• Part Time
  • Anywhere
  • Applications have closed.

Core responsibilities

  • Recognised professional practitioner and service specialist. 

  • Implement changes to the design and development of service processes, techniques and deliverables for one or more service strands or project streams. 

  • Provide specialist expertise and support with complexity of data and information sources, interpretation and analysis. 

  • Contribute to development of operational service activities to ensure excellence in the stakeholder experience. 

  • Collect and analyse stakeholder feedback to help define needs and requirements and the design and planning of work package deliverables.

  • Internal and external relationship development and partnership working, networking and participation to engage and influence future services and the reputations of the Universities. 

  • Provide effective project management, utilising the most appropriate project management methodologies and monitoring mechanisms, producing comprehensive quality and risk plans through which performance and delivery are monitored and controlled. 

  • Proactively manage changes in project scope, identifying potential risks and devising contingency plans. 

  • Maintain an awareness of current policy for University business goals such as widening participation and access, and provision of advice using specialist knowledge. 

  • Contribute to and lead business meetings, working groups and sub-committees. within the University and across the consortium. 

  • Work with the Project Sponsor to manage operating budgets and monitor project expenditure, reporting accurate expenditure forecasts to the Project Sponsor and Advisory Board.

    • Role responsibilities

  • Provide management for stakeholder service areas and processes ensuring a high-quality and timely service to all stakeholders, including all consortium partners, the funding body and the Project Board. 

  • Contribute to operational leadership teams and decision making to shape the nature and level of support services. 

  • Analyse service data and provide reports to the Project Sponsor, Project Board and Workstreams, making recommendations for improvement as appropriate. 

  • Provide proactive and comprehensive input and support to the Project Sponsor and Stakeholder Group, coordinating work across all work packages to ensure they operate smoothly and to project timelines. 

  • Identify interdependencies between Projects to support wider delivery of programme objectives.

  • Provide advice to stakeholders in relation to funding body requirements and in relation to GDPR and ethics. 

  • Ensure the review and improvement of systems and procedures in line with Durham University frameworks and the requirements of the funding body. 

  • Distribute service information and provide advice to stakeholders regarding compliance and regulations, liaising with Legal and Research colleagues across the partnership. 

  • Ensure regulations and procedures are updated to take account of internal and external changes. 

  • Coordinate and oversee committee working and deal with complaints. 

  • Provide training and/or instruction to stakeholders. 

  • Awareness of the external environment and sector best practice to support high quality services.

  • Communicate progress against activity through relevant channels to stakeholders and through wider social media outlets. 

  • Drafting reports and documents for a range of audiences including the Project Board, funding body and other stakeholders. 

  • Any other reasonable duties.

    • Specific role requirements 

    The post holder will occasionally be required to work outside normal office hours, undertaking regional and occasionally national travel, to support effective partnership working. 

    This post will have a fixed end date of 30th January 2026.

    Working Arrangements

    At Durham we recognise that our staff and students are our greatest asset and we want to support the health and wellbeing of all. Hybrid working supports this ethos and provides many benefits to our colleagues, including empowering people, where their role allows, to work in a manner which is more suitable for them, whilst encouraging our commitment to environmental sustainability.

    Depending on the needs of the business and the job role, Durham University is piloting hybrid working for all Professional Services colleagues in the academic year 2021/2022, which may include the opportunity to work both on and off campus and to flex working hours. If appointed to the post, your line-manager will discuss the specific arrangements with you. Any hybrid arrangements are non-contractual and may change within the pilot and when the pilot ends.

    Reward and Benefits

    To support the delivery of the University’s People Strategy to attract, retain and reward the very best, we offer a fantastic range of rewards and benefits to our staff, including:

  • 30 days annual leave, plus 4 customary days and 8 bank holidays (pro-rata for part time) and the option to purchase additional leave;
  • Automatic enrolment into a pension scheme;
  • Corporate and local discounts;
  • Wellbeing resources and discounted health benefits;
  • Health discounts on sports and activities at Maiden Castle Health and Activity Centre;
  • Reward and Recognition Schemes;
  • Personal and career development;
  • And SO much more, with further information available here

    • Recruiting to this post

    In order to be considered for interview, candidates must evidence each of the essential criteria required for the role in the person specification. In some cases, the recruiting panel may also consider the desirable criteria, so we recommend you evidence all criteria in your application.

    Please note that some criteria will only be considered at interview stage.

