Head of Admissions Candidate Pack
BACKGROUND
The University of Law, a private university, (formerly the College of Law), is one of the UK’s leading and longest established providers of legal education and training with origins dating back to 1876 with the formation of the leading tutorial firm Gibson & Weldon and later on, with the establishment of The Law Society School of Law. In 1962 the two were amalgamated to establish The College of Law. The University was the first ever independent institution to be granted degree awarding powers, gaining University title (The University of Law) in 2012 before being bought by Global University Systems in 2015. Working right at the heart of the legal profession, the University brings together teaching of the highest quality, a focus on practical skills and innovative learning styles to deliver perfect preparation for life in legal practice and ongoing professional development. The University is in an ongoing, exciting period of growth and expansion with more than 10,000 students, circa 800 staff and 14 campuses across the UK and Hong Kong. Alongside its Legal education and training, it is also expanding its Business school offering both in the UK and in Berlin. All campuses are close to thriving commercial centres, leading law firms and have strong transport links. Each campus is a modern, well-equipped professional law school providing a comfortable and stimulating learning and working environment. The University has ambitious plans for the future and anticipates a significant increase in the number of applications in 2020/21, this is on top of two previous cycles of significant applicant growth. To support this the University have created the new post of Head of Admissions. The Head of Admissions role will take direct responsibility for the admissions function and will provide senior leadership on a daily basis to the whole team. They will be tasked with ensuring the successful creation and development of a support team in India in addition to the further development of the Admissions Managers and their teams in the UK. The Head of Admissions will ensure the growth of the department is delivered whilst maintaining impeccable levels of service delivery.
VISION, CORPORATE PLAN & STRATEGY
Vision and mission To be the global university of choice for the professions, by driving innovation in applied education to deliver outstanding employment outcomes. The University of Law exists to serve its students and their future employers by being global leaders in providing applied knowledge and skills.
Vision and Mission
Strategic Aims
Drawing on our heritage as one of the UK’s longest established law schools, we strive to build on our success through the ethos of IDEAS:
Student Focus
Widening Participation
• Innovation - for our people, campuses, technology and business practices
Innovation and Growth
• Diversity - continuously improving the quality, quantity and flexibility of our courses
People
• Employability focus - ensuring our students are in demand by firms and businesses
• Ambition – inspiring the best in our students and society
• Success - academically and professionally for all
Strategic Aims
Student focus • The quality of the student experience is key to our ethos, reputation and our ability to recruit and be commercially successful We were ranked in the Top 10 for 5 core categories in the National Student Survey 2019 and in the same year were awarded Silver in the Teaching Excellence and Student Outcomes Framework for our teaching, learning and outcomes. Our performance in the critical categories of teaching excellence and academic support for students is sector leading.
Widening participation We are committed to widening participation and diversity across all of the University’s programmes. • The University submitted its first Access and Participation Plan for 2019/20 • Key focus for Admissions is on the rollout of contextual admissions and the proactive identification of widening participation characteristics during the application process. Innovation and Growth • Our programme portfolio is constantly evolving to remain innovative, topical and relevant • Our reach is being extended through the creation of new campuses and partnerships • Our reputation, and the global importance of the English legal system, position us well to increase overseas recruitment beyond our traditional UK-focused student base
People We strive to:
• Support the development of colleagues to enable the delivery of an even higher quality service • Recognise and reward strong performance
CAMPUSES
1. Birmingham
2. Bristol
3. Chester
4. Guildford Campus
5. Leeds Campus
6. London Bloomsbury Campus
7. London Moorgate Campus
8. Manchester Campus
9. Nottingham Campus (new for 2019)
10. The University of Law at UEA in Norwich (new for 2019)
11. The University of Law in Exeter
12. The University of Law in Liverpool
13. The University of Law at Reading
All of our campuses are in thriving commercial areas and offer the same fully-resourced facilities, including well equipped IT suites with PCs for DVD and i-Tutorials, comprehensive law libraries with all the latest legal texts, quiet study areas and places to relax.
14. Hong Kong Centre (new for 2019 )
Birmingham
Nottingham
Hong Kong
Guildford
Chester
Bristol
Main Function of Job
JOB DESCRIPTION
The post holder will take responsibility for the day to day management of Admissions, encompassing all undergraduate, postgraduate and professional programmes, for domestic, European and international students. They will oversee the delivery and development of a highly effective admissions service that is responsive to the evolving needs of identified target audiences, and grounded in the principles of customer service excellence.
