Education Jobs
Job Description
The Head of Advocacy and Policy will be responsible for developing an excellent Advice Service and Retention Team to support and advise students effectively to enable excellent student experience and satisfaction.
This role will lead on the development of effective insights, representation and support initiatives/campaigns for students, across our three campuses at Greenwich, Avery Hill and Medway.
This role will enhance work with the diverse student population of the University of Greenwich and lead a dynamic team to ensure students have consistent and accessible services that contribute to positive student experience.
This role sits within the wider Membership Services department, together with other key areas consisting of; Activities, Sport, Academic Communities, Representation and Democracy, we provide a high-quality service for students, that they can shape, steer and be at the heart of.
This postholder will be part of the GSU Senior Leadership Team and will be expected to contribute to department and organisation wide strategic development.
The post holder will:
- Have expert knowledge in areas of in relation to Advice and Retention and policies and legislation relating to such activity
- Support and develop strong student-led communities and campaigns in areas of: Advice, wellbeing and retention so that members can thrive
- Provide line management support to staff so that the team have up to date, specialist advice skills, knowledge and understanding of University regulations, policies and procedures that may affect the work of the Advice service and oversee engagement across Greenwich’s 3 campuses
- Undertake casework and provide expert advice for the team on all aspects of Advice
- Lead on the project management of wellbeing/health promotion campaigns and initiatives throughout the year, as well as any external bids through bodies such as OfS
- Oversee the Retention and Wellbeing Project work, and other relevant projects with external partners
- Lead on insights work relating to retention, wellbeing and support
- Lead on responses to external consultation and enquiry responses, including but not limited to OfS, Department for Education, OIA and Universities UK
- Support elected officers to deliver on campaigning priorities
- Ensure the Advice service has the skills and is equipped to support the diverse needs of students at Greenwich and Kent at Medway.
- Provide regular insights and reports on the GSU Membership to inform our strategy and service provision
- Work with other Heads to develop relevant and modern Front of House services for each GSU campus ensuring ease of access and consistency for all members.
Key Areas
- Be an engaged and active member of the Senior Leadership team, contributing regularly and working collaboratively with peers
- Provide leadership, strategic direction and day to day operational management to the Advocacy and Policy: recruiting and inducting members of staff, motivating, supporting and developing team members to ensure they have the necessary skills and knowledge for their roles as well as manage performance
- Develop a proactive results driven culture within the team, ensuring agreed objectives and targets are delivered, whilst promoting a collaborative approach to working with internal departments
- Develop succession plans and identify training and development opportunities within the team
- Be accountable for the quality of outputs of the team
- Provide support to the Officer team helping and equipping them, particularly in their roles as representatives and providing pastoral support and guidance.
- Ensure the whole organisation is aware of and understands the work of the Advocacy and Policy Team and its contribution to our strategic objectives
- To maintain expert and up-to-date knowledge on sector policies and regulations relating to advice, retention and student success, providing relevant guidance to officers and staff as required.
- Develop and promote a culture of continuous improvement across the team to ensure we can adapt to changing students’ needs and priorities, as well as building on successes and preparing for the future.
Strategic Development
- Contribute to the strategic objectives of GSU, with a particular focus on advice, support and wellbeing in relation to the student experience
- Develop and oversee a new and innovative approach to proactive health and wellbeing campaigns that empower students to look after themselves and each other, as well as seeking support
- Lead on Access and Participation Plan Engagement, acting as the key contact on this area with the University.
- Build and maintain strong working relationships with relevant senior UoG staff and departments including Student Academic Services, Faculties and our partners at Kent Unio
- Develop and oversee the Advice service to support advocacy initiatives at multiple levels within the University, ensuring both students and University stakeholders view GSU as a credible and reliable source of information on the needs of students.
Monitoring and Evaluation
- Develop and oversee a structured approach to gathering, analysing and reporting on data relating to engagement of students with our services and to student views on key issues relating to retention and success
- Develop and oversee processes of collecting quantitative and qualitative data from casework to analyse trends and inform feedback for the SU and university
- Ensure evaluation mechanism are embedded in the teams working practises and that findings are shared and used to implement learnings with the goal of improving services
- Support Officers by preparing information, statistics and trends about key services to be shared within the University committee cycle
- Be responsible for the implementation of service standards for the Advocacy and Policy Team and to monitor and report on adherence to these standards
- Prepare materials to apply for any relevant quality mark accreditations for the service.
Budget and Financial Management
- Manage a budget relating to Advocacy and Policy including any restricted funds.
