St John’s College, University of Oxford
Senior Academic Officer
Job Description and Further Particulars
The College seeks to appoint a Senior Academic Officer to provide support in the College Office, undertaking a broad range of administrative duties with a focus on the provision of high quality support for the College’s administrative processes related to undergraduate and graduate students.
The College
Founded in 1555 by Sir Thomas White, St John’s College is among the older of the thirty-nine colleges of Oxford University. The College, which enjoys registered charitable status, is an independent, self-governing body which functions both as an academic institution and as a social and residential centre for its members. Almost all of the subjects offered by Oxford University can be studied at the College.
The College has approximately 400 undergraduate and 200 postgraduate students. The Fellowship includes approximately 100 academics, of which 50 are members of the College’s Governing Body which has overall responsibility for all aspects of the running of the College. There are approximately 200 non-academic staff.
For further information about the College, please visit our web-site at www.sjc.ox.ac.uk
The College Office
The College Office is responsible for the administration of academic processes in St John’s. It supports the recruitment processes for academic staff, prepares and distributes papers for a number of the College’s committees, oversees admissions and registration procedures for new undergraduate and graduate students, offers support to Fellows and lecturers, handles enquiries from students, supports all aspects of student administration from admission to graduation, administers the College’s access and outreach programs, and manages the collection and dissemination of academic information to other departments in the College and the wider University.
In addition to this post, the College Office team consists of the Academic Administrator, who oversees the work of the office, a Senior Academic Officer, an Access and Outreach Officer, Undergraduate Admissions Officer, Graduate Officer, and two other Academic Officers. A defining characteristic of the College Office is that whilst every post-holder has specific responsibilities, all members of staff work as a team, assisting each other as the need arises.
Overview of the role
The Senior Academic Officer will report to and work closely with the Academic Administrator. In addition to other members of the College Office and the Academic Dean, they will also work with College Officers, including the Senior Dean and the Fellow for Equality. There will also be frequent contact with College Tutors and Lecturers, with colleagues in the President’s Office, the Finance and Domestic Offices, and with staff in a number of the University’s offices and departments.
The postholder will undertake a broad range of tasks in support of the administrative processes carried out by the College Office. A significant element of the role involves the provision of high quality support for the College’s administrative processes related to undergraduate and graduate students.
This is a varied and challenging role. The postholder must be able to handle many different duties simultaneously, making sure routine requirements are dealt with accurately and efficiently whilst also dealing with exceptional circumstances as they arise. Some adjustment of the duties of the post may be applicable as the role develops in due course, and in conjunction with other posts in the College Office team.
Job Description
Whilst the postholder is expected to have a good grasp of all College Office activities, they will have particular responsibility for the following processes, which are not shown in order of priority:
· The organization of arrangements for undergraduate and graduate students taking University examinations in College, including liaising with the Examinations and Assessments team at the Examination Schools and with the Proctors’ Office with regard to extensions/late submissions for examination candidates. The postholder will be required to undergo training as a University Invigilator.
· The submission of applications to the University for student requests for alternative examination arrangements, extensions to deadlines and applications for the consideration of factors affecting performance in examinations.
· To be the College’s Disability Co-ordinator and principal point of contact for students with disabilities, in consultation with the Academic Administrator and other relevant colleagues.
· The preparation of the timetable for termly meetings of students with the Presidential and Vice-President (known as Collections). This involves the preparation of timetables and notices to tutors and students and the taking and recording of notes in Collections.
· Assisting with arrangements for undergraduate students who intermit their studies, both at the point of intermission and in preparation for their return to study, liaising with other College and University staff as appropriate.
· The organisation of the annual undergraduate Freshers’ Dinner, the Second Year Dinner, and the Leavers’ event, including the distribution of invitations and the drawing up of seating plans.
· The provision of administrative support to the College’s Senior Dean, who is responsible for student welfare and for disciplinary matters. This may include drafting correspondence and note-taking at meetings with students.
· The provision of administrative support to the College’s Fellow for Equality, to include the drafting of agendas and the taking of minutes for the College’s Equality Committee.
· The provision of administrative support for the College’s Governing Body and other Committees. This may include the drafting of agendas in consultation with the President and other College Officers, the collection and distribution of committee agendas and papers, and the maintenance of minute books.
· Assisting generally with all aspects of the work carried out in the College Office as may be necessary from time to time, in particular during the Undergraduate Admissions Exercise and Freshers’ Week.
· Any other duties in support of the administrative processes carried out by the College Office which the Academic Administrator may reasonably require. This will include supporting colleagues and providing cover where required.
This job description is not exhaustive; the work of the College Office is subject to regular review as new priorities and areas of work emerge, and postholders are required to respond flexibly to changing requirements.
