Education Support Team Manager - College of Arts and Law - 97676Z26 - Grade 6 in Birmingham

At the University of Birmingham, students are at the heart of all we do. You will lead and manage a professional services team which is passionate about providing excellent administrative support for students and staff. Duties may vary between teams, but you will be responsible for taking the lead in all aspects of administration supporting academic staff and the delivery of our teaching and research programmes for students. You will oversee the delivery of all teaching and learning related activity within your designated service area. This will involve managing teams of Professional Services staff and working closely with key senior academic educational leads and the Professional Services network across your designated service area.

Main Duties

• Staff Management and Recruitment: Provide leadership to and manage a team(s) responsible for delivering administrative services to support the educational strategy of your designated service area. Recruit and line manage staff, providing continuous support, development, mentoring and training for a specified team. Promote equality and values diversity, acting as a role model and fostering an inclusive working culture. Plan and make recommendations on team structures and recruitment strategies that ensure sufficient resources are available to deliver service. Manage staff performance and address areas of concern confidentially and sensitively. Build relationships and manage expectations of the team.
• Administrative Service: Ensure accuracy and establish sufficient quality control/data checking methodologies. Support the development of plans within your designated service area and, at times, within the University. Prepare and deliver management and institutional reporting within set deadlines analysing and interpreting complex data sets where required. Troubleshoot and problem solve for any general issues that arise, escalating as necessary to the relevant section or colleague. Act as a key contact and link between the designated area, College and University, ensuring that the appropriate academic and professional services staff are kept fully informed regarding changes and updates in practice and policy. Proactively engage with/contribute to process improvement and the development of service delivery capability.
• Education Support: Manage, maintain, and oversee all teaching and learning related activity in accordance with University/Regulatory Body regulations/Codes of Practice across the academic cycle. This includes supporting quality audits, preparing reports and delivering remedial action plans. Work closely with key members of academic and professional services staff to provide an effective administrative service in response to changing needs and priorities; advising other managers and colleagues on matters relating to programme administration and academic administrative support. Maintain a focus on the quality of the student experience in your service area, working collaboratively and creatively with colleagues to support student engagement and promote enhancement opportunities. Manage and support Education related projects.

Required Knowledge, Skills, Qualifications, Experience

• Educated to Degree level (or equivalent level qualifications) - where no equivalent qualification is held, relevant work experience evidencing progression and development together with evidence of the transferable skills and ability to work at this level will normally be required.
• Significant practical experience in a similar role.
• A levels or an equivalent level 3 qualification, such as a Level 3 NVQ, or level 3 national diploma.
• GCSEs to a minimum of grade C/4 in English and Mathematics (or equivalent qualifications).
• Experienced in a role where you are expected to provide staff support, development, and motivation.
• Significantly experienced in communicating and collaborating with all levels of staff and able to demonstrate a proven ability to set and maintain standards for your designated service.
• Able to influence change and decision making by evaluating work and analysing the benefits, costs and risks of alternative scenarios.
• Personally well organised, with high levels of team organisation skills, including the ability to ensure deadlines are met by prioritising the work of yourself and your team.

In addition to the above, you should be able to demonstrate and/or evidence the following:

• Excellent communication skills with a proven ability to communicate effectively with staff, students, and external stakeholders at a variety of different levels and from different professional backgrounds.
• Exemplary attention to detail and the ability to work confidentially, using judgement and making appropriate decisions within the constraints of the role.
• The ability to act with tact and diplomacy when dealing with confidential matters concerning staff, colleagues, and students.
• Proven IT literacy with demonstrable proficiency in the use of the Microsoft Office suite of programmes.
• The ability to work to tight deadlines in a collaborative team environment.
• The ability to cope with change in a fast moving, dynamic environment and becoming comfortable with often changing University processes and regulations.
• The ability to develop and manage service delivery capability to high standards.
• Knowledge of the protected characteristics of the Equality Act 2010, and how to actively ensure in day to day activity in own area that those with protected characteristics are treated equally and fairly.

Dimensions

As a key team manager you will be expected to lead and motivate a team or teams with multiple members to provide an excellent service, often via intermediate line managers. You will have responsibility for managing the administration of a portfolio of study elements delivered by a range of academic staff. Your team’s customers will number in the dozens of academic staff and other colleagues, and hundreds or thousands of students. Some role-holders will liaise regularly with external partners and regulators.

Planning and organising: You will be required to develop initiatives and approaches proactively, identify and recommend improvements to the service, and work across the College and University as required.

Problem solving and decision making: You will be expected to provide expert advice and proactively troubleshoot when issues arise.

Internal and external relationships: This role will be liaising with internal (and in some cases, external) colleagues and stakeholders, potentially across the University as you will contribute on working groups etc., as well as dealing with customers with more complex issues to solve. You will proactively lead and motivate your team, dealing with all team issues as appropriate.