Education and Student Experience Assistant

The University of Sheffield; Sheffield; On-site; GBP 21,000 - 25,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working for some roles

Flexible working opportunities

38 days annual leave (including bank)

Staff discounts and rewards

Mentoring and development schemes

Job summary

The University of Sheffield is seeking a proactive Senior Administrative Assistant for the Student Experience team. Based on the university campus, you will manage front-desk enquiries, handle sensitive student information, and support education and student experience meetings.

You will work flexibly in a busy environment, coordinate events, and provide IT and classroom support while collaborating with colleagues across departments to ensure a high-quality student experience.

Qualifications

• Educated to GCSE level (or equivalent experience).
• Previous experience in reception or customer service environment.

Responsibilities

• Be the first point of contact on the school’s reception for enquiries from students, graduates, staff and visitors.
• Handle sensitive, confidential student matters and signpost to relevant sources.
• Maintain student information using information management systems and assist with inputting marks and updating records.
• Respond to general enquiries and refer complex queries to colleagues.
• Plan and organise events, including welcome activities and graduation.
• Provide first-line support for Blackboard queries and guide staff/students as needed.
• Collaborate with other schools and professional service departments to deliver joined-up service.
• Suggest improvements to processes to enhance student and staff experience.

Skills

Customer service

Interpersonal skills

IT skills

Team player

Flexible working

Education

GCSE level

Tools

Microsoft Office

Google Workspace

Email management

Job description

Overview

The University of Sheffield is a remarkable place to work. Our people are at the heart of everything we do. Their diverse backgrounds, abilities and beliefs make Sheffield a world-class university.

We offer a fantastic range of benefits including a highly competitive annual leave entitlement (with the ability to purchase more), a generous pensions scheme, flexible working opportunities, a commitment to your development and wellbeing, a wide range of retail discounts, and much more. Find out more about our benefits (opens in a new window) and join us to become part of something special.

You will be part of a team that develops, manages and improves the effective organisation of our taught programmes and related student procedures. You will ensure policies and processes across the student journey are clear and straightforward, meet regulatory requirements, are consistently applied and deliver educational excellence.

You will provide crucial frontline support, representing the school in real time to deliver an outstanding student experience. As well as working on a reception, you will take ownership of a range of administrative tasks that support students as they progress through their programme.

The ideal candidate will have outstanding customer service and interpersonal skills, and an ability to put people at ease through sophisticated and sensitive verbal and non-verbal communication skills. We are looking for a flexible, confident and enthusiastic approach to work and a focus on improving the experience of our students. Excellent time management skills along with the ability to work on a range of tasks in a timely and accurate way are also essential.

Main Duties And Responsibilities

• Be the first point of contact on the school’s reception taking care of enquiries from students, graduates, staff and visitors in person, via email and chat functions and telephone, recording enquiries on various information systems as required.
• Take care of sensitive, confidential, and personal student-related matters, signposting and referring appropriately to relevant information sources, self-help resources and specialist services as required.
• Compile and collate student information using a range of University Information Management Systems; assisting with the collation and inputting of student assignment and examination marks onto databases, monitoring and updating student records, including change of status, repeat study and assisting in the preparation of student letters.
• Respond to requests for general student information, referring more complex queries to other colleagues in the team.
• In collaboration with colleagues, plan and organise events to a high standard, including supporting welcome and induction activities and graduation.
• Administer ethics applications and related processes related to in-curricular activities.
• Support the School’s Extenuating Circumstances and Extensions processes, referring complex cases to senior colleagues as required.
• Provide a high quality administrative service for education and student experience meetings, including diary management and date setting, accurate minute taking and subsequent write up, ensuring timely follow-up of actions from meetings are received, and collating and distributing papers.
• Carry out general administrative duties to support the effective delivery of Education and Student Experience. This may include across activities related to assessment and feedback, academic misconduct, student voice (eg TellUS configuration) and timetabling, as well as broader cross-team support , working collaboratively across the team as required.
• Provide first line support and troubleshooting for Blackboard queries, updating templates in Blackboard, creating guidance for staff/students, and assisting in setting up assessment groups and other activities.
• Liaise and collaborate with other schools and professional service departments to provide a joined-up service to students.
• Suggest improvements to the School’s processes and activities in order to improve the student and staff experience.
• Support colleagues across the Education and Student Experience Team to ensure that the School is able to deliver the full remit of its responsibilities in a timely and effective manner.
• Carry out other duties, commensurate with the grade and remit of the post.

