Placements Administrator - 6 month fixed-term contract role

Birmingham City University; Birmingham; Hybrid; GBP 29,000 - 32,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working

Job summary

Birmingham City University is seeking a Placements Administrator to join the Directorate of Student and Academic Services for a six-month fixed-term appointment. You will support the delivery of high-quality placement experiences across a range of programs, ensuring students are matched with compliant, supportive settings that enhance their learning and professional development.

You will work closely with academic colleagues, placement providers, and teams across the University, contributing to

Qualifications

• Experience working in a busy administrative environment.
• Excellent organisational and time‑management skills, with the ability to prioritise tasks effectively.
• Confidence in using digital systems for data and records management.
• Strong attention to detail, with high standards of accuracy.

Responsibilities

• Administering professional placements across a designated portfolio of programmes, ensuring accurate data and record-keeping.
• Supporting Schools with placement planning and coordination, including servicing meetings with placement partners.
• Allocating students to placement opportunities in line with programme requirements and compliance standards.
• Working with the Placements Finance and Reporting Team to ensure data accuracy and timely processing of payments.
• Building and maintaining strong relationships with external partners, resolving queries and ensuring agreed actions are completed.
• Providing clear, supportive advice to students on placement options, processes, and requirements.
• Managing placement-related administration including travel reimbursements, Occupational Health referrals, and uniform allocations.
• Contributing to the development and improvement of process guides, resources, and documentation.
• Supporting wider University events such as enrolment, graduation, open days, and clearing when required.

Skills

Administrative experience

Organizational skills

Time management

Digital systems

Attention to detail

Job description

Department Student and Programme Administration Location City South Campus Salary £28,995 to £32,006 per annum 6-month fixed-term contract. For existing Birmingham City University employees, this opportunity may be offered as a secondment, subject to agreement with your current line manager. Post Type Full Time Release Date 23 September 2026 Closing Date 23.59 hours BST on Sunday 04 October 2026 Reference S126050

About Birmingham City University

At Birmingham City University, we are a diverse and inclusive learning community of over 31,400 students from more than 120 countries. We aim to become an exemplar anchor institution, creating and sharing knowledge for a better and more inclusive society. We are committed to providing a transformational educational experience, supporting world-class research, and fostering a collaborative and supportive working environment for our staff. Recognised as one of the UK’s Top 250 employers (Financial Times & Statista), we pride ourselves on being a place where colleagues feel valued, supported, and able to grow their careers while contributing to the success of our students and communities. Our student demographic reflects the rich cultural and ethnic diversity of Birmingham itself, with a significant proportion of students from minoritised ethnic backgrounds and the majority of our home students coming from the West Midlands. This diversity is a strength, and it calls for a workforce that is equipped to challenge deficit narratives and thinking — those assumptions that position students from underrepresented groups as lacking rather than recognising their assets, strengths and potential. By embracing this perspective, we aim to create an environment where all students and colleagues can thrive, and where our work contributes positively to the social, cultural and economic life of Birmingham and beyond.

Role Summary

We are seeking a Placements Administrator to join our Directorate of Student and Academic Services for a six-month fixed-term appointment, supporting the delivery of high-quality services across the University. In this key role, you will help deliver high-quality professional placement experiences across a range of programmes, ensuring students are matched with supportive, compliant settings that enhance their learning and professional development. You will work closely with academic colleagues, placement providers, and teams across the University, contributing to an excellent experience for both students and stakeholders.

Key Responsibilities

• Administering professional placements across a designated portfolio of programmes, ensuring accurate data and record-keeping.
• Supporting Schools with placement planning and coordination, including servicing meetings with placement partners.
• Allocating students to placement opportunities in line with programme requirements and compliance standards.
• Working with the Placements Finance and Reporting Team to ensure data accuracy and timely processing of payments.
• Building and maintaining strong relationships with external partners, resolving queries and ensuring agreed actions are completed.
• Providing clear, supportive advice to students on placement options, processes, and requirements.
• Managing placement-related administration including travel reimbursements, Occupational Health referrals, and uniform allocations.
• Contributing to the development and improvement of process guides, resources, and documentation.
• Supporting wider University events such as enrolment, graduation, open days, and clearing when required.

Essential Requirements

• Experience working in a busy administrative environment.
• Excellent organisational and time‑management skills, with the ability to prioritise tasks effectively.
• Confidence in using digital systems for data and records management.
• Strong attention to detail, with high standards of accuracy.

Desirable Requirements

• Experience working in higher or further education.
• Familiarity with student records systems or virtual learning environments.
• Understanding of key stages in the student lifecycle.

Further Information

Interviews for this role are provisionally scheduled to take place on 14 October 2026. Please note that candidates who have been unsuccessful for the same role within the last six months may not normally be reconsidered. We encourage applicants to reapply when they have gained additional skills, qualifications, or experience relevant to the role.

Why work for us

• Work–life balance – Generous leave and hybrid working (role dependent).
• Career development – Opportunities to grow, develop and progress your career.
• Reward and wellbeing – Competitive pay, pension, wellbeing support and staff benefits.
• Inclusive culture – A supportive, diverse environment where everyone belongs.

Visa Sponsorship

This role does not meet the minimum salary requirements for Skilled Worker visa sponsorship. We are therefore unable to consider applicants who require sponsorship to work in the UK.

Use of AI in applications

At BCU, we welcome applications that clearly demonstrate how your skills and experience meet the requirements of the role. AI tools may be used to support you in preparing your application, but the information you provide must be accurate, authentic and based on your own experience. Applications that rely too heavily on AI, appear generic or do not provide specific evidence against the role criteria are less likely to progress to the next stage of the recruitment process. For more information, please refer to our candidate guidance; How to Apply - Jobs at Birmingham City University

Equality, Diversity & Inclusion

We are committed to equality, diversity and inclusion and to an environment that supports lawful free speech and academic freedom. We will continuously review and improve our policies, practices, and procedures to ensure that we are promoting these in all aspects of our operations. We believe that by working together, combining our many different backgrounds and life experiences, we will empower each other to reach our full potential.

Disability Confident Employer

Birmingham City University is proud to be a Disability Confident Committed Employer. We are committed to creating an inclusive and accessible recruitment process. Disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role will be guaranteed an interview.

The appointed candidate will normally be employed through our subsidiary company, BCU Support Services Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Birmingham City University. Appointees with prior LGPS membership who wish to re-enter the scheme may do so and will be employed directly by the University.