Job Description Job title: Department/School: Grade: Location: Placements Manager Placements, Projects & International Studies Team 7 School of Management Purpose of the job: The post holder will form part of the School of Management’s Placements, Projects & International Studies Team, with specific responsibility for the School’s Placements & Projects Team. The focus of this role is on the development, leadership and management of the School’s Placements & Projects staff, covering a range of undergraduate courses, namely: BSc Business Administration (BBA) BSc Accounting & Finance (BAF) BSc Management (BM), BSc Management with Marketing (BMM), BSc International Management (BIM) BSc International Management with Modern Languages (French, German and Spanish) (IMML). Line management of these roles forms a major part of the role, dealing with student and company issues that arise, plus managing staff development, annual leave, sickness etc. The post will involve the identification, negotiation and organisation of placements undertaken by the School’s undergraduate students in the UK and abroad. This will involve extensive interactions with placement providers at a senior manager and director level in major corporations as well as operational interactions with mid-level managers. As part of the School of Management’s Placements, Projects & International Studies Team, the post holder will take the lead to ensure that services relating to placements are efficient, effective and adapt to changing circumstances. The team work together under the guidance of the Head of Placements, Projects and International Studies. The post holder works closely with the International Relations Manager, the Business Development Manager for International Placements, and other UG Placement Officers. This is a busy and varied role involving daily communication with senior academic staff and current/potential employers (both in the UK and internationally) at a senior level. The post holder will need to have excellent organisational skills, demonstrate a good use of initiative, have the ability to multi-task and prioritise. A strong interest and understanding of global working practices and higher education institutions is required. Diplomacy, tact and cultural awareness are key to developing strong links that will provide exclusive placements in the UK and around the world which will give our students the best possible opportunities. It is essential that the post holder has the interpersonal and team-building skills to provide leadership and support to the School of Management’s Placements & Projects Team as well as engaging with companies, students and other stakeholders. Source and nature of management provided Head of Placements, Projects & International Studies Director of External Relations and Marketing Staff management responsibility Line management of Placements & Projects staff – currently 7 Placements & Projects Officers, and 4 Placement Administrators. Duties and responsibilities The post holder’s main sphere of operations will concern leadership and management of the School of Management’s Placements & Projects Team, initiating development and managing change as appropriate. Although members of the team have individual areas of responsibility, a ‘team-based approach’ is essential to ensure that, regardless of circumstances, every member of the team is fully conversant with processes and procedures to ensure that they can effectively contribute to any activity within the team. The Placements Manager will be responsible for deciding and allocating work priorities as the need arises, in conjunction with the Head of Placements, Projects & International Studies. 1. Main duties and responsibilities specific to the role i Manage the School of Management’s Placements & Projects Team i.e. allocate workloads, approve and monitor leave, hold regular staff meetings, undertake annual staff development performance reviews, liaise with relevant academic staff (for example, Directors of Studies) regarding operations within their respective degrees courses, and monitor parity of placement support between individual undergraduate courses. ii Ensure all staff within the School’s Placements & Projects Team have the appropriate skills to undertake their duties and organise appropriate training where necessary; this responsibility may include the development and implementation of software to ensure accurate records are kept detailing students, placement providers, personal tutors and placement officers/administrators. iii Recruitment of staff into the team as required, in conjunction with the Head of Placements, Projects & International Studies. iv Develop Moodle courses to support students during the applications phase and on-placement phase of the placements programme. v Ensure that the team regularly prepares reports and that these are presented to the Head of Placements, Projects & International Studies, senior School of Management staff, and the Dean as required. vi Oversee the writing and annual review of student placement handbooks, forms and employer information packs. vii Ensure the University Placements Handbook and University Placement Templates are updated, in collaboration with the other Faculty Placement Managers, the Students’ Union, the Careers Service, and the Learning, Teaching & Enhancement Office. viii Develop an externally-facing professional profile of School of Management placement activity and ensure that quality information is in place for students and placement providers; this responsibility will include web development (see iii above), marketing of placements, student handbooks, information for placement providers, and presentations at both University Open Days (e.g. UCAS) and offer holder Open Days, plus other events that may occur. ix Participate in meetings with other