Graduate Management Trainee in Professional Services - Grade 6 - 55775

Position Details

Location: University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham UK

Grade 6

The salary for this role will be £27,924 per year

Full Time

Fixed Term Contract for 24 months

The scheme is open to University of Birmingham graduates that have attained a 2:1 in a first degree in the past 3 years (between 1st January 2019 - 1st August 2022), or graduates that have attained a University of Birmingham postgraduate qualification in the same period, having previously achieved at least a 2.1 in a first degree.

Closing date - 20 February 2022

You must be able to attend an Assessment Centre on both 15th and 16th March 2022

A full job description is available - https://www.download.bham.ac.uk/vacancies/55775.pdf

Summary
The University of Birmingham is one of the largest employers in the West Midlands. With over 8,000 members of staff working across a huge variety of roles, running an organisation of this size and complexity offers a challenge to rival that of any major business or public sector body. Committed to attracting the best and brightest employees, our Graduate Management Training Scheme provides ambitious and high calibre graduates with an entry point to a dynamic and stimulating career in university management and leadership.

Our two-year programme includes a rotation of placements across different areas of the University's Professional Services, complemented by a tailored training and development package and mentoring from a University senior leader. Trainees will learn what it takes to run a global university and will gain direct experience of a number of University services.

We recommend visiting our website for more information on the scheme: http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/gts

An information session about applying for the scheme has been arranged for 24th November 2021, 5:30-6:30pm and will take place on Zoom. If you would like to attend, please sign up via Eventbrite - https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/university-of-birmingham-graduate-management-training-scheme-info-session-tickets-208603848727

The scheme
Trainees will undertake three 4-month placements in Professional Services, followed by a year-long placement.

Placement portfolios are structured to give exposure to a variety of roles and perspectives, both within central departments (such as student services, marketing, business engagement and human resources) and academic structures (the Colleges and Schools that are home to our academic departments).

Although responsibilities within each placement will vary, all are stretching and challenging to allow you to rapidly develop high-level skills. In the first year, the shorter placements will give you a clear project and opportunities to showcase what you have achieved, with a strong developmental element.

In year two, the longer placement will enable you to build on the skills and knowledge you have already developed, allowing more substantial work to be undertaken alongside the regular cycle of business, and the chance to work with a department through a full academic year. You will receive regular support from your placement supervisor and line manager, but are expected to be proactive and take ownership of your projects.

The University anticipates appointing up to six Trainees for 2022-24 who will be treated as a cohort and receive specific developmental opportunities.

As a Graduate Management Trainee, you'll have a unique opportunity to get involved in a wide range of strategic projects at the University that will allow you to rapidly build your skills, develop your confidence and engage with a diverse network of people. It's the perfect springboard for a career in university leadership! Josh, Former Graduate Management Trainee

Person specification: who we are looking for
We are looking for future leaders, and our ideal candidates are bright, inquisitive graduates who are passionate about the ideals of both the University and the city of Birmingham and its wider region. We value diversity, and recognise that by embracing different perspectives, thoughts, ideas and values, we will be more effective in achieving our objectives. We provide equal access to opportunity and welcome applications from people who identify with any of the Protected Characteristics, such as race/ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, or gender identity/expression.
Our culture is based on our shared values, which we seek to embody throughout the organisation:

• Ambitious: We are confident in the University of Birmingham and project this globally. We are focused on our goals, are clear about our strengths, and pursue our own direction. We are bold and take intelligent risks.
• Innovative: We enjoy being the first to do things. Inspired by our Birmingham heritage, we are resourceful, creative, grounded, and practical, and seek to make a real and positive difference to the world around us.
• Open: We welcome colleagues, collaborators, and students from across the world to work and study with us. We are committed to academic freedom, freedom of speech, and equality of opportunity for all. We expect everyone to act with sensitivity, respect, and fairness.
• Collaborative: The major challenges facing our city, nation, and the world cannot be solved if we act alone. We enhance our research and education by pursuing creative partnerships within and beyond the University.
• Responsible: We operate with transparency, trust, and respect. We value our role as an anchor institution for Birmingham. We strive to be an excellent employer, to reduce inequalities in access to education, and to place sustainability at the heart of our work.

