Alumni Relations Coordinator
9 days ago
Durham
The University At Durham University we are proud of our people. A globally outstanding centre of educational excellence, a collegiate community of extraordinary people, a unique and historic setting - Durham is a university like no other. Across the University we have a huge variety of roles and career opportunities, which together make us a large and successful community, which is a key hub of activity within our region and nationally. Whether you are at the very start, middle or end of your career, there is a role for you. We believe everyone has their own unique skills to offer. We would be thrilled if you would consider joining our thriving University. Further information about the University can be found here. Find out more about the benefits of working at the University and what it is like to live and work in the Durham area on our Why Join Us? - Information Page. The Role and the Department Durham University Business School, one of the longest established business schools in the UK, is a multi-disciplinary School characterised by academic excellence, internationally- rated research and superb student support services. The School's diversity and international standing is reflected in the student intake; accreditation by AACSB, AMBA, and EQUIS; and high positions in the UK and European Business School rankings. Further information on the School can be found at . Already one of the most thriving alumni communities with over 39,000 graduates in around 140 countries, our rich and varied student experience means that our alumni have great affection for Durham and for its place and impact on their lives. Your skills, experience and creativity will help develop this key interface, bringing our engaged alumni community together in support of the University's and Business School's strategic aims. The Business School has a small alumni team which manages a global community of graduates to support the School's activities and has developed a wide portfolio of alumni activity and projects. The Alumni Relations Coordinator will develop and deliver the Business School's alumni activities. The post holder will project manage key initiatives and activities that are fundamental to the overall success of the alumni team, enhancing the School's wider student experience through the development of embedded and extra-curricular activities and alumni relations initiatives. With the ability to work independently, the role requires a high level of initiative and organisational ability, alongside excellent spoken and written communication skills, to successfully manage complex, cross-functional projects and events. Working at Durham A competitive salary is only one part of the many fantastic benefits you will receive if you join the University: • You'll receive 27 days annual leave per year in addition to 8 public holidays and 4 customary days per year - a total of 39 days. The University closes between Christmas and New Year., • No matter how you travel to work, we have you covered. We have parking across campus, a cycle to work scheme which helps you to buy a bike and discount with local bus and train companies., • You can access exclusive discounts via our benefits portal including money off at supermarkets, high street retailers, IT products such as Apple, eating out and days out at various attractions., • Our on-site nursery is rated Outstanding by Ofsted, and you can access holiday camps for children aged 5-16., • We provide wide-ranging health and wellbeing support including discounted membership for our state-of-the-art sport and gym facilities and access to a 24-7 Employee Assistance Programme., • We offer all staff the opportunity to take part in volunteering activities to make a difference to the local community., • Our family friendly policies, including maternity and adoption leave, are among the most generous in the higher education sector (and likely above and beyond many employers)., • If you are keen on advancing in your role or career, we have a genuine passion for developing our colleagues from qualifications to IT skills, courses and apprenticeships., • We offer generous pension schemes with varying contribution amounts to help you plan for your future. Discover more about our total rewards and benefits package here. Durham University is committed to equality, diversity and inclusion Our collective aim is to create an open and inclusive environment where everyone can reach their full potential and we believe our staff should reflect the diversity of the global community in which we work. As a University equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) are a key part of the University's Strategy and a central part of everything we do. We also live by our values and our Staff Code of Conduct. At Durham we actively work towards providing an environment where our staff and students can study, work and live in a community which is supportive and inclusive. We welcome and encourage applications from members of groups who are under-represented in our work force including people with disabilities, women and black, Asian and minority ethnic communities. If you have taken time out of your career, and you feel it relevant, let us know about it in your application. If you are a candidate with a disability, we are committed to ensuring fair treatment throughout the recruitment process. We will make adjustments to support the interview process wherever it is reasonable to do so and, where successful, reasonable adjustments will be made to support people within their role. What you need to demonstrate when you apply/Person Specification When you apply it is important that you let us know what skills/experience you have from a similar role and/or what skills/experience you have which would make you right for this role. Further information about the role and responsibilities is at the end of this job description. Where a criteria has an asterisk* next to it, it may be given additional weighting when your application is considered. Your application should cover the following criteria: Essential Criteria Qualifications/Experience 1. Five GCSEs at least Grade C or level four (or equivalent) including English Language and Mathematics or a Post-16 qualification or equivalent experience., 2. Experience of working in a busy office environment