University of Bath
JOB DESCRIPTION
Job title:
Department/School:
Grade:
Location:
Senior Executive Officer
Vice-Chancellor’s Office
9
All sites operated by the University of Bath
Job purpose
To undertake policy analysis and development, public relations, research, and project
leadership activities for the Vice-Chancellor, including research and data analysis,
information management, development of corporate messaging, preparation of briefing
and presentational materials, co-ordination of funding bids, project leadership, and events
management.
To provide project leadership and management support to the University’s senior
management team, as delegated by the Vice-Chancellor, driving forward initiatives that
will enable the University to meet its key strategic goals.
To strengthen the profile and effectiveness of the Vice-Chancellor’s Office by:
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enhancing the business efficiency, quality and flexibility of its operations;
developing and maintaining an effective Executive Officer team to support
the University’s senior leadership.
developing, managing and motivating the Vice-Chancellor’s Office personal
assistant team;
co-ordinating arrangements for international visits and events;
providing project/change management support for new initiatives;
controlling office budgets and expenditure, managing health & safety, and
implementing equalities and diversity processes;
developing the Office website and diversifying its external communication
channels;
providing a key point of contact for external organisations as appropriate.
To respond flexibly to the changing demands placed on themselves and the support
team in the Vice-Chancellor’s Office, offering creative solutions to challenges that
present themselves.
Source and nature of management provided
The Senior Executive Officer will be expected to work on her/his own initiative on a dayto-day basis, leading the Vice-Chancellor’s Office support teams to deliver high quality
support for the Vice-Chancellor, Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Pro-Vice-Chancellors. The
postholder will be line managed by the Vice-Chancellor.
Staff management responsibility
The Senior Executive Officer will be responsible for the co-ordination, line management,
development and performance of the Vice-Chancellor’s Office Executive Officer team and
the administrative and secretarial support team.
The Senior Executive Officer will also be responsible for the leadership of various project
management and task groups brought together on an ad hoc basis to deliver key
institutional priorities.
Main duties and responsibilities
1
Policy analysis, corporate messaging and position statements
i.
To advise the Vice-Chancellor on national and international trends in relation
to HE policy, funding and practice, developing position statements and
corporate messaging to safeguard the University’s sustainability and to
support the Vice-Chancellor’s national sector roles and international
engagement.
ii.
To chair a core group of directors of Professional Services (OPP, DDAR and
Marketing and Communications) to develop corporate messaging and ‘followup’ action plans on a proactive basis to ensure that key engagements
undertaken by the Vice-Chancellor yield maximum return and added value.
iii.
To have oversight of the ‘tone’ and ‘content’ of the communications (all media)
from the Vice-Chancellor’s Office to ensure consistency of messaging and
alignment with institutional priorities.
iv.
To work with the senior leadership team to identify opportunities for the ViceChancellor to contribute to policy development through consultations, public
meetings, membership of advisory boards and committees, and dialogue with
regional and national sector representative bodies (e.g. UUK, LEP).
v.
To analyse consultation documents and policy statements issued by key
external stakeholders (e.g. Government, HEFCE, UUK, UCAS), prepare
written summaries of the key points and draft responses in consultation with
the Vice-Chancellor and other key parties within the University as appropriate.
vi.
To convene and shape the agendas for ad hoc policy development groups.
vii.
To provide biographical and other background information on new contacts,
highlighting ways in which they may support the delivery of the University’s
corporate goals.
viii.
To take a proactive lead in researching and preparing briefing materials and
position statements to ensure that the Vice-Chancellor is fully prepared for
events and meetings.
2
Project leadership and management
i.
To provide leadership and project management support for institutional initiatives,
including corporate bids/applications and the delivery of strategic projects.
ii.
To convene and develop agendas for such ad hoc working groups, including
time-limited ‘Task and Finish’ Groups, as required by the Vice-Chancellor in
support of the University’s broader strategic priorities.
iii. To act as the University’s first line of response for issues raised directly at the
Vice-Chancellor level, responding flexibly and creatively to unforeseen situations
and marshalling resources/expertise from across campus to respond in a timely
and professional manner, mitigating reputational and operational risk.
iv. To develop and maintain the business continuity plan for the Vice-Chancellor’s
Office.
v. To identify issues or potential risks within the University and lead reviews of areas
of activity as required.
3
Events management
i.
To provide events management support for high profile events involving the
Vice-Chancellor, including high profile corporate events and international visits.
ii.
To provide a focus for communication with the Vice-Chancellor around the
nature and purpose of her engagement, identifying any constraints or
reputational risks to be considered.
iii. To assist in hosting high level delegation visits, keeping records as appropriate
and supporting the Vice-Chancellor in the development of appropriate follow-up
action.
4
Management of financial, administrative and secretarial services
i.
To manage the financial, administrative and secretarial services within the ViceChancellor’s Office.
ii.
