School/Department: Careers and Employability Service

THE UNIVERSITY OF NOTTINGHAM
Recruitment Role Profile Form

Job Title: Careers and Employability Placement Consultant

School/Department: Careers and Employability Service

Salary:£37,394 - £45,954 per annum, depending on skills and experience. Salary progression beyond this scale is subject to performance.

Job Family and Level:APM, Level 5

Contract Status: Permanent

Hours of Work:Full Time, 36.25 per week

Location:Any UK campus

Reporting to:Director of Careers and Employability

Purpose of the Role:

The University’s ambition as part of Global Strategy 2020 is to strengthen the opportunities for University of Nottingham students to undertake work experience while studying at the University. This post will play a key role in supporting existing placement activity within Schools and Professional Services and facilitating existing Careers and Employability Service partnerships related to placements. The role-holder will be expected to maintain an overview of University-wide placement activity and enable an increase in the take-up of placements (in all their forms) across the University.

The principle features of the role are:

Close liaison with colleagues across the Careers and Employability Service, particularly Faculty Careers Consultants and Employer Engagement colleagues and with colleagues in Schools involved in developing and delivering placement activity.
Responsibility for the delivery of the Nottingham Internship Scheme which includes programmes for undergraduates and graduates. Provision of support for taught and research postgraduates will be delivered by the Postgraduate Placements Manager based in the Graduate School, working closely with the role-holder.
Line-management of a Work Experience Officer and co-ordination of Employability Education Project Officers whose work has a particular placement focus.

To achieve our desired aims the post holder will need to demonstrate flexibility, leadership and entrepreneurial flair in engaging across the stakeholder groups. The role will require occasional evening work during peak periods, and occasional early morning and weekend work from time to time. It will also require occasional travel around the UK.

NB: The responsibilities in this role do not extend to clinical or other professional placements embedded within programmes other than to facilitate the sharing of good practice and consistent systems and approaches where appropriate.

Main Responsibilities / % time per year
1. / Strategic Development, Leadership and Vision

To engage with colleagues across the University to ensure a coherent vision of the development of the University’s placement offer
To act as the specialist point of reference and contact to lead the development and delivery of non-clinical placement activity (including initial enquiries relating to health, safety and insurance) across the University.
To lead the placement agenda across the Careers and Employability Service; to ensure that appropriate programmes are in place to support participation and to foster ownership of the placement agenda at appropriate levels within the Faculty Careers and Employability Teams so that they can support school activity and engagement with the broader Careers and Employability Service.
To consult and engage with the Postgraduate Placements Manager over joint and aligned Graduate School/Careers Service provision for Postgraduate Placements.
To liaise with colleagues in Professional Services (for example Business Engagement and Innovation Services), interpreting graduate recruitment trends, advising on impact and significance, making recommendations and influencing the development of placement activity.
To gather and analyse University placement-related data to maintain an overview of the development of activity in order to provide reports for Senior University Leaders.
To keep up to date with current HE placement legislation, policy documents and good practice e.g. from professional bodies, Quality Assurance Agency and University Quality Assurance to ensure that aspects of the placement processes are fully compliant.
To gather and analyse placement-related data from the graduate market place and competitor institutions to ensure that the University’s placement offer is competitive.

/ 35%
2. / Placement Development and Provision

To establish and support a minimum standard of pre, on and post-placement support which will apply across the University, engaging with colleagues across the University, through a university-wide placement forum, to share good practice.
To encourage the development of co-curricular placement learning available through the Nottingham Advantage Award
To develop relationships with local, national and international placement providers and relevant business networks. This will involve regular travel and occasional evening and weekend work.
To manage delivery of the Nottingham Internship Scheme for graduates and undergraduates and to design, review and manage delivery of a work experience programme for students from non-traditional backgrounds entering the University and for students seeking to undertake a summer internship overseas.
To provide regular reports to the Strategy 2020 Implementation Group via the Placement Project Board in order to ensure that strategic objectives and KPIs are met

/ 30%
3. / Resource Management

To work closely with colleagues to ensure the appropriate deployment of staff resource and to be responsible for the budgets associated with the delivery of the Nottingham Internship Scheme and related programmes outlined above.
With the Director of Careers and Employability, to seek out and bid for appropriate funding from government and external bodies, which will support and enhance the provision of placement activities within the Service and more widely, across the University.
To make regular budgetary reports to the Careers and Employability Service Leadership Team and the Strategy 2020 Implementation Group.