School of Management Managers, Placement Officers and the Careers Service; represent the University at conferences and external meetings. Duties and responsibilities x Research current HE placement legislation, policy documents and good practice – e.g. the Health and Safety Executive, professional bodies, Quality Assurance Agency and University Quality Assurance – to ensure that all aspects of the placement procedure are fully compliant with all statutory and other requirements. xi Ensure that there is representation by the School of Management at other appropriate conferences, training sessions and external meetings and that the team is an active participant in the University Placement Tutor Forum and Careers & Employability Sub-Committee. xii Ensure that all students within the School of Management complete the required Placements Health and Safety form, and risk assessment forms are completed where necessary. 2 Undergraduates All members of the School’s Placements & Projects Team are required to work with undergraduate students within their allocated primary degree courses to advise, assist and enable students to identify and secure suitable placements and maximise their benefit in terms of academic, personal and long-term career development. The School’s Placements Manager will take on a similar operational role which includes, but is not limited to, the following: i Working with appropriate staff and external providers to deliver effective high quality group teaching in self-marketing skills (CVs, letters, application forms, interview skills, assessment centres and aptitude tests). ii Advise undergraduates about placement choice and how to locate a placement. iii Supervise and monitor students throughout the placement period, assessing and resolving their demands, enquiries and problems. iv Organise and undertake workplace visits to students on placement. v Ensure that the appropriate reports are completed and submitted for assessment. vi Advise academic staff, Personal Tutors and Placements staff of individual and general placement issues. vii Work with the relevant Directors of Studies on matters relating to specific academic disciplines. viii Ensure that all students within the School receive the same level of placement support 3 Employers All members of the School’s Placements & Projects Team are required to establish and maintain good relations with existing and prospective employers, to support employers in developing good-practice placement procedures and programmes and to offer advice and assistance to employers in the selection and short-listing of suitable student candidates. The School’s Placements Manager will take on a similar operational role which includes, but is not limited, to the following: i Research and develop new placement opportunities to generate new placements in the UK and abroad. ii Manage and further develop good relationships and strong links with employers of our graduates in industry and commerce and promote the creation of partnerships between business and the School of Management. iii Assess all placement employer requirements and resolve them in a timely and effective manner. iv Ensure post-placement employers’ appraisal of student placement performance is carried out with appropriate feedback and details of lessons learnt. This is not intended as an exhaustive list of duties or a restrictive definition of the post but rather should be read as a guide to the main priorities and typical areas of activity of the post-holder. These activities are subject to change over time as priorities and requirements evolve and as such it may be amended at any time by the line manager following discussion with the post holder. Duties and responsibilities The post is School based and there may be occasions when the post-holder’s role and skill set may be required elsewhere within the School, so flexibility will be essential. Additional hours may be required when visiting locations at a distance, company presentations or School of Management social events. Person Specification Criteria Qualifications Education to relevant degree level or equivalent Experience & Knowledge Liaison with and experience of industry including the role of placement students within organisations Experience of working with and/or knowledge of professions within the relevant discipline/field Experience of managing a placements programme within Higher Education (HE) Experience of customer/client contact especially establishing and developing effective links with companies in the relevant discipline/field Experience of liaising/negotiating with a range of staff Experience of managing a team Evidence of effective team working and engaging and motivating others Experience of teaching/training other staff. HR/personnel experience relevant to the recruitment sector Experience of working with young adults Experience of developing Virtual Learning Environments (VLEs) Skills Excellent IT skills including Microsoft Office and Virtual Learning Environments (VLEs) Proficient user of university systems (SAMIS, Business Objects) Ability to communicate effectively and professionally with a variety of people Excellent written and oral communication skills including report writing Excellent organisational skills Attributes Must be able to work flexibly to meet the needs of the placements service, and be willing to undertake external visits. Essential Desirable Assessed by App form Int’view Refs Criteria Must be a team player and be able to negotiate and consult with all internal stakeholders engaged with placements Must be willing to research and learn new technologies/methodologies that could enhance placements provision and team efficiency Must be able to adapt to and support necessary change Must be able to work to QA compliance Essential Desirable Assessed by App form Int’view Refs