Deputy Director of Employability and Careers Employability Administrative Assistant

Transcription

1 Post Details Last Updated: 7 March 018 Faculty/Administrative/Service Department Job Title VP ducation and Students Division Directorate of mployability Careers Adviser (Diversity) Job Family Professional Services Job Level 4 Responsible to Responsible for (Staff) Job Purpose Statement Deputy Director of mployability mployability Administrative Assistant Provide careers advice and guidance to students and graduates of the University in order to enable them to make effective career choices and to help them through selection processes. Leading on a university-wide mployability Award to enable students to gain recognition for their skills development and achievements. The post holder will also have responsibility for working with colleagues on addressing issues of diversity, and in particular will have a focus on helping students from non-traditional backgrounds. Key Responsibilities This document is not designed to be a list of all tasks undertaken but an outline record of the main responsibilities (5 to 8 maximum) 1. Lead on the design and delivery of the Surrey mployability Award, liaising with colleagues across the university to implement a framework to enable students to gain recognition for skills and employability development which feeds into their HAR.. Delivering individual guidance interviews, advising undergraduate, postgraduate and former students about their choice of career and assisting them in performing successfully throughout every stage of the selection process, with a particular focus on helping students from non-traditional backgrounds.. Planning and delivering presentations and workshops for groups of students on a range of topics including all aspects of the career search, planning and decision-making process. 4. Forging productive relationships with academic and administrative staff in link departments and negotiating appropriate careers support. Working closely with Senior Professional Training Tutors and administrators to help facilitate student engagement with the Professional Training placement programme. 5. Developing and maintaining appropriate professional knowledge and awareness of the graduate labour market, including employers requirements and selection procedures, and also keeping abreast of postgraduate study opportunities. 6. Contributing to the development of appropriate careers information resources to enhance the mployability and Careers Centre s website, including social media. 7. Work collaboratively on projects contributing towards service development. Attending regular team meetings at the University and other special events such as Careers Fairs. 8. Playing an active role as time permits in the Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services. Attending training events which develop personal effectiveness and resilience. N.B. The above list is not exhaustive. The post holder will from time to time be required to undertake other duties of a similar nature as reasonably required by their line manager. All staff are expected to: Positively support equality of opportunity and equity of treatment to colleagues and students in accordance with the University of Surrey qual Opportunities Policy. Work to achieve the aims of our nvironmental Policy and promote awareness to colleagues and students. Follow University/departmental policies and working practices in ensuring that no breaches of information security result from their actions. nsure they are aware of and abide by all relevant University Regulations and Policies relevant to the role. Undertake such other duties within the scope of the post as may be requested by your Manager. Work supportively with colleagues, operating in a collegiate manner at all times. Help maintain a safe working environment by: Attending training in Health and Safety requirements as necessary, both on appointment and as changes in duties and techniques demand. Following local codes of safe working practices and the University of Surrey Health and Safety Policy.

2 lements of the Role Planning and Organising This role has responsibility for planning and delivering careers guidance interviews, lectures and workshops in order to allow students and graduates to make effective and appropriate career choices and assist them in making successful transitions. The post holder will operate with minimal day-to-day supervision and in a pro-active and flexible manner; planning and prioritising their workload accordingly. The post holder will have to make judgements and re-prioritise their work when faced with conflicting demands. The post holder will also support their line manager, organising activities that contribute to the achievement of the overall objectives of the mployability Centre. Besides strong organisational skills, the post holder needs to demonstrate a confident communication style and be responsive to the needs of their audience. In addition they must be able to develop suitable careers information resources to enhance the mployability Centre s website. There is also a need to be able to network extensively and pro-actively throughout the University, in order to ascertain needs and create awareness of the services they provide. The post holder will negotiate appropriate inputs to programmes in their link departments, including support for students preparing to apply for Professional Training Placements. Problem Solving and Decision Making The post-holder is expected to provide advice and solutions to routine day-to-day problems within the specialist area with which they are familiar. Resolution of these issues will usually be found through referring to their previous experience of similar problems or through making reference to well-established departmental policies, processes and procedures and applying them. They are expected to use initiative and judgement to address and resolve more complicated problems in order to meet the immediate needs of the Centre. The post holder is expected to refer the more complex problems or those issues outside of the remit of their role to their line manager. The post holder is however, expected to have a degree of involvement in finding and implementing resolutions in this case. Continuous Improvement There is a need to deliver careers advice that is both reactive to demands from clients and also proactive, for example keeping abreast of opportunities for postgraduate study and labour market information, as well as maintaining an awareness of employer s requirements and selection procedures in order to adapt the services offered. The post-holder is responsible for developing and delivering the services offered and is expected to continually look for areas where improvement can be made. The post-holder has supervisory responsibility for the mployability Administrative Assistant.