    Essential Criteria

  • Excellent oral and written communication skills and the ability to develop excellent working relationships both internally and externally. 
  • Proven IT skills, including use of Microsoft Office.
  • Educated to degree level (or equivalent experience).
  • Proven analytical and problem solving capability.
  • Professional practitioner with knowledge and expertise used to contribute to the delivery and development of people related services, events and activities within the organisation. 
  • Experience of implementing policy and procedures and involvement with future changes for a service area.
  • Knowledge and experience of ensuring compliance with regulatory and organisational policy and guidelines.
  • Experience of providing specialist advice and guidance to a range of customers and colleagues, including more senior colleagues. 
  • Experience of being able to network effectively and develop strong and productive working relationships, to influence perceptions of the University. 
  • Ability to handle sensitive and confidential issues and conversations with tact, diplomacy and discretion.
  • Experience in managing projects with multiple deliverables from a range of contributors spanning the organisation. 
  • Experience of working in a comparable EDI role preferably in a Higher Education setting. 
  • Understanding of equality legislation and its application within a public/HEI sector environment. 

    • Desirable Criteria 

  • A relevant postgraduate or professional qualification. 
  • Previous experience of working on Athena SWAN or Race Equality Chartermarks or similar EDI initiatives. 
  • Experience of using multiple datasets, with sources such as HEIDI data and PowerBI or their equivalent to produce high quality infographics and narratives. 
  • Experience of design and delivery of surveys using appropriate software. 
  • Experience of managing or supervising individuals or project teams. 
  • Experience of using web content management systems and databases. 
  • Continuing professional development required to maintain professional recognition.

    • Durham University

    OUR CHARACTERISTICS:  We are a globally outstanding centre of teaching and research excellence, a collegiate community of extraordinary people, in a unique and historic setting.

    OUR VALUES:  We are inspiring, challenging, innovative, responsible and enabling.

    Durham University is one of the world’s top universities with strengths across the Arts and Humanities, Business, Sciences and Social Sciences. We are home to some of the most talented scholars and researchers from around the world who are tackling global issues and making a difference to people’s lives. 

    The University sits in a beautiful historic city where it shares ownership of a UNESCO World Heritage Site with Durham Cathedral, the greatest Romanesque building in Western Europe. A collegiate University, Durham recruits outstanding students from across the world and offers an unmatched wider student experience.

    Durham University seeks to promote and maintain an inclusive and supportive environment for work and study that assists all members of our University community to reach their full potential. Diversity brings strength and we welcome applications from across the international, national and regional communities that we work with and serve.

    It is expected that all staff within the University:

  • Contribute to our learning culture by engaging in mentoring, training and coaching.
  • Positively contribute to fostering a collegial environment; as well as demonstrating commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion.
  • Have due regard to Health and Safety requirements appropriate to grade and role.

    • Family key attributes

    Roles in this family provide a comprehensive service and deliver the efficient administration and governance of the University.

    Overall family purpose

  • Deliver direct and indirect services to stakeholders.
  • Provide advice and answer queries as part of an enquiry-desk/help-desk function.
  • Respond to and manage requests for information and resources.
  • Deliver services to meet regulatory requirements and procedures. 
  • Plan and deliver a joined-up approach to University business and people services.
  • Align business processes and services to meet operational and strategic policy objectives.
  • Deliver business processes to ensure effective management, governance and the economic viability of the University. 
  • Encourage, collaborate and participate in the development of productive cross-institution relationships and working.
  • Provide excellent professional services that meet strategic and operational goals and business needs.
  • Carry out monitoring, analysis, development and planning to design new services and service updates for continuous improvement whilst meeting changes in regulations.
  • Engage with specialist professionals, consultants, and suppliers to exchange knowledge and facilitate partnership working.
  • Work collaboratively and network across the University with staff in other families to ensure a smooth, timely and high-quality delivery of service.
  • Align and deliver programmes and activities to meet operational and strategic objectives to enhance the stakeholder experience.
  • Engage and encourage participation with external professionals, schools, alumni and donors.

    • Link to key strategic plan

  • An economically sustainable approach to delivering Professional Services across the University;
  • A joined-up approach to University professional services, regardless of location or line management;
  • A culture and practice of continuous improvement; 
  • Design services that meet business need;
  • A stakeholder-focused orientation, offering satisfying careers to all staff;
  • Support and facilitate programmes that offer intellectual challenge, cohesiveness and a strong sense of progression;
  • Ensure that an increasingly diverse workforce is treated equally, fairly and with respect, and that all staff are demonstrably valued and actively engaged.