Senior Data Assistant

Job Description

Job Title: Senior Data Assistant

Posting Start Date: 07/11/2025

Job Id: 1521

School/Department: Campaigns & Alumni Relations

Work Arrangement: Full Time (Hybrid)

Contract Type: Permanent

Salary per annum (£): £27, ,326.00

Closing Date: 05/01/2026

The University of Sheffield is a remarkable place to work. Our people are at the heart of everything we do. Their diverse backgrounds, abilities and beliefs make Sheffield a world-class university.

We offer a fantastic range of benefits including a highly competitive annual leave entitlement (with the ability to purchase more), a generous pensions scheme, flexible working opportunities, a commitment to your development and wellbeing, a wide range of retail discounts, and much more.

Overview

Campaigns and Alumni Relations (CAR) at the University of Sheffield is dedicated to inspiring alumni (former students) and supporters to make donations and volunteer their time. A gift to the University of Sheffield can change lives, from supporting students in financial need to furthering world-leading research.

You will be joining a team that helps Sheffield's graduates and supporters remain connected with the University through effective management of data held in our supporter CRM database. This role underpins all communications with the University's alumni community and their ability to access a wide range of opportunities and events. It also plays a key role in our reporting, helping to drive data-driven decision-making across our programme of engagement and fundraising activities.

We are seeking a data enthusiast with excellent communication and team working skills. Your main focus will be providing carefully selected data to support and deliver an annual programme of publications and activities. You will have strong data handling skills and experience of working with a CRM database. You will understand the importance of data integrity and its relevance to our ongoing engagement with the University's global alumni community.

Your work to identify the best data criteria will involve collaboration with colleagues across the department. You will be a strong team player and able to understand the needs of users and communicate data in a way they can understand. You will be organised and be more than capable of meeting deadlines and managing a varied workload in a busy office.

Main duties and responsibilities

• Segment and extract data from CAR's central supporter database (currently Raiser's Edge NXT) to support and deliver a programme of alumni engagement and fundraising communications. These include direct mail and digital fundraising appeals, event invitations, digital newsletters and annual hard copy magazines.
• Work closely with colleagues across CAR to ensure we are providing concise and relevant data for communications.
• Support for the sending of digital communications using email marketing software (currently Dotdigital).
• Provide data in response to regular and ad hoc requests from colleagues within CAR and the wider University.
• Provide support, including extracting data, for regular and ad hoc surveys used to benchmark performance.
• Act as the lead contact for advice and support to CAR staff for the building of data queries within the main supporter CRM database.
• Use data management tools to ensure supporter records are updated appropriately.
• Manage and remove data in accordance with GDPR and data retention schedules.
• Carry out other duties, commensurate with the grade and remit 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 does not 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.

Criteria

Essential or desirable

Stage(s) assessed at

5 GCSEs at Grade A-C (including English and Maths) or equivalent

Essential

Application

Experience using Microsoft Word and Excel

Essential

Application

Experience of working with a CRM database

Essential

Application/interview

Strong data manipulation skills

Essential

Application/interview

High level of accuracy and attention to detail

Essential

Application/interview

Excellent time management and organisational skills. Able to manage competing priorities and plan effectively to meet deadlines

Essential

Application/interview

Strong collaborative team working skills

Essential

Application/interview

Excellent communication skills. Able to convey information both verbally and in writing

Essential

Application/interview

Self motivated, able to work independently and take the initiative

Essential

Application/interview

Ability to learn quickly and to be flexible, recognising and adapting to changing situations

Essential

Application/interview

Able to handle sensitive data with integrity and in accordance with data governance regulations

Essential

Application/interview

Further Information

Grade

5

Salary

£26,942 per annum with the potential to progress to £33,482 through sustained exceptional contribution.

Work arrangement

Full-time

Line manager

Data Officer

Direct reports

N/A

Our website

For informal enquiries about this job contact

Laura Hounslea or on or

Helen Rosbottom or

Next steps in the recruitment process

It is anticipated that the selection process will take place on 21st January 2026. This will consist of an interview, test and informal chat. We plan to let candidates know if they have progressed to the selection stage by 13th January 2026. If you need any support, equipment or adjustments to enable you to participate in any element of the recruitment process you can contact Kirsty Duke on or Sarah Hamilton

Our vision and strategic plan

We are the University of Sheffield. This is our vision: ().

What we offer

• A minimum of 38days 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
• support for those going through the menopause
• paid time off and support for fertility treatment
• and more

We are a Disability Confident Employer. If you have a disability and meet the essential criteria for this job you will be invited to take part in the next stage of the selection process.

Criminal recordA basicDBS check will be needed for this role. More details on the checks can be found on the Government website: (opens in a new window).

Possession of a criminal record is not an automatic bar to employment at the University of Sheffield. We recognise the value of steady employment in the rehabilitation process and examine each case in its own right. More information can be found on our Information for candidates page:- (opens in a new window).

Closing Date : 05/01/2026

We are a research university with a global reputation for excellence. Our ideas and expertise change the world for the better, making a real difference to society. We know that when people come together with different views, approaches and insights it can lead to richer, more creative and innovative teaching and research and the highest levels of student experience. Our University Vision ) outlines our commitment to building a diverse community of staff and students that recognises and values the abilities, backgrounds, beliefs and ways of living for everyone.