HR Ref No: HR 154/13 Administrative Assistant in School Partnership Office (SPO) (1.0 FTE)

HR Ref No: HR 154/13 Administrative Assistant in School Partnership Office (SPO) (1.0 FTE)

Dear applicant Administrative Assistant in Schools Partnership Office (SPO) - 1.0 FTE HR Ref No: HR 154/13 (Grade RU05) from 24,783 to 28,165 per annum, including London Weighting Allowance of 3,400 per annum Thank you for your interest in this role. This pack contains all the information you need to apply for the post and includes: information about the department summary of the role person specification a full job description a summary of the particular terms and conditions of employment for the role the University as a Disability Symbol User If you would like to have an informal discussion about the role, you can contact: Louise Ward, Senior Administrator, School Partnership Office on 020 8392 3292, or email l.ward@roehampton.ac.uk You can download an application form from our website. Please use the application form for professional services/support staff and ensure you detail what contribution you feel you can bring to the post, with specific reference to the job description and the person specificaton. The closing date for applications is no later than 5.00pm on: Friday 6 December 2013 Only applicants who currently have the right to work in the UK without restrictions may apply for this role. It is hoped that interviews will be held on: Wednesday 18 December 2013 Unfortunately, if you do not hear from us within five weeks of the closing date, then you should assume that you have been unsuccessful on this occasion. Short-listed candidates will receive precise interview details in due course. Roehampton is committed to promoting and practising diversity and equality of opportunity

School information The School of Education at Roehampton has an established international reputation for education. It is positioned as one of the principal providers of Initial Teacher Education nationally and houses highly successful provision in the areas of Education Studies and Early Childhood Studies. We have strong international links and an established reputation for the provision of professional development courses and consultancy for delivery off-site and overseas. At the same time we retain a distinctive local identity and have partnerships with over 400 establishments in the locality. Research in the Department is amongst the best of all modern universities according to the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise. 30% of submissions were deemed to be world leading or internationally recognised and 50% nationally excellent and internationally recognised. Overall we were 27 th out of 81 Education Departments submitted. The School aims to: reflect education in its broadest sense, involving multi-agency engagement in learning and human development in diverse contexts; raise the profile of the School locally, regionally, nationally and internationally in order to become the preferred choice for trainees, collaborative partners and in consultancy; influence education policy and practice through our graduates and our staff and research work; encourage trainees to be independent, reflective learners who are able to engage in critical debate, research and maintain a commitment to continuing professional development. We have a strong widening participation agenda within the School and the success of current strategies can be seen in the broad range of entry profiles for our courses. We welcome trainees from all backgrounds and cultures and actively encourage the recruitment of international students. 1

Summary of the role The Schools Partnership Office needs a bright, positive communicator who will work within a small team to support the placing of trainees in schools. Reporting to the Senior Administrator, the Administrative Assistant will undertake a range of supporting administration duties including mail-shots, calling schools and supporting meetings. Strong customer service skills will be required when dealing with staff, trainees and schools both orally and in writing. We are looking for someone with proven administrative and organisational abilities, strong oral and written communication skills and excellent IT skills. Person specification The person appointed to the post of Administrative Assistant will be expected to have: A good standard of education. Experience of working in an administrative role within a Higher Education or school environment. Proven relevant experience of administrative/customer service work in a busy office environment and ability to work calmly and effectively under pressure. Ability to handle sensitive or confidential matters with tact. Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to build rapport and relationships with external agencies. Proven organisational abilities, including prioritising a diverse workload. A track record of working in a flexible and responsive manner both under own initiative and as an effective member of a team. Sound understanding of, and ability to use, a range of technology for administrative purposes. Needs to have strong IT software knowledge and needs to have transferable skills and confidence to work on a database. 2

Job Description Administrative Assistant (SPO) Reporting to Senior Administrative Officer Role purpose To provide secretarial, administrative and clerical support to the Principal Lecturer and Senior Administrator in the Schools Partnership Office (SPO). Principal duties (maximum 10) To deal professionally and promptly (both orally and in writing) with a range of enquires about teaching practice placements from staff and students. Responsible for being the first point of contact for students visiting the office and for incoming mail/paperwork. To assist with organising school placements for cohorts from the primary initial teaching. To provide an efficient and effective administrative service to the SA to ensure the smooth running of the work schedules. To initiate and develop good office practice. This will include prioritising work and ensuring the efficient dissemination of information to staff and students and updating notice-boards. To perform general office duties, including photocopying, typing, handling telephone enquiries, assisting with mail-shots, ordering stationery, arranging catering and making room bookings for meeting and events. To update the database with information that will affect the placement (i.e. supervision model). To arrange payment to schools for supervision and attend assessment and briefing meetings. 3

