Outreach Officer - External Relations - 81397 - Grade 6
Location: University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham UK
Full time starting salary is normally in the range £33,002 to £35,608 with potential progression once in post to £39,906
Grade: 6
Full Time, Permanent
Closing date: 4 January 2026
UK travel will be required for this role. As Birmingham looks to extend its reach nationally, this role will be working and engaging with schools across the country. We therefore welcome applications from candidates based outside of Birmingham and the West Midlands.
2 Positions available
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, and we are recognised as a leading global university. We want to attract talented people from across the city and beyond, support them to succeed, and celebrate their success.
We are committed to helping the people who work here to develop through our Birmingham Professional programme which provides all professional services staff with development opportunities and the encouragement to reach their full potential. With almost 5,000 professional services jobs in a wide range of functions in Edgbaston and in our campus in Dubai, there are opportunities to develop your career at the University.
We believe there is no such thing as a typical member of staff and that diversity is a source of strength that underpins the exchange of ideas, innovation, and debate. We warmly welcome people from all backgrounds and are committed to fostering an inclusive environment where diversity is at the heart of who and what we are, and how we work.
Supporting our people to achieve a healthy work/life balance is important and, depending on the role, we offer a variety of flexible working arrangements. We welcome discussions on all forms of flexible working. You will receive a generous package of benefits including 40 days paid holiday a year, one paid day a year for volunteering, occupational sick pay, and a pension scheme. We also have three high quality subsidised day nurseries.
The University is situated in leafy Edgbaston with excellent transport links. On campus we have a state-of-the-art sports centre, shops, places to eat and drink, our own art gallery, museum and botanical gardens.
Find out more about the benefits of working for the University of Birmingham.
Background
External Relations is the division responsible for delivering the University to the world and prides itself on seizing opportunities that enhance the profile and reputation of the University. We communicate with many different audiences to build purposeful relationships internally, locally, nationally, and internationally. We enable those who wish to apply to study on undergraduate and postgraduate courses to make informed choices.
The Outreach team supports entry to the University for students from underrepresented groups. We work with the Student Recruitment and Admissions team to develop, promote and fulfil the University-wide recruitment and admissions policy and strategy for undergraduate and postgraduate students. Activities include supporting representation at higher education fairs, co-ordinating visits to schools and colleges, receiving school visits, and planning and delivering programmes for students in identified groups.
Role Summary
The purpose of this post is to ensure the University commitment to widening participation is delivered. This means currently under-represented groups are encouraged to apply to the University through a range of activities, partnership work and action-based research.
This post supports the development of activity linked to the University’s agreement with the Office for Students (OfS). It has specific responsibility for project management of our Pathways to Birmingham programmes, other pre and post 16 Outreach programmes, and scheduling of school visits onto campus and into partner schools. Clear objectives and lines of responsibility will be determined during induction and annual reviews.
This post will work alongside other Outreach Officers, Senior Outreach Officers and administrative staff. All team members have project ownership and receive training and support to aid career development.
Main Duties
Main duties may include working on a range of programmes and activities from the list below:
Post-16 Pathways to Birmingham & Realising Opportunities programmes
* Contribute to the organisation, monitoring, evaluation and development of outreach programmes.
* Support delivery of post-16 widening access programmes to assist entry for students from under-represented groups.
* Prepare and distribute publicity materials to send to schools in the West Midlands to support recruitment.
* Deliver a suite of communications to potential and current applicants to encourage engagement.
* Deliver targeted recruitment talks in schools and colleges to large groups of young people.
* Support the application process, screening against WP criteria and provide feedback to unsuccessful candidates who do not meet the criteria.
* Support administration for programmes including tracking offers and applicant responses.
* Support event development, including sourcing speakers from academic staff, current students, alumni and local organisations.
* Organise catering and accommodation, ensuring inclusive arrangements for delegates (e.g., students with disabilities, dietary requirements).
* Ensure data protection compliance in storage and collection of participant data.
* Support development of student communities using innovative communications and digital platforms.
