Senior Outreach Officer – External Relations – 107393 – Grade 7 Full Time NEW

Position Details

External Relations

Location: University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham UK

Full time starting salary is normally in the range £36,636 to £46,049 with potential progression once in post to £48,822

Grade: 7

Full Time, Fixed Term contract up to August 2026

Closing date: 4 th May 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, and we are equally proud to be recognised as a leading global university. We 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 to develop through our sector-leading Birmingham Professional programme which provides all professional services staff with development opportunities and the encouragement to reach their full potential. With almost 5,000 professional services jobs in a wide-range of functions in Edgbaston and in our campus in Dubai, there are plenty of opportunities for you to be able to develop your career 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 debate. We 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 are, and how we work.

Supporting our people to achieve a healthy work/life balance is important both to our employees and to the success of the University and, depending on the role, we offer a variety of flexible working arrangements. We therefore welcome discussions on all forms of flexible working. In addition, you will receive a generous package of benefits including 40 days paid holiday a 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 site. On campus we have a state-of-the-art sports centre with pool, shops, places to eat and drink, our own art gallery, museum and botanical gardens.

Find out more about the benefits of working for the University of Birmingham

Background

The University of Birmingham is a global institution working within a diverse and vibrant City, offering an inspiring education to our students, and undertaking critically important research. We are a place of open, critical thinking, and the creation, sharing and dissemination of knowledge. Professional Services put students at the heart of all they do and enable an exceptional educational experience. They provide outstanding support to our researchers and help the University to grow its influence regionally, nationally, and globally. They ensure the University’s resources are used wisely, manage and improve the infrastructure which sits at the heart of the institution, and support decisions to be made quickly and based on sound evidence. Our Birmingham Professional programme operates across the University, supporting colleagues to network and collaborate, offering opportunities to learn and develop, contributing to the delivery of the University’s objectives, and helping everyone to understand the broader context within which we work.

Department Overview

External Relations is the division responsible for delivering our University to the world and prides itself in seizing opportunities that will enhance the profile and reputation of the University. We engage with many different audiences to build purposeful relationships internally, locally, nationally and internationally. We enable those who wish to apply to study on our courses to make informed choices. We recognise that we are strongest when we work together and take pride in upholding our core values of being ambitious, innovative, open, collaborative and responsible.

Role Summary

The purpose of this post within the wider Student Recruitment and Marketing team is to ensure the University’s commitment to widening participation is delivered. This means that currently under-represented groups are encouraged to apply to the University through a range of activities, partnership working and action-based research.

This particular post will support the development of activity linked to the University’s agreement with the Office for Students (OfS). It will have specific responsibility for key elements of our Pathways to Birmingham (P2B) programmes and is critical to the delivery of our P2B targets. This role also has responsibility for several other programmes and activities delivered by the Outreach team. Specific responsibilities will be determined based on the skills and strengths of the post holder and wider team. Clear objectives and lines of responsibility will be determined as a part of the induction and annual personal development review process.

The post holder will work to support the appropriate targeting and evaluation activity of the Outreach team. This will support our culture of continuous improvement, enable the dissemination of our activity to a wider audience and support reporting on our Access and Participation Plan with the Office for Students. The role will also support the work of the Student Recruitment and Marketing team more broadly.

The Outreach team in External Relations are seeking a highly experienced Widening Participation and Outreach Practitioner to join our team on a fixed ‑ term basis and play a key role in delivering our flagship summer schools programmes. This role is ideal for someone who thrives in a fast ‑ paced environment, brings deep knowledge of WP strategy and practice, and is passionate about creating transformative experiences for young people. The postholder will lead on the planning, coordination, and delivery our Year 10 and Year 12 Summer School programmes, working closely with schools, internal teams, and external partners to ensure an exceptional student experience.

Main Duties

Pathways to Birmingham (P2B)

• To have specific responsibility for a particular programme within the P2B suite. This will require planning the programme in full, arranging on-campus events as well as online learning opportunities, recruiting staff to support event delivery, amongst other various tasks and activities.
• To manage additional key components of the P2B Scheme e.g. management of our conversion activity for all P2B students.
• To contribute to the ongoing review and development of the scheme, drawing on data and current market conditions.
• To give presentations in schools about P2B, and to provide advice and guidance to prospective applicants, parents/carers and school staff.
• To line manage Student Recruitment (Outreach) Officers and/or Outreach Coordinator, overseeing their work across various projects and supporting their development.
• To manage colleagues working on the specific P2B project to ensure that all tasks are completed, and enquiries dealt with efficiently.
• Lead the recruitment of applications to the P2B programme, including the timely processing of applications through and where appropriate ensuring that our systems align with those in admissions.
• To contribute to the successful delivery of the Pathways to Birmingham umbrella programme, ensuring all students are supported appropriately throughout the UCAS applications process.
• To lead on the evaluation of the programme, providing supporting evidence for the University’s APP, and to use findings apparent in the evaluations to improve programmes leading to sustained improvement.

School Visits and links with Schools

• To initiate and organise visits for schools in the across the country to the University campus, liaising with student ambassadors and leading some activities on these days.
• To represent the University at information, advice and guidance events in schools and progression fairs through the delivery of presentations and individual advice to students and parents.

