Position Details
Professional Services
Discipline: Dubai Operations
University of Birmingham, Dubai campus
Salary: Competitive
Grade 7
No. of positions: 1
Full time
Location: Dubai, UAE
Closing date: 23rd June 2024
University of Birmingham Dubai
Having established ourselves in Dubai International Academic City in 2018 we have now moved to our new state-of-the-art campus which opened in Sept 2021. These posts represent an excellent opportunity to join an ambitious World Top 100 University as we continue to grow our long-term strategic mission in Dubai, the UAE and the wider region. Our campus reflects the very best of Birmingham through our presence in Dubai.
Role summary
Working as a careers guidance professional at the Dubai Campus, the post holder will have responsibility for delivering careers advice and guidance, and career development learning, to students at all levels of study. The post holder will be expected to design and deliver programmes that improve the graduate outcomes of students, in partnership with Programme Directors and Careers Network colleagues; and develop action plans for Programmes within their caseload.
The post holder will work with the Careers Network and Employer Engagement and Employability Skills Manager on the implementation of the Careers Network Employability Strategy across the Dubai campus. They will draw upon their expertise in graduate recruitment, the graduate labour market and employment sectors, the student experience and career aspirations of students in the UAE, to provide a service that enhances the employability skills of our students, and engages employers, academics, student groups, and alumni.
As a member of staff working with the Careers Network, the University’s multi-award-winning careers service, the post holder will play an important role in helping the University to meet its overall targets in relation to graduate employability and working collaboratively with a range of colleagues in Careers Network to meet shared objectives.
Main Duties
General
- Promotes equality and values diversity acting as a role model and fostering an inclusive working culture.
- Actively manages equality, diversity and inclusion through monitoring and evaluation and actively challenging unacceptable behaviour.
- Undertake continuous personal and professional development.
Service Provision
- Providing careers advice and guidance to students and graduates.
- Developing and delivering employability related seminars and workshops.
- Developing action plans in partnership with Programmes and in collaboration with Employer Relations and Employability Skills Manager, and undertaking activity that meets the requirements of these plans and that can demonstrate impact.
- Analysing data from sources such as Graduate Outcomes and Career Registration, and working with the Careers Consultant to develop the employability strategy for the College.
- Supporting the University, and the College, towards a positive performance against Graduate Outcomes; ensuring best practice is being adopted in relation to comparator universities and employment trends within the region.
- Working in partnership with academic and professional services colleagues and students, to develop and deliver a variety of employability services and initiatives; ensuring that services are of high quality, in line with institutional expectations and professional standards, such as the AGCAS code of practice, and is compliant with relevant legislation and University guidelines.
- Identifying areas for improvement in practices, policies and technology and working with colleagues to implement that improvement.
- Organising events, engaging employers, speakers and external contacts in partnership with careers tutors.
- Creating resources and information tailored to support the careers provision.
Dissemination & Communication
- Responding to student enquiries as part of the Dubai Student Hub as well as enquiries directed to Careers Service and Student Experience and Wellbeing Team. Providing reports and responding to requests for data as required, such as in response to Ministry of Education, Education Committee and wider Careers Network Colleagues.
- Identifying trends affecting students/graduate employability and supporting the initiation of action and creation of innovative solutions.
- Supporting the identification and development of web based and online resources and careers information for various purposes.
- Maintaining and developing positive stakeholder relations (academics, students, staff, employers and other potential partners). In particular, establishing effective partnerships with employers, alumni and local networks to enhance the careers provision in Dubai and the UAE.
- Responding proactively to enquiries from all stakeholders and identifying potential internal and external collaborations that could enhance the employability of students.
Staff Development/ Resource management
- Supporting the development and delivery of employability related training provision for colleagues within the university and Careers Network.
- Contributing towards resources planning, with the Employer Relationship and Employability Skills Manager and appropriate working groups; promoting cost effectiveness and value for money for the University.
- Being responsible for the management of a budget in relation to a project or an event.
- Overseeing the Student Casual Working process, including line management, delivering assessment centres, payroll administration and liaising with teams to manage their requests.
Other duties
- Contributing to development and delivery of centralised Careers Network activities and services and undertaking occasional weekend and evening work.
- Contributing to quality audits, accreditation exercises and providing information for rankings surveys; collecting service data and evaluations in order to inform the future direction of the service.
- Belonging to AGCAS and contributing as appropriate to its discussions lists, specialist committees and working groups, training, writing and research activities.
- Undertaking other duties as may, from time-to-time, be determined by the Head of Student Experience and Wellbeing.
Person Specification
- Educated to degree level.
- A recognised careers guidance qualification e.g. PG Dip. or QCG or equivalent.
- Experience of delivering careers advice and guidance
- Proven experience of working with students or graduates, and the ability to provide them with an excellent customer experience.
- Project management skills.
- Strong communication and presentation skills.
- Evidence of ability to work under pressure, to manage conflicting demands, and meet challenging targets.
- Evidence of being able to work on own initiative and as part of a team.
- A willingness and ability to network and to generate new leads and projects.
- Evidence of strong problem solving abilities.
- Experience of being able to relate to and work with a range of stakeholders; to inform, persuade and influence with diplomacy and sensitivity.
- Evidence of excellent self and time management skills.
- Evidence of drive and enthusiasm.
- Proficient IT skills including a familiarity with Microsoft applications and experience of working with data.
- Knowledge of relevant legislation relating to employability.
- Commitment to continuous professional development.
- Actively promotes equality and diversity to internal stakeholders
- Able to use data to identify equality and diversity issues
- Experience of developing interventions to address equality and diversity issues
Internal and external relationships
- Campus Director
- Deputy Campus Director
- Head of Wellbeing and Student Experience (line manager)
- Student Experience team (Dubai)
- Student and Programme Administration team (Dubai)
- Colleagues across Dubai campus – Professional Services and Academic
- Colleagues in UK campus – including Academic Services, Colleges and central PS teams
- External partners – including regional government agencies, regulatory bodies, educational and health-related organisations.
Informal enquiries to Natalie Humphrey n.humphrey@bham.ac.uk
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.
