Assistant Outreach Officer

Job Purpose

The Student Recruitment and Marketing team forms part of External Relations and our responsibilities cover a wide range of functions relating to admissions policy and student recruitment, international strategy and overseas links and collaboration of many kinds. This includes delivering the commitment of the University to widening participation in higher education, to ensure that able students from under-represented groups are encouraged to access a university education.

Within this, the Student Recruitment and Outreach teams are responsible for the development and promotion of University-wide admissions policy and strategy for undergraduate and postgraduate selection and recruitment. This involves a wide range of activities including arranging University representation at higher education fairs throughout the country, co-ordinating visits to schools and colleges, organising University open days and receiving incoming visits from school pupils, teachers, careers officers and school leaders. We also undertake a range of initiatives targeted at specific groups within the community as part of our commitment to widening participation.

The purpose of this post within the wider team is to ensure the University commitment to widening participation is delivered. This means that currently under-represented groups are encouraged to apply to the University through a range of activities, partnership working and action-based research.

This particular post is to support the development of activity linked to the University’s agreement with the Office for Students (OfS). It will have specific responsibility for supporting the project management of our Access to Birmingham programme, our masterclasses and schedule of school visits onto campus. It will also support the further development of our Academic Enrichment Programme and work collaboratively with our National Collaborative Outreach Programme.

The post holder will work to support the appropriate targeting and evaluation activity of the Outreach team. This will support our culture of continuous improvement, enable the dissemination of our activity to a wider audience and support reporting on our Access Agreement with the Office of Students.

Person Specification

• University degree or relevant equivalent experience
• Knowledge and understanding of the UK education system
• Understanding of widening participation policy and partnership working
• Some experience of working within the HE/education sector
• Experience of project coordination
• Experience of working with young people
• Excellent interpersonal skills whether dealing with students, academic staff, external organisations or other members of the office team
• Ability to build relationships at all levels
• Ability to work as part of a team but also without direction
• The ability to empathise with young people and prospective students
• Ability to interpret and present data in a wide range of formats
• High standard of oral and written communication with an ability to present with confidence
• The ability to adapt to new or demanding situations, prioritising workloads and managing deadlines
• Accuracy and attention to detail and the ability to work under pressure
• Awareness of Child Protection issues. Prepared to undergo an enhanced DBS check
• A proactive approach to problem solving and difficult situations
• Good knowledge of Microsoft Office and electronic communications
• Flexibility, tact and diplomacy