delivering front line administrative services to a high standard., 3. Experience of managing time to meet deadlines and working under pressure without compromising on quality., 4. Experience of providing advice and guidance to a range of customers and colleagues, including senior colleagues. Skills/Abilities/Knowledge 5. Excellent spoken and written communication skills including the ability to develop effective working relationships at all levels, both internally and externally., 6. Strong digital competence across a range of digital devices and apps including Microsoft 365 applications and social media platforms., 7. Ability to solve problems yourself and as part of a team and resolve issues, plan solutions and make pragmatic decisions., 8. Committed to continuing professional development., 9. Ability to participate in networks to share and discuss good practice and exchange information. Desirable Criteria 1. Understanding and experience of multicultural diversity and needs of international stakeholders., 2. Experience of alumni relations activities including communications, event planning and delivery and working with volunteers., 3. Experience of using Content Management Systems to maintain websites., 4. Experience of data management systems to support alumni activities e.g. Raiser's Edge. How to apply To progress to the assessment stage, candidates must evidence each of the essential criteria required for the role in the person specification above. Where there are desirable criteria we would also urge you to provide any relevant evidence. Please don't forget to check if there is any weighted criteria (see above). While some criteria will be considered at the shortlisting stage, other criteria may be considered later in the assessment process, such as questions at interview. Submitting your application We prefer to receive applications online. We will update you about your application at various points during the process, via automated emails from our e-recruitment system. Please check your spam/junk folder periodically to ensure you receive all emails What you are required to submit: • A CV, • A supporting statement which shows examples of how you meet all of the essential criteria within the Person Specification of the job description. Contact details If you would like to have a chat or ask any questions about the role, Tracey Baker, Alumni Relations Manager would be happy to speak to you: Typical Role Requirements Service Delivery • Contribute to equality, diversity and inclusion, and the University's and Business School's values., • Deliver alumni activities to ensure the effective and efficient running of outreach, internal and external (regional, national and international) activities that enhance the Durham University reputation., • Identify and implement approaches, including the use of digital media to engage and communicate with alumni to maximise awareness and engagement of alumni initiatives and opportunities., • Use your experience and problem-solving skills to investigate and resolve issues relating to alumni activities and make recommendations based on your findings., • Continually review what is required from the global alumni community to make sure the best possible service is provided., • Respond to diverse stakeholder needs to deliver and shape an excellent stakeholder experience, including students, alumni, programme teams and directors, internal and external organisations and partners., • Record, analyse and report alumni data and evaluation of the services to inform activities, retain and engage alumni and identify continuous improvement initiatives., • Respond to queries and provide information and advice to colleagues, escalating complex queries with more senior team members., • Prepare any necessary reports for senior managers, as required. • Plan and organise own workload to deliver the role., • Organise and support the delivery of a programme of alumni events in the UK and internationally as well as graduation events on campus., • Monitor processes and activities to ensure team priorities are met. Teamwork • Provide specialist support and advice to team members on alumni relations activities., • Make changes to the services provided by your team in discussion with other team members., • Identify opportunities and contribute to decisions on how to improve services being delivered by the team., • Seek feedback from students, staff and alumni on their requirements from your service and recommend improvements to senior colleagues., • Support the Alumni Relations Manager and other colleagues to deliver an engagement plan with recent postgraduate cohorts to engage them with active participation in rankings surveys. Communications/Liaison • Use your knowledge and expertise to provide advice and guidance to resolve problems and respond to a wide range of queries., • Create good working relationships with other team members within the Accreditation and Stakeholder Relations Team, the Rankings, Performance and Analytics Team, colleagues across the Business School and Development and Alumni Relations Office (DARO) to work together on collaborative activities., • Collaborate within Accreditations and Stakeholder Relations Team colleagues and across other departments, such as Learning and Teaching and DARO to ensure the seamless provision of products and services, such as events and supporting alumni involvement in guest speaking, induction, projects, employment opportunities and data processing and presentation., • Build relationships with contacts and contribute to internal and external networks to share good practice and exchange information., • Use creative and engaging ways to communicate and promote information about ways that alumni can stay connected to the Business School., • Be willing to travel in the UK and internationally, and to work weekends to support with events, as required., • Any other reasonable duties. Please note that in submitting your application Durham University will be processing your data. We would ask you to consider the relevant University Privacy Statement Privacy Notices - Durham University which provides information on the collation, storing and use of data. When appointing to this role the University must ensure that it meets any applicable immigration requirements, including salary thresholds which are applicable to some visas.