Person Specification

Our diverse community of staff and students recognises the unique abilities, backgrounds, and beliefs of all. We foster a culture where everyone feels they belong and is respected. Even if your past experience doesn't match perfectly with this role's criteria, your contribution is valuable, and we encourage you to apply. Please ensure that you reference the application criteria in the application statement when you apply.

Criteria

Essential Or Desirable

Stage(s) assessed at

Educated to GCSE level (or equivalent experience)

Application

Previous experience of working within a reception or within a customer service environment

Application / Interview

Excellent customer service skills, with experience of working within a customer facing environment, including responding efficiently and effectively to face-to-face, phone and email enquiries

Application / Interview

An ability to carry out effective administrative duties in a busy and sensitive customer care environment, including responding quickly and confidently to a range of complex enquiries from a diverse audience.

Application / Interview

Commitment to working flexibly, including prioritising urgent or unscheduled tasks and accommodating changes.

Application / Interview

Excellent interpersonal skills, including an ability to use sensitive verbal and non-verbal communication.

Application / Interview

Proven IT skills, with experience of working with Microsoft packages, Google packages, email and the internet.

Application / Interview

Ability to work as part of a team, whilst being willing and able to work independently and on own initiative.

Application / Interview

Ability to maintain information with a high degree of accuracy and attention to detail

Application / Interview

Further Information

Grade

4

Work arrangement

Full-time

Duration

Permanent

Line manager

TBC

Direct reports

None

Our website

For informal enquiries about this job contact Meg Ayres, Student Experience Manager: on [e-mail]

Next steps in the recruitment process

It is anticipated that the selection process will take place following the closing date. This will consist of an interview. We plan to let candidates know if they have progressed to the selection stage after the colsing date. If you need any support, equipment or adjustments to enable you to participate in any element of the recruitment process you can contact [e-mail].

Our vision and strategic plan

We are the University of Sheffield. This is our vision: sheffield.ac.uk/vision (opens in new window).

What We Offer

• A minimum of 38 days annual leave including bank holiday and closure days (pro rata) with the ability to purchase more.
• Flexible working opportunities, including hybrid working for some roles.
• A wide range of discounts and rewards on shopping, eating out and travel.
• A variety of staff networks, providing opportunities for social interaction, peer support and personal development (for example, Race Equality, LGBT+, Women’s and Parent’s networks).
• Recognition Awards to reward staff who go above and beyond in their role.
• A commitment to your development access to learning and mentoring schemes; integrated with our Professional Services Shared Skills Framework
• A range of generous family-friendly policies
• paid time off for parenting and caring emergencies
• access to menopause support in the workplace
• paid time off and support for fertility treatment
• and more

More details can be found on our benefits page: sheffield.ac.uk/jobs/benefits (opens in a new window).

We are a Disability Confident Leader (opens in a new window). If you have a disability and meet the essential criteria for this job you will be invited to take part in the next stage of the selection process.

Closing Date : 04/10/2026

We are a research university with a global reputation for excellence. Our ideas and expertise change the world for the better, making a real difference to society. We know that when people come together with different views, approaches and insights it can lead to richer, more creative and innovative teaching and research and the highest levels of student experience. Our University Vision (www.sheffield.ac.uk/vision) outlines our commitment to building a diverse community of staff and students that recognises and values the abilities, backgrounds, beliefs and ways of living for everyone.