* Support monitoring and data recording of participants across programmes and transition to undergraduate study.
* Contribute to ongoing programme development with innovative ideas and solutions.
Pre-16 Activity
* Support the delivery of the Forward Thinking programme for year 8 to year 11 pupils, including events and IAG activities.
* Assist with masterclass programme implementation and liaison with schools for place allocation using WP criteria.
* Deliver campus visits for pre-16 groups and school visits to deliver activities.
* Support event development, including sourcing speakers and managing catering and accommodation.
* Ensure data protection compliance in storage and collection of participant data.
Residential Activity
* Contribute to organisation of residential summer school programmes for year 10 and year 12 pupils.
* Organise a programme of academic workshops and lectures with appropriate subject matter by negotiation with academics.
* Provide administrative support to ensure smooth running of workshops.
* Organise social activities and catering/accommodation for delegates, including accessibility needs.
* Recruit, train and supervise a team of student ambassadors.
* During summer school, coordinate with staff, ambassadors and pupils; be on duty as required, including overnight cover.
* Ensure all legal requirements are met (e.g., DBS checks and risk assessments).
School Visits and Links with Schools
* Initiate and organise visits for schools in the West Midlands and nationally to the University campus; lead activities on these days.
* Represent the University at information, advice and guidance events in schools and progression fairs.
* Visit targeted partner schools and colleges to deliver talks and presentations related to higher education and our programmes.
Mock Interviews
* Organise the delivery of the mock interview programme, including recruiting staff and students and organising events (in-person and virtual).
* Create online resources to support students in understanding the interview process.
* Evaluate the effectiveness of mock interviews in terms of attendance and impact on offers.
Projects
* Contribute to projects focusing on specific groups (e.g., engagement of white males from low socio-economic backgrounds, progression of care-experienced students, support of hard-to-reach groups).
* Assist in digitising outreach programmes, particularly applications processes, tracking/monitoring, communications and promotion.
Evaluation Activity
* Support evaluation of Outreach activity for OfS reporting; collaborate with Aimhigher where appropriate; ensure data protection compliance when collecting learner data.
General
* Carry out other duties to support the Outreach Office and assist with general Student Recruitment activities (e.g., Open Days and higher education fairs). May require occasional evening or weekend work.
* Promote equality and values diversity; act as a role model and foster an inclusive working culture.
* Support the University’s sustainability agenda through resource-efficient working.
* Any other duties commensurate with the grade.
Required Knowledge, Skills, Qualifications, Experience
* Educated to Degree level (or equivalent) plus relevant practical experience; where no equivalent qualification is held, significant practical experience may be required.
* Knowledge of the UK education system.
* Understanding of widening participation policy and partnership working.
* Some experience in the HE/education sector.
* Experience of project coordination.
* Experience of working with young people.
* Excellent interpersonal skills across diverse groups; ability to build relationships at all levels.
* Ability to work as part of a team and independently.
* Empathy with young people and prospective students.
* Confidence to interpret and present data in various formats.
* Advanced IT skills with experience using digital platforms for recruitment and communication; familiarity with application portals, CRM systems, Access databases and Excel.
* Strong communication skills and ability to present confidently.
* Ability to adapt to new or demanding situations, prioritise workloads and meet deadlines.
* Accuracy, attention to detail and ability to work under pressure.
* Awareness of safeguarding.
* Proactive problem solving and diplomacy; flexible attitude; valid UK driving licence.
* Willingness to work flexibly, including weekends and evenings as required.
DBS Required
The University is committed to safeguarding and safe recruitment; pre-employment checks will be undertaken. Successful applicants will be subject to 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 that the written elements 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 believe there is no such thing as a "typical" University of Birmingham staff member. We are committed to equality and inclusion and hold Athena SWAN, Race Equality Charter and Disability Confident accreditations. We have an Equality Diversity and Inclusion Centre and sustainability commitments. More about our work can be found on our website.
Seniority level
* Entry level
Employment type
* Full-time
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* Other
* Higher Education
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