Main Function of Job
Reporting to Director of Admissions, Access & Participation Location Guildford Direct Reports Admissions Managers/ Team Leaders
JOB DESCRIPTION
Specific Responsibilities
Team Management • Oversee the work of the Admissions Managers/Team Leaders and their teams ensuring resources are utilised to their full capacity at all times to achieve set targets • Establish and oversee the workload of the Future Students Team based in Hyderabad, supported by the Admissions Managers in training, monitoring and reviewing their work • Provide regular statistical pipeline updates and insight on KPIs to the Director of Admissions, Access & Participation and other senior stakeholders as required • Lead by example, demonstrating good management principles for all to follow • Developing good relationships with all stakeholders and promoting and supporting a working environment where staff are happy to come to work • Manage, develop and support of staff through ongoing coaching and 1-2-1’s, ensuring staff are empowered and enabled to deliver world-class customer service • Establish and maintain a target-orientated team culture and understand and motivate different characters and skillsets • Ensure a thorough knowledge of all products offered and ensure this knowledge is transferred to the Admissions Managers/Team Leaders, Senior Admissions Officers and Admissions Officers as required via delivery of relevant training • Delegate tasks to the Admissions Managers/Team Leaders as necessary each cycle • Create resource plans for growth including strong succession and development plans for the department as a whole and for the individuals within the team • Through closely working with the Admissions Development Manager, plan yearly resource levels in a scalable way that is able to respond to the cyclical nature of the recruitment cycle. This includes, but is not limited to, the recruitment, training and induction of temporary staff and student helpers around peak periods
Specific Responsibilities
Admissions Policy & Protocols • Develop and maintain admissions procedures and practices in line with Office for Students and QAA best practice • Create and evolve KPIs for Admissions areas (closely linked to departmental planning and budgeting) and oversee the team’s delivery against the agreed service level • Establish audit and quality control measures for the team, working closely with the Admissions Development Manager to address gaps with training and ongoing support • Research and produce papers for the Admissions Committee on suggested amendments to Admissions process, policy or practice, delegating where appropriate • Manage overall development of the selection process and coordination of academic review process as set by the Recruitment Selection and Admissions Policy of the University • Have oversight of the agreement of late start protocols for each intake with academic staff and communication and enforcement of these protocols • Collaborate with the English Language Assessor to ensure the successful practical evolution and implementation of the English Language Policy as part of the broader Selection, Recruitment and Admission Policy • Have oversight of the design and implementation of contextualised admissions across the product portfolio as part of the University’s access and participation plan • Have oversight of the cancellation policy and protocols, carrying out any necessary cancellations in line with the policy • Manage the effective deployment of scholarships for each admissions cycle ensuring these are publicised and administered (by the Future Students Team) in an appropriate and timely manner to ensure they support the objectives of each award
Market Expertise • Maintain a full understanding of all higher education and professional qualification application boards and regulatory bodies, including UCAS, CAB, BSB, SRA and UKVI and their associated policies and systems, in order to proactively manage the impact of any changes to both the institution and the wider HE sector • Contribute towards sector-discussion via external groups and forums, helping to raise the profile of the institution and bring back external insight • Maintain a full understanding of core academic eligibility guidelines for the institution, with particular emphasis on English Language requirements • Represent Admissions in senior management forums across the University including committees of the Academic Board • Represent Admissions in external forums such as NARIC, UCAS, CAB and other membership organisations as appropriate Conversion • Work collaboratively across all operational areas of the institution to ensure student applications, offers and enrolments are maximised • Work with the Head of Conversion, Admissions Managers and Admissions Process Officer to produce a Product Matrix for each intake that features all deadlines necessary for conversion work and product management • Develop and maintain excellent working relationships with all conversion partners including site visits as part of a strong communication channel between teams
