International Coordinator (Pre-sessional) Academic Services 100639J1 Grade 5

Position Details

Academic Services

Location: University of Birmingham Edgbaston Birmingham UK

Full time starting salary is normally in the range 29647 to 31460 with potential progression once in post to 35388

Grade: 5

Part Time (17.5 hours over 2.5 days per week)

Permanent

Closing date: 5th January 2026

UK travel may be required for this role

Our offer to you

People are at the heart of what we are and do.

The University of Birmingham is proud to have been a part of the City of Birmingham and the wider region for over 100 years andweare equally proud to be recognised as a leading global want to attract talented people from across the city and beyond support them to succeed and celebrate their success.

We are committed to helping the people who work here todevelopthrough our sector-leading Birmingham Professional programmewhichprovides allprofessionalservices staff with development opportunities and the encouragement to reach their full almost 5000professionalservices jobs in a wide-range of functionsin Edgbaston andin our campus inDubai there are plenty of opportunities foryou to be able to develop yourcareer at the University.

We believe there is no such thing as a typical member of staff and that diversity is a source of strength that underpins the exchange of ideas innovation and warmly welcome people from all backgrounds and are committed to fostering an inclusive environment where diversity is at the heart of who and what we areand how we work.

Supporting our people to achieve a healthy work/life balance is important both to our employees andtothe success of the University and depending on the role we offer avarietyof flexible working arrangements. We therefore welcome discussions on all forms of flexible addition you will receive a generous package of benefits including 40 dayspaid holidaya year one paid day a year for volunteering occupational sick pay and a pension scheme. We also have three high quality subsidised day nurseries.

The University is situated in leafy Edgbaston and there are excellent transport links to our beautiful campus including main bus routes and a train station on campus we have a state-of-the-art sports centre with pool shopsplaces to eat and drinkour own art gallery museum and botanical gardens.

Find out more about thebenefits of working for the Universityof Birmingham

Role Summary

The post holder will work within the International Student Team (IST) and be part of a team that deals with the provision of a broad range of support to staff and international students at the University of Birmingham. Given statutory implications the primary purpose of the post is to ensure that the University and its international applicants/students remain compliant with Student Sponsor Duties and Immigration Rules.

To promote and assist in meeting objectives related to thepre-sessional student experience and work closely with Birmingham International Academy (BIA). The post holder will proactively assist in the planning and delivery of activities pre-arrival and arrival support and in-country visa extension activity on campus. Activities will be delivered in a manner that is in accordance with The Immigration Advice Authority (IAA)and that support institutional reputation and the Universitys status as a Home Office Student Sponsor.

The post holder will proactively participate in enhancing and developing a positive Birmingham Experience.

The following constitutes the main duties and responsibilities of this role. This list is not exhaustive.

