Policy Officer

Job Purpose

To work with the Academic Registrar and the senior team in Academic Services in support of institutional policy and strategy. The post holder will be knowledgeable and engaged with debate around education policy both in the UK and overseas, supporting the development of policy right across the range of issues within the Academic Registrar’s portfolio.

This is a challenging but exciting role for a candidate looking to develop their career in higher education policy and management, giving access to University senior management and an opportunity to work across professional and academic departments.

The role will involve developing a strong external and internal network to support the production of well-considered policy analysis and associated reports and papers. The post will work directly with the Academic Registrar in support of horizon scanning to support the delivery of University strategy and that it places itself in the best possible position for emerging challenges; this will involve regular engage in national and occasional international travel.

The post holder will carry out research (both qualitative and quantitative) to support decision making within the division and provide support to task and finish groups in the delivery of individual education projects, including some project management requirements.

Person Specification

Qualifications/ Education:

• Essential: Degree, 2.i

• Desirable: Postgraduate qualification

Skills/Training:

• • Excellent practical research skills
• • Intellectual ability so as to make a strong contribution to policy development and to command respect within the University and externally
• • A proven track record of engaging with the development or research of education policy.
• • A proven track record in effective networking with external parties.
• • A proven track record of working collaboratively with colleagues, both administrative and academic, and with students
• • Excellent oral, written, and presentation communication skills; in particular the ability to write high quality engaging papers for senior committees or boards on complex matters
• • Excellent interpersonal and negotiation skills and an ability to relate well to colleagues from differing backgrounds and at varying levels of seniority
• • Up-to-date knowledge of IT developments, particularly as they relate to information delivery and the exploitation of IT to support learning, teaching and research
• • Excellent organisational skills and an ability to prioritise and to schedule heavy workloads in the face of conflicting demands, and to deliver to tight timetables
• • An excellent team player coupled with the ability to work under own initiative
• • Excellent project management skills
• • Ability to represent the University externally

Experience:

• • Strong experience of Higher Education and consideration of higher education policy and practice from a professional services perspective.
• • Substantial and relevant management experience at a level to lead Registry
• • Experience of successfully managing change
• • Empathy for the culture of higher education; of the policy issues facing a major research-led academic institution like Birmingham; and proven personal ability to master these issues