The University of Glasgow is a major research-led university. Founded in 1451, it is the fourth oldest university in the English speaking world with more than 25000 undergraduate and postgraduate students, from 120 countries worldwide, studying at the University each year. In 2020 the Times awarded it University of the Year 2020. University of Glasgow is one of the leading providers of Erasmus Mundus international masters programmes, funded by the EACEA to develop partnerships globally between universities and wider sectors that benefit both students on the programme and knowledge-exchange across each programme’s partnerships.
The role
An opportunity has arisen for to join the University of Glasgow’s Erasmus Mundus team as Placements, Employability and Partner Engagement Coordinator within our School of Social and Political Sciences.
In this role, you will be responsible for the successful maintenance and expansion of the employability and partnership activities of the School of Social and Political Sciences’ Erasmus Mundus degree programmes, IMSISS (Security, Intelligence and Strategic Studies), GLOCAL (Global Markets and Local Creativities) and EUROSUD (South European Studies). Each is a consortium involving Glasgow, other university partners and a range of non-university partners focused on developing stronger pedagogic and research ties.
- More information on IMSISS can be found at http://securityintelligence-erasmusmundus.eu/
- More information on GLOCAL can be found at http://globallocal-erasmusmundus.eu/
- More information on EUROSUD can be found at https://www.southeuropeanstudies.eu/
A strong focus on partnerships with global think tanks, as well as other NGOs, research institutes and private organisations, will be central to this role.
Key roles and responsibilities
- Develop, implement and administer processes, procedures and data systems for identifying and engaging suitable partner organisations to support delivery of the Erasmus Mundus programme options, including the work placement and visiting scholar programmes, activities related to student employability, and consortium collaboration opportunities.
- Ensure that work placement arrangements comply with all relevant employment, insurance and health and safety procedures, regulations and legislation, including completing Risk Assessments and implementing support mechanisms for students, and ensure that all participants comply with said arrangements.
- Administer the end-to-end work placement process including management of the application process, delivery of related workshops and shortlisting of candidates.
- Oversee and develop formative and summative assessment for placements, working with internal and external stakeholders, and complete marking of any assessment related to placements.
- Monitor, maintain and improve the quality of the placement programme through partner liaison, collation of feedback and provision of evaluation reports.
- Administer the Erasmus Mundus visiting scholar programme, ensuring that programmes adhere to the requirements of the EACEA grant.
- Support the provision of employability and skills-based learning activities for the Erasmus Mundus programmes, including sourcing and organising collaborations with partner and other external organisations in liaison with programme directors and project manager, acting as the point of contact and quality assessor for these, as well as supporting student participation in relevant external competitions, and intercultural competency training.
- Work closely with the College Employability Team to support the rollout of best employability practice from the Erasmus Mundus programmes to other programmes within the School, supported by a co-managed intern.
- Contribute to the development of and implement an alumni engagement strategy for the programmes, including conducting surveys of alumni and engaging with the activities of Erasmus Mundus alumni organisations.
- Develop the programmes’ partner engagement strategies in collaboration with the programme directors and project manager and implement these, building and maintaining effective relationships to develop a community of practice between the programme and partner organisations.
- Proactively seek feedback and build relationships with key stakeholder groups including academic staff and students to support and inform the continuous improvement of programme partnerships and student experience.
- Attend consortium management committees and other similar consortium level forums and visit partner organisations where required.
- Continue to upskill and work to improve understanding of relevant fields, including attending relevant events, conferences, etc, both representing the programmes and developing own professional capabilities.
- Work closely with the Erasmus Mundus Projects Manager, Programme Directors and other academic and administrative colleagues in the delivery of the above, and undertake any other relevant and appropriate duties as directed by the Erasmus Mundus Projects Manager or Head of Professional Services.
