St Anne’s College, Oxford
Development and Communications Assistant - Further Particulars
The College
St Anne’s is a modern, informal, academically ambitious College and is one of the largest in the University. It is known for its domestic setting and the diversity of its student body. It is an energetic and friendly co-educational community of some 700 students, tutors and staff.
St Anne’s has a radical tradition. It can trace its origins back to 1878, and the formation of the Association for the Education of Women in Oxford. It became a College in 1953 and first admitted men in 1979. The College has always set its face outwards towards the world, driven by its commitment to making accessible the opportunities of an Oxford education to those of academic potential who otherwise might not encounter them.
The College has 450 undergraduate students and, in recent years, has built up its graduate community to over 300. It has a small endowment, and relies on its successful vacation conference business and the generosity of its large and committed alumnae base to secure its financial stability.
For further information about the College, please visit http://www.st-annes.ox.ac.uk
The Development Office
St Anne’s, along with all other colleges and halls within Oxford University, is financially autonomous. However, St Anne’s, unlike many of the older institutions, does not have a large endowment fund generating annual income to spend on its primary purposes of teaching and research. This has resulted in the College looking to its own resources for additional funding, principally its conference business (run by the Bursary) and fund-raising (run by the Development Office).
The Development Office performs an important role within St Anne’s, responsible for raising money to support the College, and for promoting good relations between the College and its former students and other friends and parents of past and present students.
St Anne’s fundraising activities include mailings, an annual telephone campaign, face-to-face meetings and events. A Development Board, made up of Senior Members, advises us on various aspects of campaign planning.
The core of the office’s administration is its relationship management database, which contains information on all alumnae, friends, parents and current students. An important part of the job is focused on maintaining and updating this to ensure maximum accuracy and efficiency. The Development Office uses the University’s Development and Alumni Relations System (DARS).
The College’s alumni relations activities involves keeping in regular contact with its alumnae and friends via a variety of media and events. The Ship, the College record and the Annual Review are mailed annually. We have a vibrant online community with a monthly ezine, and an active presence on Facebook and Twitter. The Development Office runs a busy and popular events programme, including subject and year-group reunions and events for current students’ parents, as well as events in London and elsewhere. There is also an annual Gaudy and Alumni Weekend, to which all Senior Members are invited.
Job Description
Job Title Development and Communications Assistant
Location Oxford
Reports to The Director of Development for Development work and the Principal for Communications work. The post holder will also work closely with other College Officers.
Hours per week: 36.25 hours.
Purpose
To support the Development office with all administrative requirements and support the Principal and College officers with Communications for the College.
Development Assistant Responsibilities (2.5 days per week)
1. Ensure the alumnae database is as accurate and up to date as possible at all times.
2. Accurately record gifts liaise with the Principal’s Office to ensure the prompt thanking of donors.
3. Respond to Alumnae enquiries in a professional and timely manner via email, phone call, letter and social networks.
4. Provide support for the annual telethon, working closely with the Senior Development Officer.
5. Train temporary assistants, as needed, to support the Development office with handling mailings, data entry and event work.
6. Manage the College’s range of merchandise for current students and Senior Members. Commission new merchandise, market merchandise, arrange for the sale of merchandise at events, record stock.
7. Assist office in designing and printing of fundraising and alumnae relations materials.
8. Be responsible for timely and efficient organisation and administration of events as required by the Alumnae Relations Officer.
9. Provide administrative support to the Director of Development and the Development Office, including mailings, stationary, filling, event booking and update forms.
10. Occasionally assist at events, if required.
11. Undertake ad hoc projects as required.
Communications Assistant Responsibilities (2.5 days per week)
A: Communication Media
1) Ensure all Fellows, Emeritus Fellows, Senior Research Fellows and students are informed about events in an appropriate and timely manner.
2) Design and distribute posters (based on a standard template).
3) Update the College’s LCD Screens (Lodge, Hall, STACS).
4) Compile and send out the Principal’s Weekly Email (via liaison with the
Principal’s PA).
5) Maintain an oversight of the College website and ensure it is kept up to date (including updating fellows’ profile pages, news stories, events listings and general updates). Each department is responsible for updating its own pages. Help with modernisation of the website.
6) MCR and JCR Website (offering advice on content and communication strategy)
7) Update and manage the College’s use of online platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Flickr and blogging platforms such as Wordpress. Actively recruit followers and encourage participation. Keep content up to date, interesting and useful.
B: College Internal Events (organisation and publicity)
1) Working with Departments across the College, promote internal events and internships and other opportunities for students including music recitals, academic scholarships and dinners.
2) Assist in the efficient organisation and administration of events, including the Domus Seminar and Weidenfeld Events:
· Film (liaison with Humanities Division organiser and Institute of Strategic Dialogue (ISD)
· Comparative Literature Professorship (liaison with Modern Languages Department and ISD re publicity and with Principal’s PA re Professorial arrangements)
· Translation Prize (liaison with Library, Orion Publishers and responsible GB Fellow)
C: College Branding
1) Work with the Alumnae Relations officer to oversee all College branding and forms of communication used by Fellows and staff.
Person Specification
Essential
· Very good IT skills (MS Office: Word, Excel, Access, Outlook)
· Excellent standard of written English
· Previous administrative experience
· Excellent organisational skills and very good attention to detail
· Flexibility and initiative
The following are desirable:
· Experience using programs like QuarkXPress, InDesign.
· Proficient in updating websites (though training will be provided)
· Database experience (though training will be provided)
Terms and Conditions
Appointment: / The appointment will be conditional on confirmation of eligibility to work in the UK. Further information is available at: http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/workingintheuk/Probation: / The initial period of appointments is probationary, for 6 months.
Notice: / The notice period is 1 month.
Hours of work: / 36.25 hours per week, Monday to Friday. Normally 9.00 am – 5.15 pm, unless required at events. Lunch breaks are unpaid. Overtime is not usually paid.
Salary: / In the region of £24,000
Annual Leave: / 35 days per year, this includes 8 public holidays. Some holiday must be taken during winter closure. All other holidays will be agreed with the manager.
Pension: / The College offers optional membership of the Oxford Staff Pension Scheme.
Meals: / Free lunch is provided on working days, when the post holder works either side of lunch.
Parking: / You are eligible to apply for a parking permit for which an annual fee applies.
Other: / The Development and Communications Assistant’s employment is subject the policies and procedures outlined in the Staff Handbook.
Application process
Prospective candidates should apply via our website: http://www.st-annes.ox.ac.uk/about/job-opportunities.html by noon on the closing date of Monday 21st October 2013. Please use the space headed Cover Letter / Personal Statement to state how your skills, experiences, and interests equip you to undertake this role
The policy and practice of St Anne’s College require that all staff are afforded equal opportunities within employment. 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 age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation. Applicants are encouraged to complete the equal opportunities monitoring form.
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