You should be able to demonstrate the following qualifications, attributes, and skills:
⦁ At least a 2.1 in a first degree from the University of Birmingham in any subject in the past three years (between 1st January 2019 - 1st August 2022), or a University of Birmingham postgraduate qualification completed in the same period, having previously achieved at least a 2.1 in a first degree;
⦁ An interest in, and understanding of, Higher Education issues;
⦁ A high degree of initiative, resourcefulness, flexibility, and a self-motivating approach;
⦁ The ability to form effective working relationships with a diverse range of colleagues;
⦁ The ability to think analytically, to apply skills and knowledge in new contexts, and to problem solve by thinking beyond traditional solutions;
⦁ The ability to communicate clearly and effectively through oral and presentational skills as well as excellent writing skills;
⦁ Resilience and adaptability to work effectively in new environments;
⦁ Good IT skills;
⦁ Good standard of numeracy;
⦁ A willingness to learn and embrace opportunities.

The application process
There are three key stages of the application process:
⦁ Stage 1: Online application
For the first application stage you will need to complete a brief online form and upload a current CV and cover letter through the University's online jobs portal. Please note that your CV and covering letter should be uploaded as one document.
In your cover letter you should answer the following questions:
1. Why are you interested in a career in Higher Education and, in particular, why at the University of Birmingham?
2. What is your proudest achievement to date?
3. Can you describe a time when you showed initiative?
Your cover letter should be no more than 1000 words.

⦁ Stage 2: Assessment centre
The assessment centre involves a variety of activities designed to enable you to show the skills and qualities that we are looking for in our Management Trainees. It is also an opportunity for you to meet members of the senior leadership team and previous trainees, learn more about working at the University, and decide whether a career in Higher Education is for you. The assessment centre will take place over two consecutive days. One day will be spent in person and will involve activities such as group discussions, individual interviews and a further written task, taking approximately 2 hours, will be completed online on the other day. It is designed to be both enjoyable and challenging.

⦁ Stage 3: Individual interview
After the assessment centre we will invite successful candidates to an individual panel interview with members of the senior leadership team - the final stage of the recruitment process. The interview will last approximately 45 minutes.

Working in Higher Education
Higher Education is a large, global sector and, with over 300,000 people working in more than 170 institutions in the UK alone, there is a huge range of opportunities. As the environment around us changes, Higher Education is becoming increasingly competitive and fast-moving, making it an exciting and dynamic sector in which to work.
Part of the excitement of working in Higher Education is interacting daily with highly intelligent people, contributing to the education of future generations and engaging with cutting edge research. Universities are large and complex organisations and, working alongside academics, the most successful Universities need strong Professional Services - talented people working in all sorts of diverse and challenging roles.

The University of Birmingham
Being part of an academic, campus-based community is central to the attraction of working for the University of Birmingham, enabling shared learning, formal and informal interaction, social opportunities, creativity, and collaboration within and across disciplines and roles. These qualities contribute to a vibrant culture for research and education, stimulating interdisciplinary thinking, and supporting collaboration within the University and beyond.

Our heritage as the UK's first civic university - the original 'redbrick' - is combined with one of the most compelling and ambitious agendas in Higher Education. Birmingham is a leading member of the Russell Group, a founder member of the Universitas 21 global network of research universities and the first global top 100 and Russell Group university to establish a campus in Dubai. The University was the Times and Sunday Times University of the Year for Graduate Employment 2015/16, an impressive accolade coming just two years after being named The Times and Sunday Times University of the Year.

We are half-way through a £600 million investment in our beautiful parkland campus including a new Library, a £55 million state-of-the-art Sports Centre and a new 'Green Heart' for the University.

As a community of over 145 nationalities, the University is committed to equality and diversity and now holds an Athena Swan Bronze Award. Our sector-leading Birmingham Professional programme provides everyone in Professional Services with development opportunities and the encouragement to reach their full potential.

Ready to apply?
Make your application on this portal. You will need to upload a current CV and a cover letter which addresses the questions outlined above.
Please note that your CV and cover letter should be uploaded as a single document.

To find out more about the scheme you can visit our website http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/gts or email gts@contacts.bham.ac.uk .

Valuing excellence, sustaining investment
We value diversity and inclusion at the University of Birmingham and welcome applications from all sections of the community and are open to discussions around all forms of flexible working.