**This vacancy is only available to existing University of Essex staff**
Department
Student Services sits within the University of Essex’s Student Life Directorate, within the Academic Section. The Funding Team supports students by providing expert advice on financial matters and managing a wide range of financial support schemes, including scholarships, bursaries, hardship funds, and student loans.
We work closely with colleagues across the University to ensure funding is effectively promoted, administered, and compliant with regulatory requirements. Our role is central to helping students access the support they need while contributing to the University’s broader goals around inclusion, retention, and student success.
Duties of the Role
As a Funding Officer, you will play a vital role in delivering specialist funding advice and high-quality administrative services, supporting students throughout their time at Essex.
A key aspect of the role is navigating and applying complex funding regulations and compliance requirements with accuracy and confidence. You will maintain detailed and up-to-date student records, ensure that internal and external reporting obligations are met, and support the prompt receipt of tuition fee income.
You will also manage the administration of the University’s wide range of bursaries, scholarships and fee-related incentives, ensuring these are delivered effectively and in line with policy. The post involves investigating and resolving funding-related issues, identifying solutions to non-standard cases, and acting as an escalation point for more complex queries.
You will contribute to guidance materials, audits, data reporting and staff training, as well as supporting student-facing events, open days and advice sessions.
Qualifications and Skills required
The successful candidate will have strong administrative experience, excellent customer service skills and the ability to interpret and apply detailed regulations and procedures with accuracy.
You will be highly organised and methodical, able to manage competing deadlines while maintaining exceptional attention to detail. Strong analytical skills and the ability to solve problems, often involving complex data or unusual funding scenarios, are essential.
High levels of IT literacy, particularly in Microsoft Office, and the ability to learn bespoke systems are required.
You will be a clear and confident communicator, able to explain complex information to students and colleagues, and to work sensitively with individuals from a wide range of backgrounds. A proactive approach, strong teamwork, and the ability to work independently and maintain confidentiality are also key.
Five GCSEs (A-C or equivalent) are essential, while experience within higher education or funding administration is desirable.
At the University of Essex, internationalism and diversity is central to who we are and what we do. We are committed to being a cosmopolitan, internationally oriented university that is welcoming to staff and students from all countries, faiths and backgrounds, where you can find the world in one place.
To support this commitment we have our, a staff-led network that promotes and celebrates the rich cultural diversity among Essex staff, and our Colchester campus based Faith Centre, which hosts regular services, meetings and events organised by our chaplains and faith representatives. For more information see: