Job Title:Executive Co-Ordinator

Job Title:Executive Co-ordinator

School/Department: Libraries, Research and Learning Resources (LRLR) –Strategy and Planning

Salary:£28,982 – £37,768 per annum, depending on skills and experience. Salary progression beyond this scale is subject to performance

Job family & level:Administrative, Professional and Managerial, Level 4

Contract Status: Permanent

Hours of Work:Full time

Location:King’s Meadow Campus

Reporting to: Strategic Engagement and Communication Manager

Purpose of the New Role:

The Strategy and Planning Section of Libraries, Research and Learning Resources (LRLR) has responsibility across the Professional Service Department for: strategy, planning and performance; operations; programme, project and change management; and stakeholder engagement and communication.

Reporting to the Strategic Engagement and Communication Manager, theExecutive Co-ordinatorwill take a lead on and be accountable for the co-ordination of LRLR responses to and inputs into University, regional and national initiatives and consultations, the provision of briefings and advice, and the management of Senior Management Team (SMT) and Leadership Group (LG) meetings and events. The role holder will provide high quality, independent, flexible and confidential support to the Director of LRLR and will enable efficient working of the LRLR Director and Senior Management Team. In addition, the Executive Co-ordinator will undertake comprehensive research (eg desk based, stakeholder analysis, and peer review) to inform LRLR engagement, communications and strategic planning, and develop and maintain the workspace relevant to departmental internal services.

The role holder will collaborate with colleagues in Strategy and Planning, in University Professional Services including the Registrar’s Department, with international campus representatives, Teaching and Learning Board and Research Board representatives, and LRLRstaff to facilitate, organise, analyse, document, evaluate, brief and support the work of the Director and activities undertaken by the Senior Management Team and the Strategic Engagement and Communication Manager.

The role holder will line manage the PA support for the Director.

Libraries, Research and Learning Resources (LRLR) at the University of Nottingham

The University of Nottingham’s position as a world-class University is confirmed by its ranking in the global league tables. We are ranked in the UK and European top 30 and in the top one per cent of all universities worldwide. In order to build upon this position our Global Strategy 2020 sets out goals and actions that target areas of challenge while laying the foundations for ongoing success into the future. The Strategy aims to strengthen and enrich our core activities of Education and Research; address the changing expectations of our students; target investment in research strengths; focus on enhancing quality; and continue to differentiate The University of Nottingham on the basis of an outstanding student experience and our distinct approach to internationalisation.

The Libraries, Research and Learning Resources (LRLR) department provides a full range of library and learning technology services to the University. LRLR puts students and academics at the heart of everything, working in partnership with academic and professional service colleagues to provide the right environment for learners, teachers and researchers to discover, develop, use and share information and learning content in support of knowledge creation and dissemination. We work closely with colleagues at our international campuses, and share the same library systems and virtual learning environment.

LRLR provides a comprehensive range of services, including eight libraries in the UK; over one million print books and journals; 450,000 electronic books and 40,000 ejournals; four million manuscripts including special collections of international importance; and a full range of learning technologies including Moodle. Services are provided over extensive hours, seven days a week, and 24/7 at key times.

The department has approximately 180 FTE staff distributed around the University’s campuses in the UK, and grouped into six sections: Learning Technology, Manuscripts and Special Collections, Research and Learning Services, Customer Services, Content and Discovery, and Strategy and Planning.

Our wide-ranging services include:

• frontline lending and enquiry services across eight libraries
• managing a variety of study spaces
• information skills teaching

• acquiring, managing and promoting printed and electronic information resources for research, learning and teaching, including Manuscripts and Special Collections
• delivering eLearning services and development of new technologies

If you are emotionally intelligent, committed to working in partnership with customers, adaptable to change and you meet the essential specifications of the role, we’d really like to hear from you.

• Carry out background research to understand and articulate what is required of or the opportunity available to LRLR and present this to the Director and SMT
• Gather inputs from SMT and relevant LRLR staff and University stakeholders. Sort, analyse, categorise, and weight, identify key points and draft appropriate output.
• Co-ordinate feedback on draft outputs and advise Director on final output.

• Play a lead role in identifying emerging trends in libraries, learning technologies, archives and special collections;
• Undertake comprehensive research (eg desk based, stakeholder analysis, and peer review);
• Write and present briefings and provide advice to the Director and SMT on these key issues
• Communicate and promote awareness within LRLR of the issues and opportunities researched.

