JOB DESCRIPTION
Employment status and working hours
Fixed term for up to 10 months (maternity cover), full time.
Full time hours at the University are 35 per week with the standard working pattern Monday to Friday from 09:00 to 17:00.
Organisation structure
Education and Students, Business Support and Planning team.
Your line manager will be Ben Adofo, Director of Academic Registry.
Place of work flexibility
The majority of your working week will be spent at our office in Reading and the rest at your home*. The exact split of days/hours is negotiable but must include a minimum of three working days each week in Horizons on the core days (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday). The office closes on Fridays. You can attend the office on Mondays if you have worked the three core days. *Working from home is only possible if your environment is suitable.
High level summary of job role
As the Business Support and Planning Officer, you will play a vital role in supporting key activities across the wider Academic Registry team, contributing to both project work and essential student lifecycle processes. Working closely with line managers, you will assist in implementing strategic objectives and University-wide initiatives aimed at enhancing the student experience, improving student outcomes, and driving operational efficiencies.
Key responsibilities include managing the University’s academic calendar, supporting the delivery of End-Point Assessments (EPA) for integrated apprenticeships and the planning and coordination of graduation ceremonies. With a strong focus on collaboration, service excellence, and compliance, you will be integral to ensuring a seamless and high-quality student experience.
Specific job role accountabilities and responsibilities
* Assist with the implementation of strategic objectives and key projects within Academic Registry.
* Promote and implement University wide strategies and objectives in collaboration with line managers and the wider Education and Students department.
* Support the implementation and operationalisation of new integrated degree apprenticeships, ensuring appropriate arrangements are in place for the delivery of end-point assessments.
* Coordinate and manage the University's academic calendar, taking responsibility for development and maintenance, the setting of key dates, and effective University wide communication.
* Support the planning and organisation of graduation ceremonies, coordinating graduation administration across the wider Academic Registry team.
* Assist with the preparation of papers and reports for deliberative committees and undertake benchmarking or research to inform projects or improvement activities.
* Actively engage with sector wide best practice to inform improvements to service delivery and the student experience.
* Foster a student-centred culture, ensuring high standards of service excellence and continuous improvement.
* Contribute to the development of wider University policies, processes, and procedures to ensure that the University is compliant with the OfS, OIA, Designated Quality Body, Designated Data Body and other regulatory bodies’ standards, and achieves high rankings in the National Student Survey and other student surveys as relevant.
* Investigate Stage 1 appeals and complaints in an appropriate and timely manner.
* Provide administrative support where required.
Other important features of the job role
Line management responsibilities: None.
Budget responsibility: None.
In this role you will liaise with the following: School of the Built Environment, Academic Operations, Technology, Academic Operations, Digital Learning and Engagement, Academic Performance, Student Services, Academic Quality Unit.
PERSON SPECIFICATION
E = Essential person requirement; D = Desirable person requirement
How the person requirement will be assessed:
A = Application; I = Interview; T = Test or other assessment
Please be aware that as part of onboarding processes, we will seek original documentary evidence of the relevant academic and/or professional qualifications which you include within your job application. This is all part of our comprehensive pre-employment screening which also includes checking your identity, right to work, criminal record history (basic disclosure), and three years employment history.
Qualifications and training
Relevant professional qualification or equivalent experience (E, A, I).
Evidence of continued professional development (E, A, I).
Project management qualification (D, A, I).
Previous experience
In a similar role (E, A, I).
Coordinating events or projects (E, A, I).
Managing academic or administrative processes (E, A, I).
Using student information systems or CRM (D, A, I).
Working with diverse student populations and understanding their unique needs (D, A, I).
Skills, knowledge, and aptitudes
Digital skills: We use MS Office which includes Teams, Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint (E, A, I).
Organisational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines (E, A, I).
Strong attention to detail, ensuring accuracy in processes and reporting (E, A, I).
Communication and relationship-building skills across teams and stakeholders (E, I).
Strong problem-solving and decision making skills, particularly in a regulatory and compliance-focused environment (E, I).
Ability to adapt and respond to new situations, identifying opportunities for improvement (E, I).
Familiarity with regulatory requirements related to higher education and student retention (D, A, I).
Ability to foster a culture of feedback, challenge, and professional values (D, I).
Familiarity with integrated degree apprenticeships and end-point assessments (D, A, I).
Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret data and generate actionable insights (D, I).
Other requirements or special requirements
Alignment to the University’s core values of Passion, Integrity, Excellence and Support; all employees are expected to demonstrate our values at work (E, I).
Commitment to delivering positive outcomes for our students; we want our students to be successful (E, I).
You must be prepared to undertake mandatory online training should you be appointed including Data Protection, Health and Safety, Safeguarding, Prevent, and EDI (E, I).
PAY AND BENEFITS
Salary: Salary range £30,000 to £33,000 per annum.
Holiday: 26 days paid holiday (rising to 28 with service) plus paid bank/public holidays plus up to five paid closure days (typically between Christmas and New Year); all per holiday year Full Time Equivalent. Our holiday year runs from 1 August to 31 July. We also have a holiday buy and sell scheme in place. Sometimes the University does not need to close for five days per year and any balance (for example one day), can be used as a paid Wellbeing Day to take time out for your own physical or mental health.
Pension and life assurance: Pensions auto-enrolment to the People’s Pension which is a default salary sacrifice scheme. You may opt out of salary sacrifice but remain in the scheme, or you may choose to opt out altogether. We provide life assurance (death in service) cover as standard to all employees.
Family-friendly policies: Policies in place for all types of family-friendly statutory leave with enhanced pay available from day one of employment for some leave types. Access to Tax-Free Childcare (Government scheme).
Wellbeing: Full access to the Employee Assistance Programme as well as the Thrive Mental Wellbeing app. Several employees are trained Mental Health First Aiders and can support staff. We have a wellbeing policy and we focus on five pillars of wellbeing.
Sustainable travel: Cycle to Work and Electric Vehicle salary sacrifice schemes.
Parking: We have locked sheds for bicycles. For cars, for Horizons based roles, we may in the future be able to offer parking on site however you must not assume this will be possible. Every now and then we may have a spare parking space become available and you can ask to join the waiting list. The University is keen wherever possible, to encourage staff to commute as sustainably as possible.
Other health related benefits: Employer-funded Health Cash Plan (Simplyhealth) and voluntary dental insurance (Unum).
Other valuable benefits:
* Charity giving options available including one voluntary paid day, per annum.
* You will have access to Microsoft Office 365 applications for personal use.
* You will have access to range of lifestyle discounts and everyday savings.
* We offer learning platforms including LinkedIn learning.
On the Join the team page of our website, you will find the full list of employee benefits.
APPLICATIONS - THINGS TO CONSIDER
For an informal discussion about the role please contact Montanna Banks on 0118 921 4614 or email m.banks@ube.ac.uk. For any other enquiries please contact HR on 0118 467 2454 / 2433 or email recruitment@ube.ac.uk
Did one of our employees recommend you? If you apply on the recommendation of an existing employee, please make sure to mention their name within your application.
We're passionate about sustainability and we have a five-year strategic plan: We expect job seekers to be curious about who we are and what we do. We point you towards a couple of resources about who we are and sustainability .
Closing date and next steps
We will receive applications until the advert closes on Tuesday 10 February 2026 at 17:00. We will not consider late applications. Our ATS does not screen applications, we humans do. Applications may be reviewed prior to the closing date and occasionally, you may be invited to interview ahead of the closing date.
Interview details
Initial interviews are scheduled for Tuesday 17 February 2026 and Wednesday 18 February 2026. We'll ask you to tell us about any dates you cannot make, up to 4 weeks from the closing date; this helps us to plan interviews should you be shortlisted, prior to contacting you.
Interviews are normally carried out over Microsoft Teams or Zoom. Depending on the job role and place of work, your interview may be at our Reading or London office. Please be prepared for a two-stage interview process, held on different dates. As part of the interview process, you will likely meet a member of the Senior Leadership Team.
Note for internal candidates
If you are an existing employee, we request you inform your current line manager of your intention to apply for this role.
As this is a fixed term role, if you were (in the future) to be offered and accept this role, it would mean relinquishing your contractual permanent employment status with the University. Following the expiry of the fixed term period, your employment with the University would cease, unless an alternative role is secured. If instead you would like to apply for this role on the basis of it being a secondment (i.e. not relinquishing your permanent status), please discuss this with your current line manager. Only your line manager can consider and agree to a secondment because this impacts the resourcing in your current team. Please contact HR if you or your line manager need to discuss this further.