Team Leader - Student Outreach and Engagement

Overview

This post is a core element of the Student Support and Advice\’s strategy for offering proactive, individualised and compassionate support to all students across the University of Northampton. The post has operational oversight of vital student facing processes including Engagement Monitoring, Student Coursework Extensions and Triage of initial student queries, managing the Student Outreach and Engagement Team in their undertaking of these processes, and ensuring these processes are continually reviewed to ensure the best Staff and Student experience. The Team Leader will play a vital part supporting the Student Support and Advice Manager in developing, implementing and the continuous improvement of the above processes as well as further developing Outreach and Communication provisions across the Student Support and Advice Team. The post will work closely with other staff across Student Services, including the Welfare and Safeguarding Advisers, to ensure serious concerns regarding student welfare are escalated in a timely and appropriate manner. The post will work closely with the Student Support and Advice Manager and other senior members of the Student Support and Advice Team to feed into strategic and operational conversations, as well as deputising for the Student Support and Advice Manager where required. We want you to be able to carry out your work in a way that best supports UON and our students, but also you as an individual. We understand this may vary between different areas of the university as well as from one person to another. With Smarter Working you can work with increased flexibility, if you would like to, which can facilitate greater freedom and autonomy.

Responsibilities

• Creating an Inclusive Environment: Adopting a zero-tolerance approach to discrimination and ensuring all activities are inclusive.
• Supporting Students and Staff: Strengthening mental health support, enhancing disability confidence, and ensuring academic and professional support.
• Tackling Inequalities: Involving students in recruitment, integrating forums for equality data analysis, and supporting networks for protected characteristics.
• Operational oversight of Engagement Monitoring, Student Coursework Extensions, Triage of initial student queries, and management of the Student Outreach and Engagement Team.
• Engaging with Welfare and Safeguarding Advisers to escalate serious welfare concerns in a timely and appropriate manner.
• Contributing to strategic and operational discussions with the Student Support and Advice Manager and senior team, and deputising as required.
• Contributing to outreach and communication provisions across the Student Support and Advice Team.

Major Commitments

• Disability Confident
• Standalone Pledge
• IHRA Working Definition

You will have an understanding of and experience with process development, review and improvement and a willingness to take on new developments and ability to adapt to organisational change. You will have an understanding of, and some experience, with managing data and creating accurate and appropriate reports, utilising automation and systems to ensure efficiencies.

You will have demonstrable experience with supporting students within a Higher Education setting and excellent customer service skills. You will have experience with supervising a team, allocating workload and monitoring capacity. Whilst previous line-management experience is not essential, an understanding of how to carry out challenging and vital conversations with staff is vital to this post. You will be able to handle competing demands on your time, have excellent prioritisation skills and the ability to deal with challenging situations by yourself and with colleagues, knowing when to escalate and refer onwards when necessary.

Qualifications

• Education to A level/NVQ level 3 with GCSE English Language and Maths at Grade C or the equivalent

Our People

At the University of Northampton, we are committed to supporting aspirations, creating opportunities, and delivering meaningful impact. Our people are at the heart of everything we do, and we foster a progressive, inclusive environment where excellence thrives for our students and staff.

• Inclusivity: We celebrate diversity and ensure that everyone has the opportunity to excel.
• Sustainability: We are committed to becoming a net zero carbon institution, taking collective action for the benefit of society and the environment.
• Aspiration: We strive for excellence in all we do, empowering our staff, students, and partners to reach their highest potential.
• Trust: We build relationships based on respect, transparency, and shared goals.

Together, we are creating a future where our community, our work, and our impact truly make a difference.

Right to Work: All candidates will be required to provide proof of their eligibility to work in the UK during the interview process.

Equality: We welcome applications from individuals from underrepresented groups. The University of Northampton is committed to providing a vibrant, ethical, and sustainable environment that values equality, diversity, and inclusion. Our commitment ensures an inclusive atmosphere for staff, students, and the public. We manage equality and diversity through key committees and formal policies, extending our responsibility to subsidiary companies and partnerships.

Together @ UON: Our Commitment to Equality and Inclusion

Together @ UON affirms our dedication to creating an environment that celebrates diversity and promotes equality. We aim to foster a space where all can thrive, aligning with our mission to transform lives and inspire change.