Job Description

Job title: / Student Funding Officer
Department/School: / Student Recruitment & Admissions (to be known as ‘Admissions & Outreach’)
Grade: / 6
Location: / University of Bath premises
Job purpose
The post-holder is responsible for the identification, selection and allocation of student funding which includes undergraduate and postgraduate taught bursaries, scholarships and US student loans. This is a vital role in terms of the University’s commitments under its Access Agreement, its objectives in terms of philanthropic and corporate fundraising and its international strategy for recruitment in North American student markets. The post-holder is lead administrator on behalf of the Department of Development & Alumni Relations, in respect of donor funds and corporate scholarships and support these schemes for applicants and current students. The role also undertakes complex administration relating to applicants for and recipients of a variety of US Federal and other student loans, liaising closely with the Student Finance Office. The post requires significant technical skill in relation to the administration of the University’s Fund Manager system as well as other parts of the student records database. The ability to liaise professionally with a wide variety of people is also essential, together with the ability to understand and interpret complex legal documents and financial award frameworks.
Source and nature of management provided
The post-holder is managed by the Admissions and Funding Manager but is expected to work with initiative and autonomy. Extensive cross-team working is necessary and the post-holder must therefore be confident in liaising with senior staff in other key professional services and externally.
Staff management responsibility
The post-holder may give work directions to Admissions Administrators in relation to funding matters but will not line manage those staff.
Special conditions
Some weekend work is necessary for Open Day events for which time off in lieu is provided. It will not be possible to take time off work during the second half of August due to Admissions responsibilities.
Main duties and responsibilities
You will be expected to:
1 / Act as the lead administrator for philanthropic and corporate scholarship schemes, liaising closely with the Department of Development & Alumni Relations. Provide statistical and progression data in relation to new applicants and current award recipients; liaise with the Student Records and Examinations team to ensure that the academic progression of award recipients is monitored correctly, according to the particular rules associated with each scholarship agreement.
2 / Identify and select recipients for University of Bath undergraduate funding schemes which include bursaries and scholarships, ensuring any eligibility criteria are applied correctly and consistently.
3 / Rank award recipients as required based on a comparative analysis of their academic qualifications, widening participation criteria and advise senior staff on competitive award allocation. This will require the exercise of considerable judgement and a strong understanding of the UK qualifications framework is necessary.
4 / Support the selection of taught postgraduate bursary award holders, co-ordinating academic selection panels and managing associated application and scoring systems.
5 / Identify those eligible for US loan support and administer their awards according to US loan rules, regulations and legislation; liaise with Student Finance Office over the disbursement of funds and the monitoring of and accounting for funds received; manage any fund adjustments and maintain accurate data on relevant systems to ensure compliance with all audit requirements.
6 / Ensure that all award frameworks are administered fairly and consistently, in accordance with Bath specifications and external guidance. External guidance may come from a variety of sources such as (Office for Fair Access) OFFA, Higher Education Council England (HEFCE), Student Loans Company (SLC) and the US Government.
7 / Manage data relating to household income and widening participation, supporting the effective evaluation of award schemes. Provide detailed management information to support Access Agreement and other institutional reporting.
8 / Manage the interaction between admissions systems and the Fund Manager module of the student record system. Act as technical expert in this area and build close working relationships with other technical experts in Student Finance and Computing Services to develop and enhance funding systems.
9 / Provide funding information, advice and guidance to applicants and their families by phone, email and at Open Days. Will also require occasional presentation giving to an audience.
10 / Develop and create resources, paper and web based, in liaison with the Student Recruitment Manager (Funding Advice), to promote funding provision on offer to prospective applicants. In addition, develop email communications through using technical email systems linked to student records database.
11 / Support other technical projects in the Admissions Office, as appropriate.
12 / Support the work of Student Recruitment and Admissions Team generally, as appropriate to the grade of the post.
You will from time to time be required to undertake other duties of a similar nature as reasonably required by your line manager. You are required to follow all University policies and procedures at all times and take account of University guidance

Person Specification

Criteria: Qualifications and Training / Essential / Desirable
Education to degree level or equivalent professional experience. / X
Criteria: Knowledge and Experience / Essential / Desirable
Experience of working in a finance or admissions environment in Higher Education or similar / X
A good knowledge and understanding of UK qualifications and their equivalencies / X
Knowledge of higher education student funding provision / X
Experience of delivering technical projects in a complex service-delivery environment / X
Experience of delivering outstanding customer service / X
Understanding of data management legislation and good practice / X
Experience in using data management and reporting tools e.g. Business Objects / X
Criteria: Skills and Aptitudes / Essential / Desirable
Strong IT and data management skills (e.g. word-processing, spreadsheets, PowerPoint, email, web) / X
Good communication skills – both verbal and written / X
Ability to communicate and present effectively and professionally with a wide variety of people at all levels / X
Ability to work effectively in a team and independently / X
Ability to take initiative and be proactive / X
Excellent organisational skills / X
Ability to analyse and present complex data/information clearly and concisely / X
Ability to prioritise work and respond effectively to change / X
Information management skills, including a high level of accuracy and attention to detail / X
Effective Behaviours Framework
The University has identified a set of effective behaviours which we value and have found to be consistent with high performance across the organisation. Part of the selection process for this post will be to assess whether candidates have demonstrably exhibited these behaviours previously.
Managing self and personal skills:
Willing and able to assess and apply own skills, abilities and experience. Being aware of own behaviour and how it impacts on others.
Delivering excellent service:
Providing the best quality service to all students and staff and to external customers e.g. clients, suppliers. Building genuine and open long-term relationships in order to drive up service standards.
Finding innovative solutions:
Taking a holistic view and working enthusiastically and with creativity to analyse problems and develop innovative and workable solutions. Identifying opportunities for innovation.
Embracing change:
Adjusting to unfamiliar situations, demands and changing roles. Seeing change as an opportunity and being receptive to new ideas.
Using resources:
Making effective use of available resources including people, information, networks and budgets. Being aware of the financial and commercial aspects of the University.
Engaging with the big picture:
Seeing the work that you do in the context of the bigger picture e.g. in the context of what the University/other departments are striving to achieve and taking a long-term view. Communicating vision clearly and enthusiastically to inspire and motivate others.
Developing self and others:
Showing commitment to own development and supporting and encouraging others to develop their knowledge, skills and behaviours to enable them to reach their full potential for the wider benefit of the University.
Working with people:
Working co-operatively with others in order to achieve objectives. Demonstrating a commitment to diversity and applying a wider range of interpersonal skills.
Achieving results:
Planning and organising workloads to ensure that deadlines are met within resource constraints. Consistently meeting objectives and success criteria.