Outreach Officer (NCOP)

Job Purpose

This post will have overall responsibility for the University’s contribution to the NCOP programme and associated budgets. It will lead delivery with a caseload of schools/colleges and develop a range of interventions to support students as part of the agreed NCOP programme design. It will involve a high level of autonomy and responsibility for activity development and delivery, and will be responsible for the associated reporting on budget, activity and impact to enable the coordination hub and the University to meet HEFCE requirements and deadlines.

He/she will also organise visits on to campus for school groups and represent the partnership at guidance evenings and other events in schools.

The post will involve extensive liaison with local partners through the Aimhigher framework and other potential partners as well as staff in schools and colleges. This will require a considerable amount of tenacity, tact and sensitivity to the situation and existing commitments of staff in schools, colleges, and the University, as well as the imagination, initiative, enthusiasm, and creativity to seize and develop opportunities for widening participation.

Person Specification

Level of knowledge and/or educational qualifications required:

• Educated to degree level
• Detailed knowledge and understanding of widening participation issues and policies in Higher Education
• Substantial experience in an educational partnership setting
• Demonstrable experience of working with schools, colleges and young people
• The postholder will need to be knowledgeable in discussing issues with academics and maintain knowledge of developments within the subject matter, education in general and the institutions involved in the network of contacts that they help to establish.
• Experience of organising student- led programmes such as tutoring and mentoring and the administrative systems to support these
• Experience of leading workshops and activities with young people aged 11-18
• Computer-literate: able to use word processing, electronic communications, and the web; familiarity with databases and spreadsheets (or willingness to quickly acquire familiarity), and an interest in the use of IT in distributed learning.
• An understanding of the UCAS admissions system, and the University’s entrance requirements would be desirable
• Substantial experience of project management, ideally in an education related environment
• Experience of monitoring and evaluating projects
• Experience of managing staff in order to deliver projects and associated targets
• Valid UK Driving Licence
• DBS Clearance

Skills/Attributes required:

• Excellent interpersonal skills, whether dealing with students, academic staff, external organisations, or other members of the office team
• Excellent problem solving skills and a willingness to seek solutions to apparently intractable problems
• Ability to work independently and proactively in making and developing contacts with schools / colleges and to develop good working relationships
• Ability to work with University colleagues, develop good working relationships, and involve staff in the network and in making contributions to the learning activities it generates
• Ability to work as part of a team in the Student Recruitment and Outreach Office, sharing best practice and ideas, and liasing effectively with colleagues across the University and the Aimhigher Partnership
• Attention to detail
• Ability to work under pressure