Selection criteria/Person specification
Requirements / Essential and desirable criteriaE / D
Education/qualifications
1. Educated to degree level or equivalent professional qualifications. / E
Experience
2. Significant relevant administrative experience in a comparable setting (e.g., further or higher education, a charity, local government). / E
3. Experience of student administration in a higher education setting / D
Skills, knowledge and abilities
4. Excellent interpersonal skills, with a proven ability to establish and maintain positive relationships with a wide range of people / E
5. A flexible attitude towards duties, including a willingness to work co-operatively and collaboratively / E
6. An understanding of and empathy with the needs of students with a disability. / E
7. Excellent command of the English language: strong oral and written communication skills, including the confidence to communicate effectively with a wide range of people / E
8. Good judgement about when to use initiative and when to consult, and a proven ability to deal appropriately with confidential information in a sensitive and discreet manner / E
9. An understanding of the Equality Act 2010, data protection, and freedom of information legislation / D
10. A high level of personal organisation, attention to detail and high levels of accuracy / E
11. An ability to work calmly under pressure / E
12. A proven ability to take the initiative, to prioritize successfully and manage competing deadlines / E
13. Excellent IT skills including substantial experience of and confidence with Microsoft Office packages and databases, and the capacity to learn new applications quickly / E
14. Familiarity with the IT systems currently in use in the University Of Oxford / D
15. An understanding of the Oxford University collegiate structure / D
Terms and Conditions of Employment
This is a permanent, full-time post, available with effect from 1st October 2016 or as soon as possible thereafter.
Salary: Appointment will be at Grade 6 of the University’s salary scale, currently £27,328 - £35,609. The appointment will be made on the scale according to experience.
Hours of work: 33.75 hours per week, the distribution of those hours to be agreed with the successful candidate, bearing in mind that the College Office is open from 9.00 am to 1.00 pm and 2.00 pm to 5.00 pm, Monday to Friday. The ability and willingness to adopt a flexible approach to working hours and duties will be required.
Holidays: Annual leave entitlement is 30 days, to include 5 fixed days to be taken at Christmas, plus 8 public holidays. Personal leave is to be taken out of term time, although it may occasionally be possible to take up to five consecutive working days leave during term-time, subject to operational requirements. Bank holidays which fall within term may need to be worked, though if this is the case two days of paid holiday in lieu of each day worked will be given. The holiday year begins on 1 January and ends on 31 December. All leave must be approved in advance by the Academic Administrator.
Meals: The postholder is entitled to free lunches in Hall when the College kitchens are open.
College gym: The postholder will be entitled to use the College’s gym facilities, subject to the completion of an on-line induction.
Pension: The postholder will be eligible for membership of the Universities Superannuation Scheme.
Right to work: This employment is subject to the provision of original documentation to establish the right to work in the UK.
Probationary and notice periods: The appointment is subject to satisfactory completion of a six-month probationary period, during which the notice period will be one month on either side.
How to apply
There is no application form. Candidates should email a covering letter and a curriculum vitae with details of qualifications and experience to . Applications should be in the form of a single PDF file. Candidates must also provide the names and contact details of two referees.
Your application should be emailed to the College by no later than noon on Friday 9th September 2016. Late applications will not be accepted.
If you have previously been employed, your referees should be people who have direct experience of your work through working closely with you for a considerable period, and at least one of them should be your formal line manager in your most recent job. Otherwise they can be people who know you from recent education, or voluntary experience. It is helpful if you can tell us briefly how each referee knows you. References will not be taken up before the interview stage.
Candidates are encouraged to include a completed equal opportunities monitoring form with their application. Your information will not form part of the selection process and will not be disclosed to the selection panel. Please send this electronically as a separate PDF document to .
Any queries related to these Further Particulars should be directed in the first instance to the Academic Administrator, Mrs Eileen Marston.
Recruitment monitoring: Candidates are encouraged to include a completed equal opportunities monitoring form with their application. Your information will not form part of the selection process and will not be disclosed to the selection panel. Please send this electronically as a separate PDF document to the email address above.
Data protection: All data supplied by applicants will be used only for the purposes of determining their suitability for the post, and will be held in accordance with the principles of the Data Protection Act 1998 and the College’s Data Protection Policy.
Equality of Opportunity: The policy and practice of the College requires that all staff are afforded equal opportunities within employment and that entry into employment with the College and progression within employment will be determined only by personal merit and the application of criteria which are related to the duties of each particular post and the relevant salary structure. In all cases, ability to perform the job will be the primary consideration. Subject to statutory provisions, no applicant or member of staff will be treated less favourably than another because of their sex, marital status, sexual orientation, racial group, age, disability or religion and belief.
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