JOB TITLE:Schools and Colleges Liaison Officer

JOB DESCRIPTION

DEPARTMENT:Marketing

LOCATION:Brayford

POST NUMBER:MR4069

GRADE:Grade 5

DATE:September 2011

REPORTS TO:Schools and Colleges Liaison Manager

JOB PURPOSE

This post is within the Marketing Department of the University of Lincoln and the post holder will be expected to act as a supportive member of the marketing team and provide cover across the team where necessary. The postholder will support and contribute to the implementation and development of the University of Lincoln’s Student Recruitment Strategy.

The aims of the Strategy are:

1. To generate more applications from higher quality prospective Undergraduate and Postgraduate students

2. To convert more offers to prospective Undergraduate and Postgraduate students into firm accepts and enrolments

3. To increase recruitment to part-time, work-based and short course study programmes

4. To meet the commitments of the University’s International objectives and Widening Participation Strategic Assessment.

Implementation of the Strategy is to be achieved through:

Development of relationships and delivery of interventions with partner schools and colleges and closely affiliated institutions

Delivery of regular HE presentations in partner schools and colleges to generate more applications to the University
Delivery of on-campus recruitment Open Days and visits

Delivery of off-campus regional and national recruitment events

Online and offline communications with prospective students

Delivery of intervention activities with under-represented groups in HEpartner schools and colleges

Use of internal application and conversion data to inform recruitment plans

Co-ordination of recruitment activity across the University.

This post has particular responsibility for the development of relationships and delivery of interventions with partner schools and colleges and closely affiliated institutions. To include continuous liaison with academic colleagues to ensure that such activity is appropriately coordinated across the University.

KEY RESULTS AREAS

1. Planning and Organisational Support

To provide support to the Schools and Colleges Liaison Manager in developing and delivering the University of Lincoln’sand plans through the extraction and analysis of enquirer and applicant conversion data, with particular regard to ‘feeder’ schools and colleges data.

To provide support to the Schools and Colleges Liaison Managerin coordinating recruitment activitywith Faculty colleagues across the University, with particular regard to subject area specialisms at ‘feeder’ schools and colleges.

To provide support to the Schools and Colleges Liaison Managerin planning, organising and developingUniversity of Lincoln Open Days, the calendar of on-campus schools and colleges liaison events and visits, and off-campus regional and national recruitment events including UCAS HE conventions. Specific planning and organisational responsibilities to include scheduling events, programme timetabling, space planning, and requirements for travel and transport, accommodation, catering, security, recruitment literature and marketing materials.

To provide support to the Schools and Colleges Liaison Manager in planning, organising and delivering the Schools and Colleges Liaison Strategy to include the SummerAcademy, Academic Master Classes, Fast Forward Days, Public Speaking Competition and University Challenge event, as well as timetabling, space planning, and requirements for travel and transport, accommodation, catering and security.

To help maintain the University-wideSchools and Colleges Database of visits and interventions.

To keep up-to-date with the current government agenda influencing Higher Education policy and the delivery of recruitment activities, to ensure the relevance of advice and guidance sessions for potential students

To co-ordinate applications from our partner schools and colleges for work experience placements at the University

2. Event Management

To liaise with Faculty and service department colleagues in relation to programmes for different types of Open Days and on-campus events and visits to ensure the provision of professionally-delivered, high quality, safe and enjoyable visitor experiences

To liaise with departmental and Faculty colleagues in relation to the delivery of off-campus regional and national recruitment events, including UCAS HE conventions, to ensure optimum university presence

To support the delivery of a comprehensive programme of schools and colleges liaison activity, including presentations, Masterclasses, taster days, residentials and WP interventions with particular emphasis on activities with partner schools and colleges and closely affiliated institutions.

To co-ordinate the attendance and involvement of temporary student crew in on-campus and off-campus events and visits

3. External Communications

To communicate with enquirers and applicants and meet their information needs in person and remotely via online and offline communications channels including presentations, telephone, email, printed materials and social media.