Main Duties

• To support pre-arrival activity including liaising with Student Recruitment and provision of appropriate information to applicants and students including visa support outside the UK and preparation for visa processes in the UK.
• To support Student Recruitment through participation in workshops webinars and events and in activities engaging with applicants overseas.
• Assist in the preparation of relevant pre-arrival literature and communications using internal IT systems.
• To be the primary point of contact for pre-sessional students throughout the student journey from pre-arrival arrival in the UK visa preparation for continuing studies and Right to Study checks.
• As part of the team take responsibility for proactively maintaining a high level of knowledge about Immigration Rules and Compliance duties and take responsibility for complex administrative processes ensuring that all casework and compliance activities are in accordance with Student Sponsor duties and Immigration Rules.
• Use a high degree of diagnostic skill to perform triage duties and identify important or urgent issues and ensure that they are dealt with or escalated in an appropriate and timely manner.
• Take a proactive role in the provision of advice training and support to staff in the University by assisting in interpreting Immigration Rules and Home Office Guidance to ensure compliance with UKVI statutory requirements.
• Work in accordance with IST and institutional standards and in accordance with the law.
• Proactively provide communications to staff and students relating to Student Sponsor Duties and applicable Immigration Rules for example drafting and editing literature web/intranet pages and other relevant information.
• Undertake casework including but not limited to establishing the facts of a case undertaking legal research cross referencing information and drafting advice to be undertaken in a timely manner whilst paying attention to key dates and deadlines.
• Maintain and monitor operational spreadsheets and produce reports.
• Take an active role in building and maintaining effective working relationships with internal and external contacts.
• Support in the delivery of core IST activities including reception duties telephone duties triage duties delivering workshops and webinars visa assessment/application/extensions processes International Welcome visa checking and Right to Study checks.
• Proactively contribute to the continuous improvement of all processes and procedures to support the efficiency and effectiveness of the IST.
• Represent the University at internal and external events as agreed by your Line Manager.
• Collaborate with colleagues to achieve aims and objectives; be self-motivated with the ability to work flexibly under pressure including but not restricted to peak periods with high volumes of work and competing deadlines International Welcome and Right to Study.
• Undertake such other duties as may be prescribed from time to time by Head of Service and senior management.
• Undertake continuous personal and professional development.
• Conduct financial and Health and Safety duties in line with statutory and Universitys policies and procedures.
• Work in accordance with the Universitys Equal Opportunities Policy.
• Support equality and value diversity including: (a) challenging bias prejudice and intolerance if appropriate or bring it to the attention of a manager; (b) moderate own behaviour to avoid unfair discriminatory impact or bias on others.

Person Specification

• Educated to A Level or hold an equivalent professional qualification and have significant experience in a similar role or be able to demonstrate substantial relevant experience such that the tasks outlined in the job description can be conducted effectively.
• Ability to undertake training to acquire knowledge of the Immigration Rules and Home Office Guidance particularly in relation to students.
• Demonstrable experience of meeting operational requirements with excellent planning and organisational skills.
• Significant experience of delivering office administrative processes.
• Experience in supporting staff in training and development activities.
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to present information clearly and explain complex issues to a range of audiences with varying levels of understanding.
• Excellent attention to detail.
• Experience of working in a customer focused environment and delivering exceptional customer service.
• Sound analytical creative and pragmatic problem-solving skills with a high level of professional judgement diplomacy cultural awareness and sensitivity.
• Demonstrate a high level of computer literacy with working knowledge and familiarity of Microsoft Office packages including Word Excel and PowerPoint.
• A constructive team player demonstrating an ability to prioritise work collaboratively as part of a team or on own initiative and deal with conflicting pressures to tight deadlines.
• Flexibility and willingness to work extended hours and at weekends to meet the needs of but not restricted to events such as International Welcome/Registration.
• Evidence of ability to work through to a solution with resilience and persistence.
• An understanding of what equality and diversity is and why it is important including an ability to learn about relevant policies and procedures relating to equality and diversity.
• Project management experience.
• Ability to represent the IST internally and externally.
• Demonstrate a commitment to enhancing the student experience excellent customer service and to the Universitys values and behaviours.

Informal enquiries to Niala Tabbasm email:

View our staff values and behaviours here

Use of AI in applications:We want to understand your genuine interest in the role and for the written elements of your application to accurately reflect your own communication style. Applications that rely too heavily on AI tools can appear generic and lack the detail we need to assess your skills and experience. Such applications will unlikely be progressed to interview.

We believe there is no such thing as a typical member of University of Birmingham staff and that diversity in its many forms is a strength that underpins the exchange of ideas innovation and debate at the heart of University life. We are committed to proactively addressing the barriers experienced by some groups in our community and are proud to hold Athena SWAN Race Equality Charter and Disability Confident accreditations. We have an Equality Diversity and Inclusion Centre that focuses on continuously improving the University as a fair and inclusive place to work where everyone has the opportunity to succeed. We are also committed to sustainability which is a key part of our strategy. You can find out more about our work to create a fairer university for everyoneon our website.