NUFFIELD
COLLEGE
Further particulars for the post of Bursar
Nuffield College
Nuffield College is a graduate college within the University of Oxford which was founded in 1937 and
specialises in the Social Sciences, particularly Economics, Politics, and Sociology. It aims to be one of
the world’s outstanding social science institutions, providing a stimulating research-orientated
environment for postgraduate students, research fellows, and senior academics and promoting,
according to its Charter, “the study by co-operation between academic and non-academic persons of
social (including economic and political) problems”. About 30 students are admitted each year with a
total student body of about 100, for many of whom the College provides financial support in the
form of studentships. In addition in 2014/15 the College has 55 Research Fellows (of whom 10 are
College-funded Prize Postdoctoral Fellows), 39 permanent Fellows (of whom 8 are College-funded
Official Fellows), 23 non-academic Visiting Fellows drawn from the world of business, industry,
politics and administration; and a number of Research Officers working on research projects run by
the College’s Fellows. The College enjoys strong links with the University’s social science
departments and works closely with the Social Sciences Division.
Nuffield College has been – and continues to be – the source of some of the major research
developments in social science. These include the British Election Studies and the major programme
of research on Social Mobility in Britain. It was the birthplace of the "Oxford School" of Industrial
Relations; it pioneered the development of cost benefit analysis for developing countries; and it has
made a major contribution to the methodology of econometrics. At the moment the College hosts
three research centres: the Centre for Experimental Social Sciences (CESS), an interdisciplinary
centre which was established to promote and facilitate experimental social sciences research and
offers an on-site computer laboratory and a large subject pool; the Centre for Social Investigation
(CSI) which aims to address contemporary social issues of public interest and to engage with policymakers and the public more generally, carrying out authoritative, non-partisan research; and the
Gwilym Gibbon Unit for Public Policy Research which has been established with the aim of bridging
academia and public affairs through the provision of rigorous academic analysis of public policy
issues (mainly in the UK).
Further information about the College and its activities can be found at www.nuffield.ox.ac.uk
Job Description
The College is seeking to appoint a full time Bursar. The role of the Bursar will be to:
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Oversee the operation of the non-academic administration of the College.
Advise and assist the Governing Body in developing and implementing the College’s
strategy.
The Bursar will be a key administrative officer of the College and will work closely with the Warden,
the Senior Tutor, who has responsibility for academic administration, and the Special Projects
Bursar, who has responsibility for the College’s endowments. She or he will be a member of the
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Governing Body, and responsible directly to the Warden and the Governing Body. The College
Accountant, the Catering and Conference Manager, the Site Manager, the Director of IT, the College
Housekeeper, and the Bursary staff report directly to the Bursar. She or he will work closely with the
Senior Tutor in assessing and advising on the financial implications of academic decisions, and with
the Warden, the Director of Development and others on College fundraising. The Bursar will work
with the Warden, Senior Tutor, Group Chairs (i.e. the Fellows who chair the College’s three subject
groups – Economics, Sociology, Politics), Fellows, the College Counsellor and others in relation to
issues involving individual members of the College. She or he will represent the College on a range
of Collegiate and University bodies.
The post requires an understanding of and sympathy with the objectives and functioning of higher
education institutions; the ability to think strategically and to inform collective decision making;
excellent management and administrative skills, and the readiness to deal appropriately with the
College’s own academic fellows, staff and students, and also with the committee systems, members
and officers of the wider collegiate university as well as external stakeholders. The staff reporting to
the Bursar are responsible for the day to day management of the College’s finances, the College’s
buildings and the domestic activities of the College. The Bursar’s role is to exercise overall
supervision and strategic guidance in all these areas, supporting and directing those with day to day
responsibility. The management of the College’s endowments, both financial and non-financial, is
the responsibility of another College Officer, the Special Projects Bursar, and two academic Fellows
who act as part time Investment Bursars, but the Bursar will need to understand the management of
the endowment and work closely with the Special Projects Bursar in this respect.
Key responsibilities
The following are the core responsibilities of the job, although the exact duties of the Bursar are
subject to adjustment by the Governing Body.