To ensure that the services provided are efficient and of a high quality,
delivering the high level of professionalism appropriate to the immediate support
team to the Vice-Chancellor of a leading UK university.
iii. To lead business efficiency reviews of existing processes and develop new
administrative processes for new activities.
5
Line management of the Executive Officer team and the Personal Assistant
team
i.
To manage and motivate the Executive Officers and Personal Assistants within
the Vice-Chancellor’s Office ensuring that they perform effectively both as
individuals and as teams.
ii.
To build the capacity and skills of the teams to respond flexibly to the changing
demands on the Vice-Chancellor’s Office, ensuring that team members
understand each other’s roles and functions and can provide cover for each
other and operate in an integrated way.
iii. To manage any human resources issues for staff within the teams in line with
the University’s HR policies and advice from their HR Business Partner. This
may include recruitment and selection, induction, probation, discipline,
capability, reward and recognition, sickness, dignity & respect, and
organisational change.
6
Communication
i.
To act as a focal point for communication to and from the Vice-Chancellor, both
internally and externally, applying judgement to the assessment of the institutional
significance and the nature of the institutional response in the event of the ViceChancellor’s absence.
ii.
To develop and maintain the VC’s Office website as an up-to-date resource for
biographical, organisational and governance material as appropriate.
iii. To support the Vice-Chancellor in disseminating information to the internal
community relating to policy, practice and funding, including drafting internal
communiqués and developing PowerPoint presentations (of a style and quality
appropriate for publishing in the Vice-Chancellor’s name) and co-ordinating open
meetings, and other events, for staff and students.
iv. To ensure the effective circulation of UUK, HEFCE and BIS reports and other
relevant Higher Education information and news.
7
Research
i.
To undertake such research as required to ensure that the operation of the ViceChancellor’s Office, the delivery of corporate projects and the drafting of funding
applications is informed by a clear understanding of sector best practice,
competitor analysis and regulatory/compliance frameworks.
ii.
To support the Vice-Chancellor’s research activities, including literature
searches, information gathering and data analysis.
You will from time to time be required to undertake other duties of a similar nature as
reasonably required by the Vice-Chancellor or the wider senior management team in
the Vice-Chancellor’s Office.
PERSON SPECIFICATION
Job title:
Department/School:
Grade:
Senior Executive Officer
Vice-Chancellor’s Office
9
Criteria
Essential
A good undergraduate degree in a relevant
discipline, or equivalent
X
Any relevant postgraduate qualification
X
Experience of working in Higher Education in a
planning, communications or research capacity.
Good knowledge of issues relating to UK Higher
Education including the policy and funding
environment.
Good knowledge of the theory and practice of
effective communication at a senior level of the
organisation.
Knowledge of EU and international higher education
contexts. E.g. academic and student mobility, and
globalisation of HE
Experience collating and analysing qualitative and
quantitative forms of information and data.
Experience drafting reports, briefing materials and
presentations for a range of audiences including
senior management.
Experience of managing or supervising staff
effectively.
Knowledge of the principles of effective people
management and (following training if necessary) of
the University’s Human Resources policies
Experience of working closely with senior
management, ideally in an HE environment
Experience of working at a senior management level.
Experience working with national and international
HE related organisations (e.g. UK Research
Councils, HEFCE, UUK policy groups, Technology
Strategy Board)
Experience of preparing contributions to high level
policy consultations.
Excellent interpersonal and influencing skills and the
ability to engage effectively with staff and
stakeholders at the most senior level
Highly effective skills in leading communications
projects on behalf of the organisation and / or its
senior leadership team; able to identify key
messages and lead teams and individuals in
following these
Desirable
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Highly effective leadership and line management
skills: able to motivate and develop staff to perform
effectively both individually and as a team
Ability to manage staff through change and through
HR policies and procedures supportively and
effectively.
X
X
Excellent organisational skills, including the ability to
prioritise own work
X
Excellent written communication skills including
X
Good analytical skills including the ability to rapidly
interpret and summarise complex documents and
datasets
Ability to identify relevant policy improvements and
how these could be practically delivered within the
University
The ability to work appropriately with confidential
information and issues
X
X
X
Excellent numerical and IT skills (Microsoft Office,
Excel, PowerPoint, use of basic statistical packages).
X
The ability to draft and manage web content
X
Attributes:
Capacity to work flexibly and cope with competing
demands and frequent interruptions
Independent thinker and creative problem-solver
Enthusiastic with a positive approach to new
challenges
Emotionally resilient and able to effectively manage
pressure both for self and others to prevent and
mitigate stress
Willingness to acquire new knowledge and skills
X
X
X
X
X
Presents a professional image of the ViceChancellor’s Office and OPP at all times
X
Diligent, conscientious and committed to delivering
high quality outputs
X