University of Cambridge

University Offices
Administrative Officer (Temporary Cover)
Academic Division (assigned to Educational and Student Policy)
Limit of tenure: 6 months
Applications are invited for a temporary, six month position in Educational and Student
Policy in the Academic Division of the Unified Administrative Service. The position is also
available as a secondment opportunity for internal candidates.
The opportunity has arisen following the permanent post-holder’s secondment elsewhere
in the University.
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Educational and Student Policy
Educational and Student Policy (ESP) is part of the Academic Division of the Unified
Administrative Service (UAS). The section is charged with development and
implementation, subject to the General Board’s oversight, of educational and studentrelated policies as they apply to all of the University’s 18,000 students
(undergraduate, postgraduate and part-time).
ESP comprises one Principal Assistant Registrary (the Head of Educational and
Student Policy), an Assistant Registrary (Deputy Head), five Administrative Officers
and two support staff. In addition, research associates or assistants engaged on
projects overseen by ESP may be managed from within the section.
Under the Head of Educational and Student Policy, the section is responsible for
educational policy and business, quality assurance, and intercollegiate liaison on
student matters. ESP is also charged with developing and implementing accessible
and coherent student services by facilitating collaboration between the University and
the Colleges, and working with non-UAS units offering student-related support and
facilities. ESP provides the secretariat for a number of committees dealing with
student-related matters (including the Education Committee and its sub-committees,
the Digital Teaching & Learning Sub-committee, the Student Health and Wellbeing
Committee, and the Senior Tutors’ Committee and its Standing Committees).
Each administrator in ESP acts as liaison officer for a number of Faculties and
Departments, and has responsibility for specific procedures and areas of policy. They
each have input into, and advise on, the decisions made by their Faculties and
Departments where their particular expertise and experience is called for.
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Duties of the post
a)
Faculty and Departmental liaison

Liaise directly and indirectly with the Language Centre, the Cambridge Institute
for Sustainability Leadership and the Institute for Continuing Education as their
key contact in the Education Section, providing advice and guidance about their
internal quality assurance arrangements for teaching, learning and assessment,
their means of addressing University policies and guidance and other matters
which come under the Education Section’s remit. This includes the provision of
general and specific advice to academic and administrative staff at all levels, to
ensure the effective transmission of business (including changes to regulations)
through the central committees;
Prepare reports for the Education Committee on all accreditations by
Professional, Statutory and Regulatory bodies;
Review the reports of External Examiners for institutions for which he/she is the
key contact, and the appropriateness of the Faculty/Departmental responses to
those reports, highlighting good practice identified therein and advising the
Education Committee of any issues or concerns;
Check the graduate prospectus entries for all the graduate courses delivered by
the liaison Faculties and Departments.



b)
Committee Servicing

Service the Student Health and Wellbeing Committee of the General Board’s
Education Committee, the Senior Tutors’ Standing Committee on Welfare and
Finance, the University Counselling Service Executive Committee and the
Colleges’ Communicable Diseases Advisory Group. In consultation with the
Chair:

prepare the agenda and papers;

writes minutes and carries out relevant actions;

researches items of interest to the Committees, collates information and
produces reports;

prepares and forwards papers to the General Board’s Education
Committee or Secretary of the Senior Tutors’ Committee as appropriate.
The post holder plays an important role in ensuring the smooth coordination of
College and University business processes.
Deputises for the Executive Secretary of the Senior Tutors’ Committee (Head of
Section).
c)
Master’s self-evaluation

Administer the Master’s self-evaluation process, which includes reviewing the
form, preparing the student database, arranging promotional material, launching
the process to students and staff across the Collegiate University, managing
queries and co-ordinating the responses for a report to the General Board’s
Education Committee.
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d)
Other activities

Undertake regular and occasional tasks relating to the Section’s and the
Academic Division’s other activities. In particular:

service the General Board’s Education Committee, in conjunction with
other officers;

regularly act as secretary to General Board Learning and Teaching
Review Committees;

serve on Steering Committees and Working Groups on behalf of the
Education Section or Academic Division as required;

