Student Casual Operations Coordinator (BISCAIDAI) – Grade

Please note that this vacancy may be taken down early depending on the number of applications received. We advise you to submit your application promptly.

This role is 20 hours per week 3 days per week Ideally worked across Monday to Thursday. Must be able to work on-campus for 3 days per week.

Institute for Data and AI (IDAI)

TheInstitute for Data and AI (IDAI) promotes excellence in Data Engineering Data Science and AI theory and practice ensuring their co-evolution and competent adoption across disciplines to enable transformative interdisciplinary impactful data-intensive research. The Institute brings together researchers and educators from across the University around a shared ambition to address grand societal challenges through open collaboration across disciplinary boundaries.

Birmingham Institute for Sustainability and Climate Action (BISCA)

TheBirmingham Institute for Sustainability and Climate Action (BISCA) takes adistinct approach to leverage Birminghams comprehensive interdisciplinary research expertise; and apply/translate ideas skills and influence into wider engagement and action on climate change and broader sustainability matters.

BISCA aims to move beyond evidence generation and technological solutions to consider for example dynamic policies and decision-making under uncertainty; politics and behaviours around policies.

As Operations Coordinator youwill be a key member of the institutes joint professional service team located in the Elm House Hub providing support for the Institute for Data and AI (IDAI) and the Birmingham Institute for Sustainability and Climate Action (BISCA) across a broad range of administrative duties.You will use your excellent organisational skills and attention to detail to ensure the people you support are well prepared and that the tasks you carry out are completed to a high quality in a timely manner. The role will involve liaison with the Head of Institute Operations operations team colleagues and members of staff from the Institutes associated research centres institutes and networks as well as Schools Colleges and wider University.

Role Summary

As Operations Coordinator (BISCA/IDAI) youwill be a key member of the institutes joint professional service team located in the Elm House Hub providing support for the Institute for Data and AI (IDAI) and the Birmingham Institute for Sustainability and Climate Action (BISCA) across a broad range of administrative duties.You will use your excellent organisational skills and attention to detail to ensure the people you support are well prepared and that the tasks you carry out are completed to a high quality in a timely manner.

You will be responsible forsupporting the smooth day-to-day running of Elm House meeting office and collaborative spaces including general office administrative duties for example ensuring office supplies remain in-stock meeting rooms ready for use and enquiries responded to in a timely manner. You will also be responsible for coordinating room bookings and maintaining building access records and systems.

Main Duties

• Support diary management event and meeting planning undertaken by the Operations Team usually 6-12 months ahead.

• Proactive management of institute and operational email inboxes Microsoft Teams sites and channels with confidence to make decisions on behalf of others where appropriate.

• Dealing with a wide range of more complex enquiries and correspondence independently or exercising judgement to redirect them to senior colleagues or other departments within the University.

• Support the preparation of meeting-related agendas and papers. This may also include attending meetings to provide high-quality committee support taking minutes and following up as appropriate.

• Arranging UK and overseas travel including booking flights hotels transfers and organisation and planning of itineraries ensuring best use of time and taking into account budgetary constraints.

• Supporting the organisation of events including booking a venue sending invitations arranging refreshments liaising with speakers manage bookings co-ordination of colleagues advertising collating feedback and reporting back.

• Will manage some smaller projects on own initiative but will also carry out desk research and source data from internal and external sources in order to contribute to wider projects.

• You may also be responsible for coordinating responsibilities or tasks across a wider professional service and academic team or working group.

• Will be responsible for one or more of the following:

  • monitoring budgets including processing payments and raising concerns where finances are not in line with the budget.

  • procuring goods and services through the University system.

  • updating and writing contents for the departments communications e.g. intranet pages.

  • oversee the day-to-day operations of Elm House meeting office and collaborative spaces including coordinating room bookings and maintaining building access records and systems.

  • dealing with health and safety and facilities issues.

  • dealing with arrangements for international visitors.

  • monitoring internal procedures/compliance and ensuring these are followed and disseminated as appropriate.

• Champion non-pay efficiencies University and Institutes sustainability aims using budgets and procurement processes wisely when purchasing on behalf of the University.

• Supports equality and values diversity moderates own behaviour to avoid unfair discriminatory impact or bias on others.

Required Knowledge Skills Qualifications Experience

• Educated to A Level standard or equivalent level 3 qualification such as a Level 3 NVQ or level 3 national diploma or relevant experience evidencing the skills and ability to undertake the role.

• Minimum of grade C/4 in Mathematics and English at GCSE or equivalent level 2 qualification.

• Highly proficient IT skills in particular the ability to handle complex electronic diaries and emails the wider MS Office suite of programmes including excel and PowerPoint and some experience of using an enterprise resource planning package. The post holder should also be confident and able to quickly learn new IT skills and software packages as required.

• Proven ability to plan ahead and anticipate requirements proactively planning own (and sometimes others workloads) to manage time effectively progress tasks concurrently and work to deadlines.

• Excellent communication skills including the ability to write for different audiences and to required deadlines.

• Excellent interpersonal skills. The post holder must inspire confidence and command authority with a range of colleagues and provide excellent customer service at all times.

• A high degree of professionalism tact and diplomacy and the ability to exercise discretion regarding the handling and management of sensitive information/issues.

• A high degree of initiative personal judgement resourcefulness flexibility and a self-motivating approach.

• Ability to work effectively in a large complex organisation and to develop a good understanding of how the University and higher education institutions work.

• Ability to understand policy and procedures and how to apply these.

• Understands the importance of equality and diversity in the workplace.

• Ability to identify and respond to equality and diversity issues in line with relevant policies and procedures.

• PA experience i.e. diary management events organisation (desirable).

Dimensions

This role will require you to exercise personal initiative within and beyond the department.

You may manage a team or budgets.

Planning and organising

This role will require you to work independently on daily weekly and monthly tasks but also on projects with medium-longer-term horizons without daily supervision. You may manage other staffs workloads.

Problem solving and decision making

You will work under the direction of the senior manager you support but you will have a significant degree of autonomy. You will deal with the more complex queries and be expected to resolve any problems in your area of responsibility. You may also manage the workload of others or coach others to achieve results. You will take day to day decisions on managing the diary emails preparing papers and booking travel.

Internal and external relationships

You will be liaising with a wide range of internal colleagues and stakeholders likely to be University-wide and with external stakeholders.

Informal enquiries to Jessica Mylchreest or Ruth Bertram