Finance and General Administration
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Oversee the work of the College Finance function, assisting the Governing Body to
determine its financial policies, and implementing decisions.
Oversee the preparation of annual budgets, the preparation of the annual statutory report
and accounts and the review of risks.
Be responsible for all contractual and legal aspects of employment of non-academic College
staff, and work closely with the Senior Tutor on the HR issues related to academic staff.
Ensure compliance with all relevant legislation and regulations, and serve as the College’s
Data Protection Officer and Information Officer, and ensure that there is a Health and Safety
Officer in place.
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Domestic and other Management
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Assist the Governing Body in the determination of the policies of the College in this area.
Oversee the work of the Bursary, the Catering and Conference Department, the Estates
Department and the IT Department so as to ensure that these departments deliver high
quality services that meet the needs of the College’s strategy, and do so in efficient and cost
effective ways.
Academic Support
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Work closely with the Warden, the Senior Tutor and the Group Chairs to ensure that all
aspects of the College’s administration support the academic purpose and strategy of the
College.
Present information to Governing Body that will help in setting directions, which may
require both analysis of our own position and comparison with other institutions in Oxford
and elsewhere.
Fundraising
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Oversee the work of the Development Office in both alumni relations and fundraising.
Assist the Warden and the Development team in pursuing fundraising activities.
External Business
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Keep abreast of Government, University and other relevant initiatives and advise Governing
Body accordingly.
Ensure compliance with relevant external regulation and legislation.
Represent the College on appropriate inter-Collegiate, University, and external Bodies.
Person Specification
Area
Knowledge and
Experience
Essential
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Senior management experience in an
organisation of similar or greater size/
complexity
A record of success in staff management
and in applying strong resource
management including the planning of
budgets
Experience of planning at the strategic level
Experience in the development of policy
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Desirable
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Significant experience
working in a Higher
Education Institution
Experience in providing
support to Committees
Skills
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Experience in the management of change
HR/personnel policies
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Excellent leadership and people
management skills
Excellent skills in working within structures
that require careful planning and
prioritisation of work and delivery of
carefully prepared background papers and
information
Experience in acting with utmost discretion
and handling sensitive data
Ability to develop and sustain strong
working relationships and involve staff
(academic and non-academic), students
and other stakeholders
Financial planning and management skills
Ability to develop systems and processes
for effective service delivery
Excellent analytical skills
Excellent communication skills both orally
and in writing
Understanding of Health & Safety at Work
and associated legislation
Understanding of current employment
legislation
Good IT skills
Excellent negotiating skills
Ability to lead and motivate with vision
Clear commitment to the academic
objectives of an institution like Nuffield
College
Ability to make decisions
Flexible, realistic and able to carry out any
other reasonable duties required of the
post
Ability to manage crises effectively – show
resilience under pressure
A strong commitment to the achievement
of equal opportunities
Motivated, committed, energetic,
determined, positive, robust, sensitive,
outgoing and approachable with strong
personal energy levels and resilience
An eye for detail
Educated to degree or equivalent level
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Personal Qualities
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Qualifications
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Experience in
fundraising
Terms and Conditions
The Bursar will be a member of the Governing Body.
Salary: £65K-£85K
1 year's probationary period
Entitlement to join the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS)
Private healthcare (although this is not contractual)
Meals and membership of SCR.
How to apply
Applications consisting of a covering letter and CV stating the names and addresses of 3 referees
together with a Recruitment Monitoring Form to be sent to vacancies@nuffield.ox.ac.uk or to the
Human Resources Department, Nuffield College, New Road, Oxford OX1 1NF.
The closing date for receipt of completed applications is 12.00 noon on Monday 15 June 2015.
Interviews are likely to be held during the week beginning 22 June 2015.
All data supplied by applicants will be used for the purposes of determining their suitability for the
post and will be held in accordance with the principles of the Data Protection Act 1998.
The College exists to promote excellence in education and research, and is an equal opportunities employer
committed to equality and valuing diversity. Applications are particularly welcome from women, from
disabled people and from black minority ethnic candidates, who are currently under-represented in posts in
the College.
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