- Be responsible for the teams resources, ensuring these are effectively allocated, managed and controlled
- Review and establish processes, systems, polices and where appropriate standard procedures to maximise efficiency ensure deadlines are met and a positive return on investment
- Review and provide narrative for scrutiny at monthly management meetings with the Finance Team
Stakeholder management
- Collaborate with GSU colleagues, particularly the Student Voice and Engagement Teams to ensure we have a consistent approach to how we work with and support students
- Work with students through our representative structures and forums to ensure we shape services students want and need, taking into consideration the varying campus priorities
- Maintain strong relationships with key university staff to develop, deliver and evaluate collaborative projects and interventions supporting advice and retention
- Attend meetings relating to Advocacy and Policy as well as associated areas at both GSU, the University and externally, included, but not limited to regional networks
- Identify opportunities to share best practice and represent the work of GSU and your team to the wider HE community, through conferences and publication.
Personal Specification
Essential Experience
- Line management experience
- Relevant experience working in the youth, education, students’ union or other membership or advisory organisation
- Experience of leading a multi-functional team
- Experience of mentoring coaching staff/elected officers
- Experience of developing operational policies and procedures
- Experience of budget management, project management, and operational management
- Experience of working with a range of stakeholders and partnership working or strategic networking
Essential Skills and Abilities
- Ability to work with and lead a high performing team
- Ability to troubleshoot difficult situations, and deal with them calmly, efficiently and effectively
- Ability to produce confident, clear written reports and be able to write succinct documents on complex areas
- IT skills at a level that supports membership CRM systems, Advice Pro and other platforms
- Excellent time management and organisational skills with the ability to manage others to reach deadlines, within agreed budgets and to a consistently high standard
- Ability to write strategies and be able to effectively communicate vision and mission
- Ability to stay focused and efficient in the face on changing priorities
- Track record of successfully developing and implementing projects and operational change
- Able to draft policies and procures with an eye for detail and accuracy
Essential Knowledge
- Awareness of current issues within the higher education sector
- Knowledge of relevant external bodies and organisations including Advice UK, NUS, Citizens Advice, OIA, Ofs, Student Minds
- Knowledge of relevant health and safety legislation
- Knowledge of Safeguarding, advice legislation, risk assessments and GDPR
- Knowledge of providing 121 support
Education/Training
- No one specific qualification is required, but evidence of recent continuing professional development in a professional area relevant to the post is required. For example: ILM, City &Guilds etc.
Personal Attributes and other requirements
- Able to travel within the Borough and Region.
- Able to work some evenings and weekends and stay overnight where necessary.
- Works well in a team with a flexible approach to work
- Be eligible for a DBS check if needed
- A commitment to the principles and practices of equality and diversity
- An ability to apply awareness of diversity issues to all areas of work.
- Commitment to the values and ethos of GSU.
Desirable other requirements
- Visionary, creative, and innovative strategist
- A positive, solution focused leader – able to make ‘tough’ decisions; determined and resilient in order to cope with the demands of the role
- Empowering, authentic leader with high levels of emotional intelligence
We help students at the University of Greenwich become the best they can be at university and beyond.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Using Anonymous Recruitment
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Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as the applications come in. Don’t miss your opportunity, apply now!
In2careers Manager
Salary Range: £37,000 - £40,000 per annum
Length of Contract: Permanent, full time
Start date: ASAP
Location: Remote
Background /Summary
In2scienceUK’s aim is to promote social mobility and diversity in science, technology, engineering and maths. We do this by leveraging the skills and passion of researchers and STEM professionals to support young people from low socio-economic backgrounds to achieve their potential and progress to degrees and careers in STEM.
This role is an exciting opportunity for a passionate, experienced and creative professional to build on our success so far. We see this role as pivotal to achieving our aim of becoming a true social mobility charity that gets talented young people into high paying jobs.
Role Summary:
As the In2careers Manager, you will be responsible for developing and delivering the alumni offer which is the In2careers platform. This currently includes a mentoring scheme, monthly newsletter, online workshops, Alumni Conference, job boards and more.
You will be responsible for developing any new activities and initiatives for this platform that build on our aim of getting young people from low socio-economic backgrounds into employment.
Duties and Responsibilities
As the In2careers Manager you will be someone who enjoys working with young people and has an understanding of the barriers facing young people from low socio-economic backgrounds to access higher education and STEM careers.
This role sits within the Development team but has strong links across the organisation. This role has elements of fundraising mixed with programme delivery and will suit someone who can get excited about programme development and delivery as well as building lasting partnerships with key funders.
Your specific areas of responsibility will include but are not limited to:
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Evaluating current activities and developing new ideas and initiatives for the programme
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Securing partners that support the mission of this programme
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Generating income for the programme
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Developing and delivering the ongoing Alumni mentoring programme
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Online and in person event development, management and delivery, including careers fair and networking events
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Generating relevant content for the platform
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Maintaining up to date records through the programme’s database, supporting
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Managing the evaluation of the programmes in collaboration with the Operations team
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Communicating Alumni activities to the wider team
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Supporting team members to create reports and other Alumni data related activities
Person Specification
Knowledge
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An understanding of social and economic barriers that prevent some young people from progressing to higher education and STEM careers.
