Global Opportunities Coordinator in Sheffield

We are seeking a talented and forward-thinking individual to join our dynamic Global Opportunities team. The team forms part of the Careers & Employability Service within Student & Academic Services, contributing directly to the University of Sheffield’s strategy and institutional priorities for student employability and graduate outcomes. Global Opportunities offer high-quality, innovative experiences to enable students to stand out as confident global citizens upon graduation. We support over 1,000 inbound and outbound students undertaking international mobility each year through our network of 200+ partner institutions worldwide.

You will manage designated areas of activity, focussing on grant funding and partnership agreements, but may also include inbound and outbound study abroad and short-term experiences. You will have excellent attention to detail and be adept at handling large amounts of data across multiple systems. You will coordinate an annual cycle of activity and closely monitor budgets to ensure accurate record keeping, especially for grant payments and spend reporting. You will also be a strong communicator, providing advice and guidance for internal and external stakeholders including:

• current, prospective and partner exchange students
• international partners
• university staff at Sheffield and across the UK through membership of staff networks and external organisations within the international mobility sector

You will have high self-motivation and initiative with the ability to work to tight deadlines and prioritise workloads. Work in Global Opportunities requires commitment, accountability and flexibility. You will join a highly motivated team, bringing enthusiasm and the ability to deliver a high level of service at all times.

Main duties and responsibilities

• Oversee a designated area(s) of Global Opportunities work, building specialist knowledge and skills and drawing on these to act as a key institutional point of contact for the designated area of work.
• For the 24 month duration this role is expected to be focussed around mobility grant funding operations and agreements during the transition period to Erasmus+, however the focus could change to include one or more of the following: outbound study abroad, inbound study abroad or short-term mobility programmes.
• Be responsible for interpreting complex external regulations (e.g. Erasmus and Turing) to design and coordinate compliant operational processes using a variety of software platforms, including: grant allocation and audit processes, tracking student engagement and adherence to processes, monitoring budgets and regular operational reporting.
• Take delegated responsibility for monitoring expenditure and maintaining records of designated budgets, ensure adherence to any external funding body regulations and established procedures and taking corrective action where needed.
• Contribute to the management of exchange agreements and partnerships, advising on suitability, providing data and collecting student/staff feedback.
• Carry out planning for short to medium term projects, with an awareness of resource constraints and longer term implications and allocating work and responsibilities to meet deadlines.
• Delegate administrative and student advising tasks to the Global Opportunities Administrators where appropriate.
• Liaise and build effective relationships with networks of internal staff, sharing information to ensure awareness of study abroad, the smooth running of exchange student processes and compliance with university and external regulations.
• Build up excellent working relationships with UK external stakeholders including the British Council (Erasmus+ National Agency), Department for Education, Universities UK international (UUKi), plus other networks as appropriate.
• Act as a key contact for overseas partner institutions, including enquiry management, promoting Sheffield as a destination and furthering the reputation of the University.
• Create advice and guidance to incoming and outgoing students on a range of matters relating to Global Opportunities initiatives, including grant and funding processes. Ensure that complex information is presented appropriately for the intended audience.
• Coordinate in promotional efforts to increase student participation in Global Opportunities initiatives where needed, developing and delivering information for students in a variety of formats including web, print and presentation materials, face to face advising sessions, webinars and an annual fair.
• Liaise with students, staff and external stakeholders in the event of an emergency or unforeseen circumstances, referring to university procedures and escalating as appropriate.
• Represent the University at internal and external meetings and conferences as appropriate, including occasional travel within and beyond the UK and weekend work.
• Work closely with the Global Opportunities team and wider Careers and Employability Service to ensure activities delivered are in line with the University’s strategic objectives.
• Any other duties, commensurate with the grade of the post.

Person Specification

Our diverse community of staff and students recognises the unique abilities, backgrounds, and beliefs of all. We foster a culture where everyone feels they belong and is respected. Even if your past experience doesn't match perfectly with this role's criteria, your contribution is valuable, and we encourage you to apply. Please ensure that you reference the application criteria in the application statement when you apply.

• Good first degree (or equivalent experience) - Essential
• An understanding of the strategic external contexts of higher education, relating in particular to international higher education and student mobility - Essential
• Demonstrable experience of using a variety of software systems and databases to manage large quantities of data, design processes, use formulas and generate reports. - Essential
• Ability to adapt to changes and unforeseen circumstances, proposing and implementing improvements to systems/procedures with an appreciation of longer term implications - Essential
• Excellent customer service skills and a proven ability to build relationships with a wide variety of internal and external stakeholders - Essential
• Experience of working independently to plan and implement simultaneous and/or complex projects with competing demands and tight deadlines. - Essential
• Ability to interpret complex guidance and information and simplify it to create effective advice and guidance for other audiences to understand, including students and staff - Essential
• Ability to work effectively as part of a team, delegating or supervising work where appropriate - Essential
• Experience of supervision or delegation of work to others - Essential
• Demonstrable knowledge and understanding of equality of opportunity, diversity and inclusion and its importance in higher education - Essential

What we offer

• A minimum of 38 days annual leave including bank holiday and closure days (pro rata) with the ability to purchase more.
• Flexible working opportunities, including hybrid working for some roles.
• Generous pension scheme.
• A wide range of discounts and rewards on shopping, eating out and travel.
• A variety of staff networks, providing opportunities for social interaction, peer support and personal development (for example, Race Equality, LGBT+, Women’s and Parent’s networks).
• Recognition Awards to reward staff who go above and beyond in their role.
• A commitment to your development access to learning and mentoring schemes; integrated with our Professional Services Shared Skills Framework.
• A range of generous family-friendly policies paid time off for parenting and caring emergencies access to menopause support in the workplace paid time off and support for fertility treatment and more.