Projects – Forward Thinking, Undergraduate Mentoring, Academic Support Initiatives and other specified projects

• To lead on the development and delivery of one or more of our non-P2B projects such as Forward Thinking, our work with care leavers, undergraduate mentoring or our academic support initiatives, ensuring their continuous improvement and contribution toward targets as set out in our Access and Participation Plan. This may include mentor training, schools meetings, partnership working and board meetings and/or working with academics from across the campus to coordinate masterclasses and workshops.
• To manage and execute the preparation and delivery of promotional materials and activities to ensure the success of these projects.
• To ensure that we are working in collaboration and in partnership with external and sector-related organisations such as Aimhigher West Midlands.
• To direct the work of the Student Recruitment (Outreach) Officers, Outreach Coordinators and student ambassadors working on these projects.
• To supervise all necessary administrative support to ensure the smooth running of these projects.
• To anticipate and resolve general problems that occur prior to events and activities.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of these projects, and work with the Outreach Evaluation and Impact Manager on the analysis of student data.

Evaluation Activity

• To support the evaluation of Outreach activity for the onward reporting to OfS.
• To evaluate all programmes fully and act on the data to ensure continuous improvement on the programme.
• To ensure that data protection requirements are adhered to when collecting learner participant data.

Systems and Data Management

• To take a lead role in the management of systems and data processes across the team, supporting colleagues with the collection, management and analysis of data for their programmes.
• To oversee the use of the online application portal for Outreach programmes, and manage its integration with the University’s student records system, troubleshooting any issues that may arise and working collaboratively with colleagues in Admissions and Registry to manage processes.
• To make good use of data sources and reporting systems for the monitoring and tracking of students on Outreach programmes, and confidently using programmes such as Excel and Access to collate, manipulate and analyse large data sets.
• To make good use of CRM systems for email communications with programme participants and support colleagues to do the same.
• To proactively look to continuously improve the systems and data processes used in Outreach and provide training and guidance to colleagues on the use of systems when necessary.

In addition, the post-holder is expected to carry out any other duties that support the work of the Student Recruitment and Marketing Office as required, as well as supporting general Student Recruitment Activity where required such as Open Days and HE Fairs amongst other events. This will include occasional evening work, overnight and weekend work.

General duties:

• Promotes equality and values diversity, acting as a role model and fostering an inclusive working culture.
• Supports the University’s sustainability agenda through resource efficient working.
• Any other duties commensurate with the grade.

Person Specification

• Educated to Degree level (or equivalent qualifications) plus relevant practical experience – where no equivalent qualification is held significant practical relevant experience and expertise in a series of progressively more demanding roles will be required.
• Knowledge and understanding of the UK education system.
• Understanding of widening participation policy and partnership working and a passion and enthusiasm for working in this area.
• Demonstrable and significant experience of working within the HE / education sector.
• Demonstrable experience of managing and leading complex projects and programmes running concurrently, with multiple strands of activity, tight deadlines and numerous stakeholders.
• Demonstrable experience of working with young people from a range of backgrounds.
• The ability to empathise with young people and prospective students.
• Highly skilled ability to interpret and present data in a wide range of formats.
• Excellent interpersonal skills whether dealing with students, academic staff, external organisations or other members of the office team.
• High standard of oral communication with an ability to present to large groups and varied audiences with confidence in an engaging manner.
• Excellent standard of written communication and able to write clear, well-structured and accurate reports for senior colleagues using data from multiple sources.
• Excellent stakeholder managements with a strong ability to build relationships at all levels.
• Ability to work as part of a team but also without direction, making decisions independently.
• The ability to adapt to new or demanding situations, prioritising workloads and managing deadlines.
• Flexibility, tact and diplomacy.
• High attention to detail and able to work under pressure.
• Understanding of safeguarding requirements and issues. Prepared to undergo DBS check.
• Able to problem solve and work independently and proactively, demonstrating innovative response to challenges.
• High levels of proficiency in IT, with the ability to pick up new systems and processes quickly.
• Confidence and experience in using Microsoft programmes such as Excel and Access (or similar) to manipulate, collate, analyse, and visualise data, including managing large data sets.
• Ability and experience of leading a team, setting effective goals and targets and ensuring colleagues meet deadlines.
• Commitment to demonstrating behaviours aligned with the University and External Relations framework.
• Willing and able to travel extensively across the UK, including during evenings, weekends, and overnight stays as required.
• Valid UK driving licence and/or ability to travel independently often during unsociable hours.
• DBS clearance required.
• Knowledge of the protected characteristics of the Equality Act 2010, and how to actively ensure in day-to-day activity in own area that those with protected characteristics are treated equally and fairly.

Desirable

• Experience in using Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems and digital engagement tools with experience of Microsoft Dynamics, Gecko or similar systems.
• Experience of direct line management.

DBS Required

The University is committed to safeguarding and we promote safe recruitment practice, therefore all associated pre-employment checks will be undertaken before any appointment is confirmed. Due to the nature of the work undertaken in this role all successful applicants will be subject to a satisfactory DBS clearance prior to appointment.

Informal enquiries to Elizabeth Chandler, email: e.chandler@bham.ac.uk

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 everyone on our website .