

Skills & Knowledge

• Essential: Computer literacy, including fluency with databases and Microsoft Office applications (specifically Word, and Excel)
• Ability to work flexibly and logically, including the ability to prioritise tasks during the busiest periods of the Admissions process
• High standards of oral and written communication
• Ability to liaise with and coordinate information flows with other College departments, particularly Domestic and Finance Bursaries
• Sympathy for the College’s academic ethos, which includes the aim of admitting students of the highest ability and greatest potential, regardless of background

Personal Qualities

• Essential: Excellent interpersonal skills and a high level of personal organisation and accuracy
• A high level of discretion and sensitivity to ensure confidentiality in admissions matters
• Ability to work independently

Terms & Conditions of Appointment

• Appointment: This is a permanent post. The appointment will be conditional on verification of the successful candidate’s right to work in Britain and subject to the receipt of satisfactory references and medical clearance.
• Salary: To be paid on the Oxford University Grade 6 scale, currently £35,851 - £41,806 pa (inclusive of the Brasenose Oxford Weighting). The starting point will depend on qualifications and experience. Advancement up the scale is on merit.
• Hours of Working: Normal office hours are 9.00 am to 5.00 pm, Mondays to Fridays. However, the Admissions Officer will be expected to work such hours as are reasonably required to carry out their duties.
• Probation: This post is subject to a 6 month probationary period
• Notice: 1 month's service or more, 2 months notice
• Benefits: Pension: Eligibility to USS Pension scheme. (University Superannuation Scheme). The successful candidate will be entered into this scheme automatically on joining, but on-going membership of the scheme is optional.

Other Information:
No smoking is allowed in any part of the College, except the designated smoking area.