represent the University at external meetings and feed back to internal
personnel as appropriate.
Person Profile
Education and qualifications
i)
Educated to first-degree level or with equivalent experience
Specialist knowledge and skills
ii)
demonstrate a high level of computer literacy using Microsoft Office applications
and especially an advanced working knowledge of Excel
iii) extensive knowledge and proficiency across a wide variety of learning and
teaching issues through extensive university administrative experience
iv) experience of managing a wide and complex range of projects and procedures
including servicing a committee, including creating agendas, drafting papers,
and writing minutes
v)
demonstrate a high level of accuracy and attention to detail
Interpersonal &communication skills
An excellent communicator, the role-holder must be able to:
vi) communicate confidently with staff and students in a collegial and consensual
manner
vii) communicate complex technical information to both specialists and those with
no knowledge of the subject matter
viii) deal with people at the most senior level in organisations, both within and
external to the University
ix) adopt a flexible and co-operative approach to work; able to quickly integrate and
work both independently and as part of an existing, though evolving, team
x)
exhibit excellent interpersonal skills, with the ability to communicate clearly and
concisely in writing, in person and on the telephone
Additional requirements
xi) a creative, innovative and flexible approach to problem solving, able to resolve
issues and problems in a timely and flexible manner
xii) ability to maintain a customer-focused approach
xiii) ability to stay calm and professional under pressure
xiv) organise self to work independently, proactively setting and achieving goals and
demonstrating time- and project-management capabilities
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xv)
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ability to demonstrate adaptability, problem-solving skills involving sound
interpretation of relevant University policies and procedures, mature judgement,
and the ability to use discretion.
The Academic Division
The post is within the Academic Division of the University Offices, the staff of which
form a unified central administrative service. The Division is responsible for
supporting the General Board of the Faculties and for the academic administration of
the University, including maintaining the excellence of its teaching and research. The
Division is headed by the Academic Secretary and consists at present of some 300
staff, responsible for Admissions, Examinations, Student Services, Education Policy
and Quality Assurance, International Matters, Planning and Resource Allocation,
Research Administration and School, Faculty and Departmental Administration.
Further details about the Division can be found at:
http://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/offices/academic/
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Terms and Conditions
The post is available on a temporary, fixed-term basis for 6 months. The salary will
be on the scale of £28,982-£37,768 pa (grade 7), with the starting salary normally at
the first point on the scale. The person appointed will be eligible to become a
member of the Universities Superannuation Scheme.
There is a holiday entitlement of 33 days per annum, which will be pro-rata’d
according to the tenure of the post-holder, plus public holidays, normally to be taken
outside the three teaching blocks, each of eight weeks, which comprise the
University’s Full Terms.
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Application and appointment procedure
Applications should be made online via the advert published on the University's Job
Opportunities pages. If you are unable to apply online, please contact the Academic
Secretary’s Office (email acd.jobs@admin.cam.ac.uk).
Applications should be received by Monday 4 January 2015.
Informal enquiries about the post may be directed to Dr Holly Tilbrook, Deputy Head
of Educational and Student Policy, tel 01223 764855 or email
holly.tilbrook@admin.cam.ac.uk.
Applications are welcomed from internal candidates wishing to take up the post on a
secondment basis.
Interviews will be held on Friday 8 January 2016.
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Pre-Employment Checks
The University has a legal responsibility to ensure that all their employees have the
right to work in the UK before they take up their post. Any offer of employment made
to an individual without the right to work in the UK will be conditional upon the right to
work being obtained. Further information is available on the Right to Work page
within the ‘Applying for a job’ section of the University’s Job Opportunities pages
(http://www.jobs.cam.ac.uk/right/have/)
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Family friendly policies and benefits
The University has a range of family friendly policies to aid employees’ work-life
balance including maternity, paternity and parental leave, flexible working and career
break schemes. In addition, childcare vouchers, access to two nurseries and a
holiday play scheme are available through the Childcare Office to help support
University employees with childcare responsibilities. Further information can be found
at: http://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/offices/hr/staff/benefits/family.html
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Equal Opportunities Information
The University of Cambridge appoints solely on merit. No applicant for an
appointment in the University, or member of staff once appointed, will be treated less
favourably than another on the grounds of sex (including gender reassignment),
marital or parental status, race, ethnic or national origin, colour, disability (including
HIV status), sexual orientation, religion, age or socio-economic factors.
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Information if you have a Disability
The University welcomes applications from individuals with disabilities. Our
recruitment and selection procedures follow best practice and comply with disability
legislation.
The University is committed to ensuring that applicants with disabilities receive fair
treatment throughout the recruitment process. Adjustments will be made, wherever
reasonable to do so, to enable applicants to compete to the best of their ability and, if
successful, to assist them during their employment. We encourage applicants to
declare their disabilities in order that any special arrangements, particularly for the
selection process, can be accommodated. Applicants or employees can declare a
disability at any time.
Applicants wishing to discuss with or inform the University of any special
arrangements connected with their disability can, at any point in the recruitment
process, contact, Deborah Jones, who is responsible for recruitment to this position,
by e-mail on deborah.jones@admin.cam.ac.uk
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