To help with the design and creationof a range of quality recruitment marketing literature and materials including PowerPoint presentations, handouts, open day guides, web content, email shots, virals etc.

To respond to public enquiries in a timely, friendly, consistent and accurate manner, including by email, telephone, text or letter enquiries and record them on the enquiries database.

4. Management of Resources

To have day to day responsibility for the pastoral care and welfare of school and college students visiting the campus, student crew and other associated members of staff, displaying sensitivity, consideration and an application of specialist knowledge to making considered decisions over issues such as child protection, health and safety and university policy.

To coordinate the recruitment, training and pastoral care of temporary student crew to ensure effective support for student recruitment activity.

To offer advice and guidance, supervise and train staff and Student Ambassadorsas appropriate.

Ensure all members of the team keep up-to-date with new developments e.g. new courses, recruitment and admissions’ policies and procedures, the 14-19 curriculum etc.

Scope

To work closely with Faculty colleagues to ensure that activities and information is relevant and accurate and in line with University and Faculty objectives and priorities.
To support colleagues within the marketing function.
Such other duties as may reasonably be requested by the Director of Communications, Development and Marketing or nominee.
To undertake training and development activities agreed with theSchools and Colleges Liaison Manager.
The nature of the work in the departments will very occasionally require some duties to be performed in the evenings and/or at weekends.

5. Key Working Relationships

The successful applicant will work with:

Departmental staff

Marketing staff to ensure that events, enquiry handling and the customer relationship programme work to best effect in conjunction with other marketing and recruitment activities.

Internal colleagues

Faculty staff, including Programme Leaders, Marketing, Intelligence and Recruitment Officers (MIROs) and Academic staff to co-ordinate the involvement of academics in student recruitment and schools and colleges liaison events.

Other service departments and the Faculties in planning and delivering on-campus recruitment events.

ICT staff to ensure that the use of Distinction CRM meets the department’s requirements for managing student recruitment enquiries and the Schools and Colleges Database.

External partners

Teachers, Heads of 6th Form, Principals, Heads etc at partner schools and colleges and closely affiliated institutions.

External agencies such asUCAS and Local Education Authorities to manage their involvement in the University’s recruitment and schools and colleges liaison events.

Commercial suppliers of marketing and recruitment goods and services to the department.

6. Supplementary Information

You will be expected to work flexibly as a member of the Student Recruitment Team in a busy, rapidly changing environment and to support the successful delivery of key events. This may at times involve working outside normal office hours, travel, and some restrictions on when Annual Leave can be taken.

The post holder is expected to undertake any other duties as directed by the line manager, commensurate with the level of the post.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Post:Schools and Colleges Liaison Officer

Post Reference: MR4069

Date:September 2011

Selection Criteria / Essential (E)
Desirable (D) / Assessment:
Application (A)
Interview (I)
Presentation (P)
Skills:

Excellent presentation skills
Ability to communicate with a range of people at different levels, internally and externally
Excellent planning and organisational skills
Experience of leading others
Good writing and editing skills

/ E
E
E
D
E / P
AIP
AI
AI
AI
Experience:

Experience of working in the education sector either in HE, FE or schools
Experience of organising events
Experience of using databases
Experience of external liaison work
Experience in student recruitment
Experience of writing for online and offline communications channels

/ D
E
E
E
D
E / AI
AI
AI
AI
AI
AI
Knowledge:

Degree level qualification or equivalent experience
Knowledge of university entry routes
Knowledge of widening participation issues
Good understanding of issues relating to the progression of students from FE into HE
Good knowledge of child protection policy and safeguarding issues

/ E
D
D
E
D / AI
AI
AI
AIP
AI
Personal Qualities:

Ability to work autonomously and plan and organise their time effectively, with minimum supervision
Ability to work as part of a team
Ability to work under pressure
Ability to travel between campuses and across the region

/ E
E
E
E / AI
AI
AI
AI
Other:

Flexible in working hours – to accommodate occasional late nights and weekend working
Full UK driving license

/ E
D / I
I