Job Title: Administrator, Scholar Affairs (Part-Time)

FURTHER PARTICULARS

Job title: Administrator, Scholar Affairs (part-time)

Reports to: Deputy Registrar, Scholar Affairs Salary: £22-26k per annum, pro rata (0.5 FTE)

BACKGROUND

The Rhodes Scholarships are postgraduate awards supporting outstanding all-round students for graduate study at the University of Oxford. Scholars are selected on the basis of outstanding intellect, character, leadership, and commitment to service. We expect that the experience in Oxford will provide a transformative opportunity for Scholars academically and in terms of fostering international understanding and character and leadership development.

The Rhodes Trust is based at Rhodes House in Oxford. The Registrar and Deputy Registrar together have primary responsibility for the administration of the Rhodes Scholarships, from the time of selection until the conclusion of tenure in Oxford, and for the academic progress and welfare of Scholars in Oxford.

As an employer, the Rhodes Trust seeks to provide a supportive and nurturing environment for employees who are dedicated to the Rhodes Scholars - past, present, and future - and to the enduring spirit of the Rhodes Scholarships. We hope that all employees will embody this spirit in their personal and professional engagement with the Rhodes community.

THE POSITION

The Administrator, Scholar Affairs, is a key role within a small team at Rhodes House; the team seek to provide a supportive environment for Rhodes Scholars. The Administrator will work in close partnership with the Deputy Registrar and the Registrar to assist with a range of administrative processes underpinning the Rhodes Scholarship - from the point of selection in home country, through their two to three year tenure in Oxford, to the process of going down – contributing to a culture of support and community at Rhodes House.

In keeping with the prestigious nature of the awards, the Administrator will work with the Deputy Registrar to deliver and improve administrative processes which add value to the experience of a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford, and will work to build affirming relationships with the Scholar community. The Administrator role is student- facing and facilitates the function of the Scholar Affairs department. This will include maintaining a good balance between professionalism and efficiency on the one hand and a warm and approachable ethos on the other.

DUTIES AND ACCOUNTABILITIES

Administrative duties of the Administrator role are broad and varied, and include:  Respond to queries from prospective scholarship applicants and general oversight of the [email protected] inbox; prepare finalist certificates for final-round applicants who were unsuccessful.  Assist the Deputy Registrar with preparation of information for applicants, upkeep of relevant areas of the website and provide support to the National Secretaries, as necessary.  Maintain accurate student information on the internal database – including the recording of applications and outcomes (of Scholars Elect as well as current Scholars), degree outcomes and contact detail changes.  Provide support to the Deputy Registrar and the Registrar to ensure that the Scholars Elect submit complete applications to the University on time.

of 3 July 2017  Manage the Scholars Elect arrival process, liaising with the students and the porters to arrange airport collections and meet and greets; prepare the Welcome Packs for incoming scholars.  Manage incoming post and prepare correspondence as necessary; assist with regular communications to students.  Support the Deputy and the Registrar with Scholar Affairs departmental business, including assisting with the Biennial National Secretaries Week, data collation for reports, and occasional minute-taking.  Clear communication within the team will be a vital part of this role to coordinate tasks effectively and to ensure that the whole team is updated on scholar affairs.

In addition, the Administrator will take sole responsibility for the following:  Each Scholar will meet with the Warden of Rhodes House annually. The Administrator will co-ordinate these meetings, will prepare the resulting Warden’s reports and will provide general updates to the Deputy and Registrar on Scholar progress.  Formally confirm scholarships to the Scholars Elect and provide confirmation of Rhodes Scholarship funding to colleges.  Support Scholars with visa applications through the production of funding letters, responding to ad hoc student queries and the arrangement of visa-related payments.

SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE REQUIRED

The ideal candidate will have the following skills, experience and qualifications:  Team player with a positive approach to new challenges, quick to learn, and willingness to find / adopt new approaches to complete tasks in the interests of efficiency or as a result of changing requirements.  Relevant and proven administrative experience in the higher education sector or similar.  Service-oriented and with the flexibility to always offer a friendly welcome to an unexpected Scholar or visitor without getting overly distracted from the task in hand.  Proactive, focused and organised, with good attention to detail.  Experience of data entry and record maintenance.  Sensitivity and discretion in dealing with a wide range of people on many different issues; the ability to handle personal information with an awareness of Data Protection requirements.  Ability to build strong working relationships with immediate colleagues, and with university colleagues.  An undergraduate degree is desirable but not essential; an appreciation of the high demands placed on scholars during their studies at the University of Oxford is, however, essential.  Ability to work well under pressure, prioritise work and meet deadlines.  Excellent written and verbal communication skills.  Excellent IT skills, including experience with Microsoft packages (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook).  A degree of literacy in webpage editing and social media tools.

START DATE

We are looking for this new position to start as soon as possible.

TERMS OF APPOINTMENT

Subject to a satisfactory probationary period of 6 months, this is a permanent role. Note that applicants must be eligible to work in the UK. This post is part-time at 0.5 FTE (FTE: 37.5hrs/wk); the hours and working arrangements are flexible and can be negotiated with the Deputy Registrar on appointment. The ability to work additional hours during particularly busy times in the year would be preferred and can be balanced out by weeks with fewer hours worked. Our busiest times occur in late September when new Scholars arrive, and ahead of the early and late January University graduate application deadlines.

of 3 July 2017 The Rhodes Trust participates in the USS pension scheme, enrols staff for private health insurance and offers 25 days’ leave plus public holidays each year.

TO APPLY

Please send your curriculum vitae (not longer than 3 pages) plus covering letter (no longer than 2 pages) and the contact details of at least two referees (these will not be contacted without applicant’s permission), to [email protected]. The closing date for applications is midnight on Sunday 6th August.

Interim queries about the vacancy can be directed to the Deputy Registrar, Laura Lewis: [email protected]; 01865 270953.

Interviews will be held on Thursday 10th August 2017 at Rhodes House.

Please visit our website www.rhodeshouse.ox.ac.uk to learn more about the Rhodes Trust.

of 3 July 2017