Job Features
Dimensions
- Placements and employability support, and partner engagement for two-year postgraduate taught Erasmus Mundus International Master programmes, recruiting up to 100 students per cohort per programme, and encompassing 60+ consortium and associate partner institutions per programme, located worldwide.
- Planning and Organising
- Be agile and flexible in responding promptly to new initiatives and opportunities
- Plan and organise own workload effectively and efficiently
- Prioritise own workload within context of team priorities and resources
- Determine timescales and deadlines to ensure School/College/University policies and procedures are met
Decision-Making
- Decide on appropriate action for handling complex issues/problems
- Ensure information is provided on time to internal and external stakeholders to facilitate decisions
- Take informed decisions to ensure the quality of the service delivery, applying discretion/judgement in accordance with the School and University policies
- Problem-Solving
- Balance competing needs in delivering operational plans
- Use initiative and judgement to overcome challenges proposing alternative approaches and implementing most appropriate solutions
- Manage risks associated with meeting project outcomes/workload deadlines, anticipating challenges as appropriate
- Escalate any major issues as required
- Provide advice and support to colleagues/students, commensurate with skills, knowledge and experience
- Identify opportunities for process improvements and/or data governance, conducting analyses and developing solutions
- Internal & External Relationships
Internal
- Academic and Professional Services colleagues across a range of disciplines and job levels, including the School’s Learning and Teaching Leadership team, programme leaders/convenors, the School’s Head of Professional Services, and other colleagues who support employability and partner engagement activities across the School/College.
External
- Applicants and alumni; partner organisations including consortium partner universities, academic and non-academic associate partners, placement organisations, and other external partnerships.
Experience and skills
Knowledge/Qualifications
Essential
- Ability to demonstrate the competencies required to undertake the duties associated with this post, having acquired the necessary knowledge and skills in a similar role, or: Scottish Credit and Qualification Framework Level 7 (Advanced Higher / Scottish Vocational Qualification Level 3, Higher National Certificate) or equivalent, and experience of personal development in a similar role.
Desirable
- Process Improvement or Project Management certification (Six Sigma/Lean/PRINCE2/APMP etc.)
- Knowledge of other University software packages (Moodle, Qlikview, Oracle-based platforms etc.)
- Knowledge of Further/Higher Education policies and procedures, in particular those related to mobility or joint/multiple degree programmes
- Knowledge of Health & Safety/Risk Management regulations and principles
Skills
Essential
- Excellent organisational and planning skills.
- Solutions focused with business process improvement/project management skills.
- Ability to positively affect/influence the performance and motivation of others
- Strong analytical abilities to logically assess data and apply effective evidence- based approaches to decision making and process improvements.
- Ability to quickly embrace and learn new concepts, techniques or methodologies.
- Effective communication and influencing skills, both verbal and written, to interact and collaborate effectively with a range of stakeholders including diverse functional areas and cultures.
- Ability to use own initiative, exercise independent judgement, work under pressure, prioritise own workload and meet tight deadlines.
- Ability to work closely with, and influence, a variety of multinational senior and external stakeholders.
- Ability to handle confidential and sensitive matters with absolute discretion, demonstrating a high degree of intercultural competency.
- Ability to understand and apply policies, regulations, guidelines and standard operating procedures relevant to the role.
- Proficient user of Excel, PowerPoint, Word, Outlook, Teams, Zoom, web development software and similar online applications
- Personal style compatible and consistent with University Values and Glasgow Professional Behavioural Framework.
Desirable
- Verbal and written competency in a second/multiple language(s)
Experience
Essential
- Experience of delivery of business process improvements in a large complex administrative organisation
- Experience of delivering/exceeding results within a service-led organisation
- Experience of analysing/evaluating/interpreting data to inform decision-making and service improvements
Experience of working with and influencing a variety of internal and external stakeholders
Experience of ensuring compliance with policies, procedures or agreements
Desirable
- Experience of working with multiple and varied international partners
Staff/resource management
Use of CRM/query management systems or similar to manage service user relationships