Overview
External Relations
Location: University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham UK
Full time starting salary is normally in the range £36,636 to £46,049 with potential progression once in post to £48,822
Grade: 7
Full Time, Permanent
Closing date: 19th April 2026
UK travel may be required for this role
Our offer to you
People are at the heart of what we are and do. The University of Birmingham is proud to have been a part of the City of Birmingham and the wider region for over 100 years. We want to attract talented people from across the city and beyond, support them to succeed, and celebrate their success. The University supports development through the Birmingham Professional programme for professional services staff. With almost 5,000 professional services jobs in Edgbaston and in our campus in Dubai, there are opportunities to develop your career at the University. We believe diversity strengthens our community and strive to foster an inclusive environment where diversity is central to how we work.
We support a healthy work/life balance with flexible working where possible. You will receive a generous benefits package including 40 days paid holiday per year, one paid day per year for volunteering, occupational sick pay, a pension scheme, and three high-quality subsidised day nurseries. The University is well connected by transport links with on-campus facilities including a sports centre, shops, and cultural venues.
Find out more about the benefits of working for the University of Birmingham.
Background
External Relations is the division responsible for delivering our University to the world and enhancing its profile and reputation. We engage with audiences to build purposeful relationships and enable applications to study on our courses. We uphold our core values of being ambitious, innovative, open, collaborative and responsible.
Role Summary
The purpose of this post within the wider Student Recruitment and Marketing team is to ensure the University’s commitment to widening participation is delivered. This includes encouraging currently under-represented groups to apply through activities, partnership work and action-based research. This post will support activity linked to the University’s agreement with the Office for Students (OfS), with specific responsibility for elements of the Pathways to Birmingham (P2B) programmes and other Outreach team programmes. Exact duties will be defined by the post holder’s skills and development plans.
The post holder will support targeting and evaluation activity of the Outreach team to enable continuous improvement, dissemination of activities, and reporting on the Access and Participation Plan with OfS. The role also supports the broader Student Recruitment and Marketing team.
Main Duties
Pathways to Birmingham (P2B)
* To have specific responsibility for a particular programme within the P2B suite, including planning the programme, arranging on-campus events and online learning opportunities, recruiting staff to support event delivery, and related tasks.
* To manage additional key components of the P2B Scheme (e.g., conversion activity for all P2B students).
* To contribute to ongoing review and development of the scheme using data and current market conditions.
* To give presentations in schools about P2B and provide guidance to prospective applicants, parents/carers and school staff.
* To line-manage Student Recruitment (Outreach) Officers and/or Outreach Coordinator and oversee their work across projects.
* To manage colleagues working on the P2B project to ensure timely completion of tasks and efficient handling of enquiries.
* To lead recruitment of applications to the P2B programme and ensure alignment with admissions systems where appropriate.
* To contribute to delivering the Pathways to Birmingham umbrella programme and support UCAS applications.
* To lead on the evaluation of the programme and use findings to drive continuous improvement.
School Visits and links with Schools
* To organise school visits to the University campus, liaising with student ambassadors and leading activities.
* To represent the University at information, advice and guidance events in schools and progression fairs, delivering presentations and providing individual advice to students and parents.
Projects – Forward Thinking, Undergraduate Mentoring, Academic Support Initiatives and other specified projects
* To lead on the development and delivery of non-P2B projects (e.g., Forward Thinking, work with care leavers, undergraduate mentoring, academic support initiatives) and ensure their contribution toward targets in the Access and Participation Plan.
* To manage and deliver promotional materials and activities to ensure project success.
* To collaborate with external partners and coordinate masterclasses and workshops with academics across the campus.
* To direct the work of Student Recruitment (Outreach) Officers, Outreach Coordinators and student ambassadors on these projects.
* To supervise administrative support for smooth project operation and resolve event-related issues.
* To evaluate project effectiveness and collaborate with the Outreach Evaluation and Impact Manager on data analysis.
Evaluation Activity
* To support the evaluation of Outreach activity for reporting to OfS.
* To evaluate all programmes fully and act on data to ensure continuous improvement.
* To ensure data protection requirements are adhered to when collecting learner data.
Systems and Data Management
* To lead systems and data processes across the team, supporting data collection, management and analysis for programmes.
* To oversee the online application portal for Outreach programmes and its integration with the university’s student records system, coordinating with Admissions and Registry as needed.
* To use data sources and reporting systems to monitor and track students, and to manipulate and analyse large data sets using Excel and Access.
* To utilise CRM systems for email communications with programme participants and train colleagues as required.
* To continuously improve systems and data processes in Outreach and provide training as needed.
In addition, the post-holder is expected to carry out any other duties that support the work of the Student Recruitment and Marketing Office as required, including Open Days and HE Fairs, with occasional evening, overnight and weekend work.
General duties
* Promotes equality and values diversity, acting as a role model and fostering an inclusive working culture.
* Supports the University’s sustainability agenda through resource-efficient working.
* Any other duties commensurate with the grade.
Person Specification
* Educated to Degree level (or equivalent qualifications) plus relevant practical experience. Where no equivalent qualification is held, significant practical relevant experience will be required.
* Knowledge and understanding of the UK education system.
* Understanding of widening participation policy and partnership working; passion for working in this area.
* Demonstrable experience in the HE/education sector and in managing complex projects with multiple strands and stakeholders.
* Experience working with young people from diverse backgrounds and ability to empathise with prospective students.
* Strong ability to interpret and present data in multiple formats and to communicate clearly with varied audiences.
* Excellent interpersonal and report-writing skills; strong stakeholder management.
* Ability to work in a team and independently, prioritising workloads and meeting deadlines.
* Flexibility, tact and diplomacy; high attention to detail and ability to work under pressure.
* Understanding of safeguarding requirements; prepared to undergo DBS check.
* Problem-solving, initiative and ability to learn new systems quickly; proficient IT skills including Excel and Access, and CRM familiarity.
* Willingness to travel across the UK, including evenings, weekends and overnight stays; valid UK driving licence or ability to travel independently; DBS clearance required.
* Knowledge of protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010 and commitment to ensuring fair treatment in day-to-day activity.
Desirable
* Experience with CRM systems and digital engagement tools (e.g., Microsoft Dynamics, Gecko or similar).
* Experience of direct line management.
DBS Required
The University is committed to safeguarding and will undertake pre-employment checks; all successful applicants will require satisfactory DBS clearance prior to appointment.
Informal enquiries to Elizabeth Chandler, email: e.chandler@bham.ac.uk
View our staff values and behaviours here.
Use of AI in applications: We want to understand your genuine interest in the role and for the written elements of your application to reflect your own communication style. Applications that rely too heavily on AI tools may appear generic and lack detail. Such applications may not be progressed to interview.
We are committed to diversity and inclusion and hold Athena SWAN, Race Equality Charter and Disability Confident accreditations. We are also committed to sustainability and a fairer university for everyone. More about our work to create a fairer university can be found on our website.
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