Deputy Learning and Teaching Manager - Government - Grade 6 - 96685

Position Details

School of Government

University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham UK

Full time starting salary is normally in the range £27,511 to £30,046. With potential progression once in post to £33,797 a year. Due to funding restrictions maximum starting salary available for this post will be £30,046.

Grade 6

Permanent

Full time

Closing Date: 28th February 2021

Job Purpose

The Deputy Learning & Teaching Manager plays a key role in managing and supporting the School's administrative operations and also in its strategic planning and associated implementation. This role requires the post holder to provide specialist advice and support to the School's Learning and Teaching Managers and Head of Operations, in the continuous monitoring, review and enhancement of the School's administrative systems to ensure they remain fit for purpose, effective and efficient.

The post holder is responsible for the management and development of administrative support to the School's taught programmes. This entails working independently, effectively and pro-actively with senior officers and academics in the implementation and development of School and College strategies and associated policies, systems and practices.

Working with key staff within the School and College, the role holder will provide clear and effective management and leadership to direct, develop and enhance the allocated team to assist in the delivery of the School's strategic ambitions. This senior role will provide proactive support to all internal and external stakeholders, fostering a truly collaborative and collegiate approach between academic and the allocated professional services staff. This will also enable the role holder to develop the full range of knowledge and skills across all Learning and Teaching responsibilities so they can deputise/alternate for the Learning and Teaching or fellow Deputy Manager as required.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

Regulations, Policies and Procedures:

• In partnership with the Learning & Teaching Manager and the School's academic leadership, assist in the development and implementation of policies, strategies and University led initiatives to develop and enhance the School's strategic ambition for teaching and for the provision of a high quality learning environment for the School's students.
• Analyse current practices and business processes and make evidence-driven recommendations to the Learning & Teaching Manager on potential enhancements to systems, processes, procedures and student experience within the School.
• Ensure approved School, College and University policies and objectives relating to the administration of students and programmes are effectively and consistently applied throughout the School and work collegiately and supportively with colleagues during any significant change in process.
• Co-ordinate the team's work in all areas of administrative support for relevant students and programmes, including timetabling, attendance monitoring, student registration, assessment and feedback amongst other areas, and resolving any anomalies.

Staff Management and Training:

• Motivate and lead the staff within the programme team, monitor individual and team performance and address issues as necessary to achieve optimum performance and service delivery.
• Carry out effective Performance Development Reviews and set clear objectives with staff annually and use these as a basis for regular development conversations throughout the course of the year. Support staff to fulfil their potential through promotion of engagement with a wide range of opportunities provided by School, College and University projects.
• Responsible for staff engagement with the wider team, ensuring staff attend regular meetings and participate in full team briefings as appropriate and providing leadership by acting as a role model for engagement with peers across the institution.
• Responsible for absence management and reporting any disciplinary matters and taking appropriate action.
• Lead on the recruitment of new staff, drafting and revising job descriptions, shortlisting, interviewing and devising standard induction programmes for new members of staff.

Quality Assurance, Enhancement and Audit:

• Ensure the programmes team are pro-active about all aspects of data quality and that corporate systems are being used effectively and efficiently. The role holder will undertake regular checks of the team's data quality, reporting best practice and concerns to the Learning & Teaching Manager and the Head of Operations.
• Ensure the work of the team complies with the Data Protection Act and General Data Protection Regulations and all staff demonstrate continued awareness of University Regulations and Codes of Practice, all compliance issues and best practice.
• Ensure that the role and its responsibilities are delivered in accordance with procedures and regulations as defined by both the School and the University; to be pro-active in offering advice based on these regulations and procedures to students and staff where required and appropriate; and to contribute to the objective of making the School and the University a friendly place for students, staff, and visitors.

Student Experience:

• Work collaboratively and creatively with the School's and College's professional services teams to support student engagement and enhancement opportunities.
• Build effective networks and relationships with external and internal contacts who contribute to the delivery of events within the School.
• Liaise with colleagues within the School and the College to manage the School's graduation receptions and Applicant Visit Days.

Planning:

• Contribute significantly to the planning, development and enhancement of the programme team, highlighting best practice and suggesting appropriate changes to systems and processes where necessary.
• Take a global and strategic perspective of staffing arrangements, including resilience and succession planning, within the programme team and devise operational plans for coping with short/long term absences (annual leave, sick leave etc.) and planned and unplanned fluctuations of work across the teams.
• Analyse available data including student survey results and make evidence-driven recommendations for improvements and new initiatives. This is likely to include producing reports for consideration by the School Education Committee and Senior Management Team and will require close liaison with the School's Head of Education, Programme Directors, Learning & Teaching Manager, Head of Operations and Programme Administrators.
• Undertake other project-based work on behalf of the School and College as an when required.
• Work as a member of the School's Professional Services Team (PST) in pro-actively fostering effective, flexible, and efficient administrative interfaces across the College(s) and University offices to help provide coordinated services to students and academic staff.
• Proactively assist the Head of Operations (or nominee) in the on-going development of the School's PST, its values, standards, service levels, and professional ethos within the overall strategic objectives of the School.

Other:

• Deputise/alternate for the Learning & Teaching and fellow Deputy Learning & Teaching Manager as required.
• Undertake such other duties as may be reasonably required by the Head of Operations (or nominee).

The specific areas of responsibility and/or tasks may change from time to time in accordance with the requirements of the School and its priorities of the time.

Person Specification

• Proven, relevant administrative experience across a range of activities;
• Educated to degree level or equivalent, or proven relevant equivalent experience;
• Proven experience of managing staff across a range of activities including managing performance, being a role model of professional behaviours and leadership to others, and bringing a team together to deliver shared objectives effectively;
• Proven ability work on own initiative, to plan and manage own workload and that of others in a highly efficient and effective manner, and to meet competing deadlines;
• Proven effective communicator, able to communicate with a range of stakeholders including senior management, with excellent oral and written communication skills;
• Excellent analytical skills and the ability to write clear and concise reports on complex matters;
• High level of diplomacy, tact and negotiating skills with proven ability to build trust and relationships as well as to resolve potential conflicts, and demonstrate cultural sensitivity;
• Excellent IT skills, in particular in the use of Microsoft Office programmes and experience of using computer systems and databases;
• Proven creative problem solver, able to work at high levels of confidence and accuracy within a busy and challenging environment, with the ability to deal with complex and/or difficult situations;
• Proven ability to work within relevant regulatory and legislative frameworks;
• Experience working in a customer service driven environment;
• Proven ability to work accurately and pay close attention to detail;
• Flexible and adaptable, able to prioritise and delegate as appropriate and respond to changing demands to deliver effective services;
• Team player.

The College of Social Sciences Expectations Framework for Professional Services supports colleagues to be successful and happy in their role through sharing expectations around how we work.

We will consider applications to work on a part-time, flexible and job share basis wherever possible.

For informal inquiries please contact Ben Clarke, Learning and Teaching Manager, at b.j.clarke@bham.ac.uk

Valuing excellence, sustaining investment

We value diversity at The University of Birmingham and welcome applications from all sections of the community '