Activities Examples of role requirements 1 Communication (a) Oral Communication The role holder receives, understands and conveys straightforward information in a clear and accurate manner e.g. explaining procedures. The role holder will on occasions need to explain more details to someone with a limited understanding of topic. (b) Written Communication The role holder will complete standard reports/proformas e.g. log sheets, registers. The role holder will write letters and emails using a standard template and/or update instructions for simple equipment use. 2 Teamwork and motivation Generally not accountable for the motivation of others but expected to offer mutual support and cover for others when needed. 3 Liaison and networking The role holder carries out standard day to day liaison with specific colleagues about work being undertaken. This will require the role holder to ensure accuracy of data or delivery of services e.g. relating to room bookings or information about student registration. The role holder will respond to internal and/or external contacts that require information/service. 4 Service delivery The role holder will respond to internal/ external contacts/ customers who require information or a service. 5 Decision making processes and outcomes 6 Planning and organising resources 7 Initiative and problem solving The role holder will undertake tasks within set standards or procedures. The role holder may assist in collection of feedback and improvement of services as a result of the feedback. The role holder will typically make decisions that are in line with standard procedures. The role holder may contribute at team meetings or be part of a group making collective decisions e.g. improving the service. The role holder organises their own workload and prioritises between tasks. The role holder may have a specific piece of which to complete alongside daily work load e.g. an audit of stock, producing signs for the department. The role holder will solve standard day to day problems as they arise e.g. an enquiry from a student or booking travel arrangements. 4

The role holder may be required to decide when to tackle a problem or when to refer on to others. 8 Analysis and research The role holder will perform basic checks, follow set procedures to establish basic facts e.g. to identify a problem or a machine failure (photocopier). The role holder may be required to collect data for 9 Sensory and physical demands analysis e.g. stock levels against inventory. The role holder will typically use standard office equipment. The role holder may sometimes be required to lift or move heavy items. The role holder may be required to input large amounts of data accurately. 10 Work environment The role holder will typically work in a standard office environment. The role holder may occasionally work in areas where they are expected to deal with stressful or difficult situations. 11 Pastoral care and welfare The role holder will occasionally need to show sensitivity towards colleagues who may need help. 12 Team development The role holder may occasionally explain procedures to new starters and provide initial support or an overview of the work area. 13 Teaching and learning support The role holder may provide standard information to new students or staff outside of the work group e.g. explaining use of the library or computer facilities. 14 Knowledge and experience A good standard of general education. Proven experience of administrative/ customer service work in a busy office environment. Ability to handle sensitive or confidential matters with tact. Ability to work calmly and effectively under pressure. Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to build rapport and relationships with external agencies. Proven administrative and organisational abilities, including prioritising a diverse workload. A track record of working in a flexible and responsive manner both under own initiative and as an effective member of a team. Sound understanding of, and ability to use, a range of technology for administrative purposes. 5

Summary of the terms and conditions of employment for the role Appointment The appointment is offered on a permanent basis with effect from as soon as is possible after interview. Annual leave The annual leave entitlement is 25 days per annum. NB. Added to this are the 8 bank/public holidays and a University Christmas closure, of between 3-4 days, depending on how Christmas falls each year (the University is closed between Christmas and New Year). Hours of Work Your normal hours of work will be 35 hours per week to be worked as agreed with your line manager. The University limits the range of posts in which overtime may be paid to posts up to Grade RU06. The University s policy is to avoid the working of overtime wherever possible, to grant time off in lieu for most occasional overtime working and to require prior manager approval of any overtime working. Benefits Set in a beautiful campus, the University has an attractive range of benefits and you can find out more about them in the Benefits Section of our website 6

The University as a Disability Symbol User The University is accredited as a Disability Symbol User and recognises its obligations under the symbol to ensure that people with disabilities are afforded every possible opportunity to enter employment and progress within it. Becoming a Disability Symbol User means in principle that we as an organisation have pledged to the following 5 commitments: To interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for any advertised post; To ensure that disabled employees can develop and use their abilities; To make every possible effort to see that disabled employees stay in employment; To ensure all employees develop appropriate levels of disability awareness needed to make them work effectively and without bias; To put mechanisms in place to review these commitments and improve on work practices. Further information can be found on our website. Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006 The provisions of the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006 require employers to verify that a person selected for employment is entitled to work in the United Kingdom (UK). The University is required to see and take a copy of an appropriate document or combination of documents before employment commences. You can find further full details of the relevant documents on our website by following this link: http://www.roehampton.ac.uk/employment_checks/ 7