• Managing and supporting the PA of the Director;
• Developing agendas and workshop/event programmes;
• Ensuring the timely coordination of the papers and other inputs;
• Inviting and coordinating visitors,
• Ensuring delivery of a helpful record of actions, follow-up and reporting;
• Drafting key messages for fast circulation to colleagues after the meeting;
• Ensuring minutes are an accurate and well-articulated record.

• To propose, manage and/or participate in LRLR projects to enhance the service
• Proactively work with LRLR Senior Management Team and University stakeholders to agree the scope and shape of projects
• Provide project leadership and management including management of project team members and the initiation, co-ordination and activity management to successful delivery.
• This will include management of all aspects of the project lifecycle including planning, risk assessment, stakeholder analysis and communications, delivery, monitoring, reporting, handover to operational team as appropriate and closure

• Actively participate in the Strategy and Planning Section in order to facilitate effectiveness of, and communication within, the Section
• Liaise with colleagues throughout LRLR, and particularly with other strategic roles, to maintain awareness of potential developments and plan for their implementation
• Liaise with colleagues throughout the University to promote/enhance the work of the Section and LRLR
• Network with colleagues in other HE or external organizations to explore engagement opportunities in order to generate mutually supportive partnerships
• Present written or oral reports on projects and initiatives

Knowledge, Skills, Qualifications & Experience

• First degree (or equivalent) or substantial relevant experience

• Communication, marketing, or market research qualification
• Postgraduate qualification

• Proven excellent communication – written and verbal
• Proven excellent interpersonal skills
• Proven research skills
• Ability to communicate with senior management authentically and be sensitiveto confidentiality
• Thorough knowledge of Microsoft Office suite of tools
• Ability to work to deadlines and deal with unforeseen issues and changing circumstances
• Organisational, planning, prioritisation and project management skills
• Ability to contribute to strategic planning
• Demonstrable high order analytical and problem solving skills
• Proven ability in identifying key strategic or high stakes issues from analysis and research
• Demonstrable ability to deliver work to a high level of accuracy and detail under pressure

• Representation on library, learning technology and archives related groups or committees
• Knowledge of project management methodologies

• Experience of working in a complex organisation supporting senior management
• Demonstrable/proven ability to manage confidential situations and information with tact, diplomacy and discretion
• Experience of staff management
• Demonstrable/proven project management experience
• Experience of researching and writing briefing papers, presentations and consultation responses
• Experience of communication planning and delivery
• Experience of working with colleagues from a range of professional backgrounds
• Experience of working across organisational boundaries
• Experience of leading teams or group activities
• Experience of event/meeting facilitation

• Experience of high level influencing and negotiation
• Demonstrable ability to identify new opportunities and creative solutions
• Demonstrable experience of working in HE to promote and support library services
• Experience of project recovery – ie ability to analyse, troubleshoot, and problem-solve

• Critical thinking and problem solving skills
• Enthusiastic and proactive ‘can do’ approach
• Team player and willingness to be flexible and adaptable, to both audience and priorities

• Customer focused

Decision Making

i)taken independently by the role holder

• Scheduling of own work within agreed deadlines

• Scheduling of work of PAwithin agreed deadlines
• Identification of key issues emerging from research and analysis
• Meeting and event organisation, promotion and facilitationwithin agreed boundaries
• Dissemination activities related to key issues agreed by SMT

• Anticipating difficulties, where they might arise and taking proactive measures to minimise their impact
• Details of project implementation

ii)taken in collaboration with others

• Prioritisation of own workload done in collaboration with line manager
• Strategic decisions and final responses to consultations
• Agreed deadlines for inputs of colleagues
• Scope of projects
• Deadlines and priorities within projects
• Workspace (LRLR-Central) development

iii)referred to the appropriate line manager (Strategic Engagement and Communication Manager) by the role holder

• Strategic and policy issues, in particular where a change of policy may be required
• Approval to attend external meetings and courses
• Issues significantly impacting on the work of other teams or sections, or affecting strategic University-wide projects
• Final decisions on purchases from LRLR budgets
• Approval of new policy and processes which significantly impact on the work of the Section or Department

Additional Information