Learning and Teaching Manager

Job Purpose The Learning and Teaching Manager will support the Programmes Manager on a day-day basis in the fulfilment of their responsibilities in ensuring administrative services are delivered in an effective, efficient, responsive and professional manner supporting excellence across all programmes of study.

The Learning and Teaching Manager will manage (UG, PGT, PGR, Compliance teams) across a range of grades spanning the 6 departments within the School. The postholder will work with the Programmes Manager to recommend and deliver School strategy in respect of learning and teaching.

The post holder will have the ability to work independently, whilst appropriately consulting with senior academic staff and the Programmes Manager in the implementation of process to support changes and growth of student numbers and any development opportunities. The post holder will lead and participate in cross College initiatives to share best practice and work with colleagues in the Academic Office to develop and implement consistent processes and procedures.

The postholder will be required to use an open and inclusive leadership style to gain commitment from support and academic staff for any initiatives they implement. Working with the Programmes Manager and Quality Assurance Manager, they will be responsible for ensuring that the high quality of academic provision is maintained in existing and new teaching programmes through benchmarking and keeping abreast of developments in other institutions by ongoing research and networking.

The School is keen to exploit opportunities to collaborate with other Schools and external partners and the post holder will be proactive in identifying opportunities and communicating these to the Programmes Manager.

The post holder will act as deputy to the Programmes Manager in his/her absence. Person Specification Main duties and responsibilities:

Manage a cross School team of learning and teaching professional service staff:
The individual will lead and manage a team of staff in delivering the administrative support to teaching across the School. Working practices and procedures will be reviewed consistently over time in order to deliver effective teaching priorities across the School. The individual will be responsible for ensuring that the teams deliver a streamlined and consistent operational service by providing string leadership and direction and ensuring University, College and School priorities are understood and effectively applied and disseminated throughout the School.
Provide effective leadership and management of the School's Professional Services team that supports academic delivery, reviewing workloads, resources and training needs. Undertaking PDRs, identifying sickness patterns and leading on performance management issues.
Responsibility for the motivation, management and flexibility of staff working within the team, instilling confidence in the requirements and importance of relevant functions to ensure that teams work together to effectively deliver on plans and projects.
The post holder will deputise for the Programmes Manager in his/her absence and on occasions represent the Programmes Manager at their request.

Play a pivotal role in the development of a consistent and coherent School wide approach to teaching:
The post holder will work with the Programmes Manager in leading on assessing existing working practices associated with teaching and learning, identifying areas of weakness and best practice and providing regular reporting with respect to this activity to the Programmes Manager in support of the School’s consistent improvement strategies. Supporting the Programmes Manager in maintaining a process of continuous review and updating of School level policy and process documents, writing policy documents as required and ensuring programme office staff adhere to due process. Consulting with key academic and PS stakeholders as appropriate to ensure required practice is positively embedded within the School’s day to day practices.

The post holder will provide quarterly, activity summary reports to the Programmes Manager and maintain the Programmes Team related sections of the School level KPI tracker spreadsheet. Additionally, reviewing all training/development spot check plans throughout the academic cycles, ensuring that all staff are clear what the training requirements are for their role, that appropriate spot checks have taken place and that any examples of best practice or cause for concern have been appropriately flagged and action taken.

The post holder will be required to build and maintain positive working relationships to ensure effective communication of School initiatives, also ensuring the changes to institutional level processes and procedures are disseminated effectively within the School.

They will actively keep up to date with changes in University policy which impact upon the School, recommend how they should be implemented, re-evaluate and realign School policies in the light of changes in University policy and work with the Programmes Manager to lead on the implementation of any changes which are required.
Actively engaging with the promotion, maintenance and setting of Programmes Team specific KPI’s and SLA’s.

Knowledge, Skills, Qualifications and Experience Required:

Essential:
• Proven relevant administrative experience across a range of activities
• Educated to degree level or equivalent, or proven relevant experience
• Excellent IT skills
• Ability to work on own initiative, with minimal supervision, and to manage and prioritise a range of varied and complex tasks, completing them to the required deadlines.
• Excellent inter-personal skills; ability to develop effective working relationships with all levels of staff and external contacts.
• Excellent oral and written skills
• High level of diplomacy, tact and negotiating skills
• Conflict resolution skills
• Problem-solving and organisational skills, with the ability to deal with complex and/or difficult situations
• Enthusiastic approach to management and leadership
• Experience of managing and leading staff across a range of activities
• Attention to detail
• Ability to interpret, analyse and present information, and to formulate and implement clear proposals from that analysis which can inform the development of strategy
• Flexible and proactive approach
• Team Player