In addition to the responsibilities listed above, the job holder may be required to perform other duties as assigned by the Director of Admissions, Access & Participation and members of the Executive Board from time to time. The job holder has a duty to take reasonable care for the health and safety of themselves and of other persons with whom they come into contact at work. The job holder also has a duty to co-operate with the University in complying with any statutory duty or requirement concerning health and safety at work. In particular, they must familiarise themselves with the Health and Safety Policy and its safety and fire procedures. • Promote and sustain a constructive, supportive and friendly working relationship with all customers, external and internal, immediate and senior management and other work colleagues • Deal with feedback from unsuccessful applicants and any escalated informal complaints regarding Admissions Delivery • Support the ongoing review and analysis for commercial viability of existing and future cours- es and programmes along with the capture of all relevant Management Information • Act as key admissions contact for all new programmes and changes to existing programmes, to ensure that all initiatives are delivered with minimal impact to customer experience and operational integrity • In partnership with colleagues in IT, manage an efficient applicant-centered application management service / platform that meets the needs of potential students and student recruitment staff, both UK and international • Work in conjunction with other senior staff within Admissions to support new & amended product release across the institution including requirements writing, UAT, sign off and support for roll out to live environments Customer Focus • Champion process efficiency within the customer facing functions and act as a key custodian of ‘the customer’ experience • Continuously review processes within admissions, with the aim of optimising the ‘flow’ of work around supporting the customer, looking at both systems based and procedural improvements to increase efficiency
PERSON SPECIFICATIONS
Training & Education Essential • ‘GCSE’ Level English Language and Maths (or equivalent) • ‘A’ levels or equivalent • Educated to graduate level or equivalent or have a significant level of experience in a similar role Experience Essential • Liaison with internal and external stakeholders and building effective working relationships at all levels • Selling ideas to management and presenting complex information and statistics • Performance management • Working & engaging with external educational bodies such as CAB, BarSAS, UCAS and NARIC • Developing systems and processes and articulating the impact of change • Assessment and recognition of qualifications globally that lead to Higher Education • Benchmarking admissions approaches against competitor activity Desirable • Experience of QAA, UKVI and OfS audits • Student recruitment, widening participation or marketing experience
Training & Education
Experience
Skills & Knowledge
• Working with offshored resources • Delivering contextual admissions • Working in an institution with an international focus
Skills & Knowledge Essential • Able to provide strategic direction to teams and communicate effectively • A proven track record in delivering to targets and deadlines • Able to clearly communicate development needs in terms of systems and processes and to follow these briefs through to successful implementation • Strong attention to detail and diligence in executing tasks in relation to a project • Able to produce detailed reports and proposals for boards and committees • Knowledge of Higher Education and academic and professional qualification application boards and regulatory bodies • Thorough understanding of education frameworks and ability to benchmark and assess qualifications robustly in order to position University products effectively • Detailed understanding of student databases and the flow of information across university systems • Excellent communication skills; able to deal with customers efficiently and guide and support staff clearly • Strong ability to build cross-functional relationships Desirable • Project Management skills/qualifications • Knowledge of different CRM platforms (ULaw uses Microsoft Dynamics) • Knowledge of different Admissions platforms (e.g. Tribal, Elllucian, Unit4, Capita, Oracle etc) • Performance dashboard creation • Strong commercial focus with an understanding of strategic business goals • Adept at producing reports and dashboards to monitor performance and evolve KPIs and objectives • Able to build resourcing models and use detailed statistics in planning
PERSON SPECIFICATION
Behavioural Skills Essential • A calm and positive attitude; able to lead the team with confidence and clarity • Student focused with a passion for customer service and for continued improvement • Empathetic to contemporary student issues • Strong leadership style able to deal with difficult stakeholders • Self-motivated, uses initiative and problem solver • Deadline, solutions and results driven • Able to motivate and lead a team based in multiple locations with different skillsets • Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to establish good working relationships, both internally and externally • Thorough in approach to work with a meticulous eye for detail • Positive & enthusiastic attitude • Hands on with the ablility to get fully immersed in the detail of the department in order to achieve business objectives Desirable • Able to identify talent within the team and ensure that development pathways are established to improve and retain talent • Able to think strategically and objectively about the KPIs and objectives of the team and how the team meet them
Behavioural Skills
Special Circumstances
Special Circumstances
Essential • Able to regularly attend meetings across various university campuses either in person or remotely as the need arises • Willing to travel overseas and within the UK to deliver on key elements of the role
Application Process
The University is being supported on this recruitment campaign by the search consultancy The Management Recruitment Group (MRG) .
To arrange a brief conversation please contact our advisor Sian Gardiner of MRG on 020 3962 9900 / 07932 717 458 or at sian.gardiner@mrgpeople.co.uk.
Applications should consist of a comprehensive CV and covering letter.
The closing date for applications is Sunday 5th January 2020.
MRG will undertake preliminary meetings with selected candidates during the week commencing Monday 6th January 2020 .
Final stage interviews will take place at The University of Law week commencing Monday 20th January 2020.
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