/ 10%
4. / Staff Management and Development

Line management of direct reports including all aspects of staff development, performance review, performance management and delivery to objectives
Co-ordination of Careers and Employability Service staff involved in the delivery of the Nottingham Internship Schemes
Research and develop placement-related development opportunities for colleagues across the Service (and University where appropriate) e.g. in-service training or conference attendance

/ 10%
5. / Dissemination and Communications

To liaise with the Careers and Employability Service E-Information team over web page content and social media support to encourage interest in placement and other work experience opportunities
To support institutional marketing, open days and other recruitment activity, as required
To contribute to reports and briefings related to University placement activity for staff within the Faculties and to senior leaders within the university, as appropriate.

/ 5%
6. / Contribution to the broader objectives of the Careers and Employability Service

Contribute to departmental strategy and the delivery of broad aims associated with the service, including any other activity commensurate with the grade
To support and engage with Service-wide initiatives and to ensure that placement staff are similarly engaged and active in supporting the broad objectives of the Service
To engage with national bodies and other groups to represent the Service and the University where appropriate

/ 10%

Knowledge, Skills, Qualifications & Experience

Essential / Desirable
Qualifications/ Education / Good honours degree in a relevant discipline / Active member of appropriate professional bodies e.g. ASET, AGR, AGCAS, REC, CIPD and others relevant to the development of placement activity
Skills/Training / Understanding of the Higher Education sector with comprehensive knowledge of work-based learning issues and the relationships between work placements and the Careers and Employability agenda.
The ability to manage and prioritise a complex workload
Operational planning, management and business process skills
Strong interpersonal skills including motivation, negotiating, influencing and relationship-building.
Ability to manage budgets
Ability to liaise with colleagues across academic schools and professional services.
To demonstrate evidence of effective engagement with employers, leading to vacancies and other employment opportunities for students and graduates
Excellent and appropriate project management skills
Ability to identify new opportunities and creative solutions, responding effectively to changing needs of a range of internal and external clients.
Experience / Significant experience of working with or within a Higher Education Careers Service.
Experience of establishing
or delivering student or graduate internship schemes.
Experience of liaison with
local and national graduate recruiters and other external stakeholders.
Experience of successful negotiations associated with the deployment of resources or strategies. / Experience of working in a recruitment setting.
Statutory/Legal / Knowledge of relevant legislation relating to placement activity e.g. data protection, relevant employment legislation, disability support.

Decision Making

i)taken independently by the role holder

Spend within budget
Staff management activity in line with established policy and procedure
Resource allocation against need.

ii)taken in collaboration with others

Development of placement approaches or schemes that will have an impact on existing activity

iii)referred to the appropriate line manager (please name) by the role holder

Any activity likely to challenge established procedure (as outlined by the leadership team or institutional procedure) or has the potential to undermine the service or institutional strategies.
Spend above agreed budget.

Additional Information

This post will make a significant contribution to the aim of the University to encourage all students to gain work-based or placement experience while studying at the University. This is articulated in our Global Strategy 2020 as to ‘Provide students with opportunities to develop the skills, qualities, knowledge and experience to prepare them for high-value employment in their chosen field’ and specifically, to ‘Create more work experience, placement and internship opportunities for students locally, nationally and internationally’.
Colleagues in Schools and Faculties are keen to develop work-based and placement opportunities which align with institutional guidelines. The locally-owned delivery and development of undergraduate placement provision in faculties will continue, building on existing good practice and established locally relevant business links. This provision will be enhanced through the introduction of this role, a Work Experience Officer and two Employability Education Project Officers. These posts will facilitate a consistent approach to placement assurance and support and the expansion of work experience opportunities in line with, student needs, faculty priorities and the demands of the local and national economy.

Due to the requirements of the UK Border and Immigration Agency, applicants who are not UK or EEA nationals and whose immigration status entitles them to work without restriction in the UK will be considered on an equal basis with UK and EEA nationals. Other non-UK or non-EEA nationals whose employment will require permission to work subject to a resident labour market test may only be considered if there are no suitable UK or EEA national candidates for the post. Please visit http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/ for more information.

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