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Knowledge and understanding of the STEM sector, including higher education and industry.
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Knowledge of career development, advice and support
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Knowledge of the role of recruiters in the job market
Skills and Experience
Essential:
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IT skills
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Ability to write clear, accurate and appealing text for different audiences
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Project management
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Excellent verbal presentation skills.
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Experienced line manager
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Experience of developing or delivering alumni programmes or career development programmes
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Experience of developing and delivering events and workshops, particularly online
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Experience of developing and maintaining strong working relationships with internal and external partners
Personal Qualities
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Excellent communication and interpersonal skills that adapt to a range of audiences.
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Highly organised and efficient, able to prioritise tasks and be persistent
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Show respect, humility and discretion in working with others
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Responds to situations calmly, flexibly and appropriately, displaying resilience particularly when faced with challenges
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Can work to a deadline
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Can work independently and collaboratively
We are looking for a person with a can do attitude, a willingness to learn on the job and be a team player. If you feel you meet this requirement, but are missing some of the above attributes please do still apply.
Benefits:
At In2scienceUK we practise what we preach by giving all staff opportunities to progress in their careers. You will have the opportunity to develop your own bespoke training and career development plan with guidance from your line manager to get you to the next level from day one.
Although we take our career development seriously we also value work-life balance. You will have the opportunity to work flexibly from home, balancing your caring responsibilities, volunteer commitments, hobbies and anything else that makes you happy.
In2scienceUK is a remote based organisation, that requires occasional travel across the UK for events and staff co-working days.
You will have 28 days of annual leave per annum, plus bank holidays.
Commitment to Safeguarding:
In2scienceUK is committed to our responsibilities for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults as outlined in Working Together to Safeguard Children. We are committed to recruiting candidates who share this commitment to safeguarding, and therefore we apply robust recruitment and selection procedures to ensure that the people selected are right for the job, and that all candidates are appropriately screened prior to appointment.
The following pre-employment checks will be undertaken as applicable:
• References
• DBS check and/or Overseas criminal records check where applicable
• Self-Disclosure
• Identity check
• Right to work in the UK
• Evidence of qualifications applicable to the role
• Confirmation of registration with applicable registered body where applicable
Many of our roles involve working with children and we will therefore take up references prior to your appointment. You should provide details of referees including your current and previous employers, covering the last 5 years. Your current or previous employer will be asked about disciplinary offences relating to children, if the role involved working with children, including any in which the penalty is time expired. We will also ask if you have been the subject of any child protection concerns and if so, the outcome of any enquiry or disciplinary procedure.
Application procedure:
Please apply via Charity Job by uploading your CV (2 pages maximum) and a cover letter (2 pages maximum). Please use your cover letter to demonstrate how you meet each of the Person Specification competencies outlined above.
The deadline for applications is 11:30 pm on Friday 10th May 2024. Applications will be reviewed as they are received so an early application is advised.
Please note, this advert may close earlier than the indicated deadline.
For more information on the work we do please visit our website. For an informal discussion about the post, please contact Ty Watson, our Director of Development by email (you can find his email address in the Job Description attached)
In2scienceUK exists to unlock the potential of young people from disadvantaged backgrounds and boost diversity and inclusion in the STEM sector.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as the applications come in. Don’t miss your opportunity, apply now!
About the Role
There are 1.4 million primary-aged children growing up in poverty in the UK, and we are currently only working with a fraction of them. We have grown rapidly over the last few years and are now looking to recruit a Fundraising Manager who can help take our fundraising work to the next level.
The Fundraising Manager will work with the team to drive Learning with Parents’ fundraising strategy. Their primary focus will be on strengthening our existing corporate partnerships pipeline, and managing new and existing corporate relationships. They will continue to develop and adapt the Learning with Parents proposition for corporate partnerships ensuring partnerships deliver mutual benefits and maximise impact on our shared mission.
The Fundraising Manager will also support our work with High Net Worth Individuals and Trust and Foundations. Their responsibilities will also include line management of our Fundraising and Operations Officer to achieve their aims and objectives.
The Fundraising Manager will represent Learning with Parents at external fundraising and networking events to raise our profile, build relationships and promote parental engagement in the charitable and education sectors.
Areas of Responsibility
Building a pipeline of corporate partners
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Working closely with Learning with Parents’ CEO and COO, research, qualify and prioritise prospects to create a buoyant pipeline.
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Maintain and update the prospect pipeline.
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Engage with and cultivate potential corporate partners to develop meaningful collaborations with shared goals.
Stewarding new and existing funders
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Writing and submitting applications to corporate foundations and other trusts and foundations.