3 Accountability The post holder should understand the importance of providing timely and professional career development support to all students in terms of supporting their personal and professional development and future employability. Failure to successfully manage and achieve extensive student engagement could result in less favourable employment outcomes, fewer opportunities for graduate-level jobs for Surrey students and impact on the reputation of the University with employers. rrors in managing relationships, poor customer service and difficulties in managing highly demanding workloads have the potential to impact on financial and reputational issues for the University. The post holder is required to have knowledge of career development support for students, stakeholder engagement and customer relations and will operate within the policies and practices of the Centre and any operational guidelines set by their line manager. The post holder will report to the Deputy Director of mployability. As a Careers Adviser the post holder will be a representative of the University and the mployability and Careers Centre. They will be expected to follow CC policies and procedures, and adhere to the AGCAS Code of Conduct in their practice and interactions with both internal and external stakeholders. Dimensions of the role The post holder will work closely and collaboratively with the other Careers Advisers in order to meet the needs of students, recent graduates and their link academic departments. They will have responsibility for delivering careers guidance interviews, lectures and workshops in order to allow students and recent graduates to make effective and appropriate career choices and assist them in making successful transitions. They will take responsibility for defining their priorities clearly in terms of work and schedules to ensure that key deadlines and objectives are met, with minimal supervisory approval. Supplementary Information The post exists because the University needs a highly effective mployability Centre which is led, managed and operated according to the University s core values of Innovation, Passion, Collaboration, Openness, and Curiosity. Considerable importance is attached to the role played by the Centre in maintaining the University s excellent graduate employment record which is currently amongst the best for nglish chartered universities. Students expect to receive high quality insight of future career options, and supporting information, advice and guidance. Within the University, the post holder will be the designated link person for several academic departments. The post holder will also be expected to attend regular team meetings in the mployability Centre, as well as other events such as the annual Careers Fair and employer workshops and presentations.

4 Person Specification This section describes the sum total of knowledge, experience & competence required by the post holder that is necessary for standard acceptable performance in carrying out this role. Qualifications and Professional Memberships Degree, HND, NVQ 4 qualified or equivalent in relevant subject/relevant formal training, plus a number of years' experience in similar or related roles. Or: Significant vocational experience, demonstrating development through involvement in a series of progressively more demanding relevant work/roles, and the acquisition of appropriate professional or specialist knowledge. ssential/ Qualification in Careers Guidance (QCG) or equivalent. Technical Competencies (xperience and Knowledge) ssential/ Level 1- Significant experience of using careers counselling / guidance interviewing skills Some experience of work involving either teaching, giving presentations or facilitating group work Presentation / lecturing skills Ability to design and facilitate group work Previous work experience in an H careers setting or similar Special Requirements: Some weekend/evening work may be required as directed by your line manager ssential/ Annual leave may be restricted at key times during the year. Core Competencies This section contains the level of competency required to carry out this role. (Please refer to the competency framework for clarification where needed). n/a (not applicable) should be placed, where the competency is not a requirement of the grade. Communication Adaptability / Flexibility Customer/Client service and support Planning and Organising Continuous Improvement Problem Solving and Decision Making Skills Managing and Developing Performance Creative and Analytical Thinking Influencing, Persuasion and Negotiation Skills Strategic Thinking & Leadership Level n/a This Job Purpose reflects the core activities of the post. As the Department/Faculty and the post holder develop, there will inevitably be some changes to the duties for which the post is responsible, and possibly to the emphasis of the post itself. The University expects that the post holder will recognise this and will adopt a flexible approach to work. This could include undertaking relevant training where necessary. Should significant changes to the Job Purpose become necessary, the post holder will be consulted and the changes reflected in a revised Job Purpose. Organisational/Departmental Information & Key Relationships

5 Background Information The University of Surrey has a long history supporting students going on work placements and study exchange as part of their degree programme and contextualising employability as part of the broader student learning experience. The management structures for Careers and Professional Training are contained within a single Directorate of mployability to ensure improved visibility and better administrative efficiencies to Professional Training, Careers and mployability across the University. Looking ahead, the University recognises the need to invest in employability in order to ensure that the University is attractive to potential students, that it ensures employability is appropriately contextualised in the student learning journey and that it maintains the strong industry links that our academics have in the UK, in urope and internationally. The ultimate aim of this post is to increase the employability of Surrey Graduates. Department Structure Chart Director of mployability Admin Assistant mployability Deputy Director of mployability Careers Adviser 4 x UG/PGT 1 x PGR/CR 1 x Diversity Student and mployer ngagement Professional Training (PTY) mployability Administrative Assistant Relationships Internal The post holder s primary focus is working to support undergraduates and postgraduate taught students in their career planning and decision making. In addition, there will be interaction with the Student and mployer ngagement team who generate opportunities for students to meet employers on and off campus, and ensure that relevant material is available in the Centre and on our website. The post holder will also work closely with the Professional Training Administrative team who co-ordinate students professional training placements. The post holder will work closely with their link academic departments but also collaborate with other relevant university services. xternal The post holder will work with their line manager to maintain relationships with a wide range of external stakeholders, including alumni and employers who recruit graduates.