Doctoral College Senior Administrative Officer

hours per week

**Job Purpose**:To ensure the Doctoral College, provides best in class support for doctoral researchers (PGRs) and stakeholders in furtherance of the University strategy and strategic plans.

To support the Team Leader in overseeing and delivering the administration for a range of duties across the Doctoral College in the delivery of an excellent student experience. These duties will include but are not limited to; admission, enquiry handling, programme administration, reporting on student data.

To work with colleagues across the Doctoral College as part of a process of continuous improvement to ensure we are delivering efficient and effective support in line with agreed service standards.

**Key Accountabilities/Responsibilities**:

- To work proactively across the Doctoral College to assure the timely delivery of key administrative tasks in line with agreed service standards, including admissions, inductions, monitoring of student progress, assessment and enquiry handling.
- To coordinate own work and oversee and coordinate the work of the administrative team, agreeing and providing service to beneficiaries. To ensure the consistent planning and prioritisation of short and medium-term work activities in response to agreed deadlines.
- To identify training and mentoring needs of others within the team, including contribution to the appraisal process, facilitating support and guidance as necessary, to ensure that the design and delivery of agreed processes for postgraduate research meets the needs of beneficiaries, reporting any significant issues through relevant line management.
- To be flexible and adaptable in the approach to work routines, undertaking other tasks, roles and duties within the Doctoral College as may be assigned.
- Any other duties as allocated by the line manager following consultation with the post holder.

**Essential Skills**:

- Skill level equivalent to achievement of HNC, A-Level, NVQ3 with proven work experience acquired in relevant roles and job-related training.
- Evidence of a commitment to delivering services that add value from the perspective of the students and key staff.
- Be a proficient database user; be fully conversant with Microsoft Office 365 suite of products.
- Be proficient in using web-based IT solutions.
- Plan and prioritise own short and medium term work activities within guidance offered by the team leader.
- Monitor timescales and resources and report to the team leader issues which cannot be resolved within standard daily operation.
- Capacity to organise data and schedule events, activities and resources and ensure they run smoothly.
- Ability to acquire clear understanding of the quality and standards required for the delivery of an optimised student experience.
- Maintain receptiveness to new ideas and approaches.
- Ability to contribute to team behaviours and interact effectively and sensitively with peers. Build effective networks across the, SAAA work stream and Professional Services; sustain productive workplace relationships for the long term.
- Ability to be flexible and adaptable in approach to work routines, be able to adapt quickly to change; be open to working with different teams/individuals as the business demands.
- Proactive approach to following the standards set for all staff and engagement in sharing best practice across the team and Doctoral College in general.
- Capacity for patience and tolerance with large numbers of staff particularly when working under pressure.
- Effective partnership working and interpersonal skills are essential including:

- Capacity to speak to groups and individuals and explain processes clearly and concisely; and to write in a clear and factually/grammatically accurate way.
- Demonstrate adequate preparation for meetings so that time is used effectively.
- Demonstrate confidence and positive commitment to the institutional ways of working and explain these to all staff.
- Engage in appropriate training and staff development to ensure knowledge and skills are always up to date.

**Desirable Skills**:

- Be a proficient user of the Banner student record system.

Please note that unfortunately we can not accept Certificate of Sponsorship (COS) for Casual Work at the University of Southampton.