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Manage and steward Learning with Parents’ corporate partners, trust and foundations and other donors.
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Fulfil any donor due diligence requirements.
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Draft compelling update reports and other written materials as required.
Feeding into the fundraising strategy
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Input into Learning with Parents’ fundraising strategy.
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Feed into discussions around what the Fundraising team should look like as the organisation grows.
Responding to new opportunities
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Engage with new fundraising opportunities such as Awards and connections with High Net Worth Individuals (HNWIs).
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Develop and adapt Learning with Parents’ proposition for corporate partners, ensuring partnerships deliver mutual benefits and maximise impact of our shared mission.
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Represent Learning with Parents at external fundraising and networking to raise our profile.
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Update Learning with Parents’ case for support and other fundraising resources to meet new funding needs and opportunities.
Line Management
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Directly line manage Learning with Parents’ Fundraising and Operations Officer to achieve their goals and objectives.
About You
Experience within a similar role, or within the charity sector, would be great. However, we know that a lot of the most important skills in this role are transferable from jobs in other sectors, such as relationship development, account management and business development. We want the right person and we will invest in training the right candidate as necessary.
Our ideal candidate would be able to provide examples of when they have used the following skills and experience:
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Robust organisational and prioritisation skills
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Excellent communication skills, including the ability to present and represent the organisation externally and inspire audiences
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Effective relationship building with internal and external stakeholders
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Managing long-term partnerships
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Strong writing skills and an ability to produce clear and compelling narrative
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Working well within a team, drawing on the skills and knowledge of those around you, as well as supporting others with your own expertise
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A desire to champion and uphold our vision, mission and values.
Our ideal candidate might also be able to provide examples of when they have used some of the following skills and experience, although these are not essential:
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An understanding of education inequality in the UK
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Lived experience of some of the barriers that families from disadvantaged communities face in engaging with children’s learning
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Experience in charity fundraising and managing corporate partnerships
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Strategic planning, development and delivery.
Our vision is that every child is supported at home to fulfil their potential.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as the applications come in. Don’t miss your opportunity, apply now!
Real Estate Balance (REB) is a leading campaigning and membership organisation working to improve equality, diversity and inclusion (ED&I) in the real estate industry. Our members include different types of businesses, both large and small, from across the property sector.
We work at all levels of the industry, offering a range of programmes, campaigns and events that help leaders accelerate progress on diversity, support middle managers to create inclusive workplace cultures, and empower the next generation of leaders to unlock their potential and thrive.
Together with our members, we’re working to create a real estate industry that’s fairer, better-balanced and more equitable for everyone.
Established in 2016, REB now has close to 130 corporate members and is still growing. It is a not-for-profit organisation.
The Executive Management Administration team of 5, headed by the MD, run the organisation on a day-to-day basis. The team is supported by the REB board and committees, together with 3rd party providers for accounting, payroll, banking, media & public relations, website hosting and IT services.
Role and Responsibilities
New Position: Due to the increase in REB memberships and activities, a new full-time events role is being created to support the executive team.
Key Tasks – support the MD in creating and delivering a member engagement and events programme
1. Conception and collaboration of member events, through to completion
2. Promoting events to members, working alongside REB’s external PR/Communications agency
3. Managing event registrations and guest lists
4. Responsible for line managing the events administrator
5. Responsible for REB events planning, logistics, analysis (report & presentation) and follow-up actions
6. Attending meetings with members re event planning and development
7. Reporting quarterly to the board and attending board meetings with the Executive team
Detailed Responsibilities
1. Develop, manage and deliver REB’s event programme (working with MD and ED&I coordinator):
o upload event listings to website;
o prepare invitations;
o liaise with host venues;
o oversee registrations & comms;
o obtain event feedback
2. Monitor and evaluate events including reviewing feedback and attendance
3. Coordinate the CEO Breakfasts series
4. Maintain the Events page on the REB website
5. Maintain a database of venues
6. Identify, approach and secure appropriate speakers and participants for events
KNOWLEDGE & EXPERIENCE
1. Events management and logistics
2. Knowledge (preferably working knowledge) of Microsoft Dynamics and Marketing
3. Knowledge (preferably working knowledge) of current best practices and trends in ED&I, including familiarity with key concepts (e.g. allyship, unconscious bias, intersectionality, etc.)
Preferred Skills
1. Windows 10/Office 365 including Word, Excel, PowerPoint and other capabilities
2. CRM and website management systems
3. Filing and organisational skills
4. Minute taking and assigning follow-up actions
5. Collaborative working in a small team environment
6. Working with board members/special advisors and committee members on reports, reviews, approvals and presentations
7. Real Estate industry knowledge
Additional Notes
Preference is for applicant to have own laptop/desktop with printing/scanning facilities.