Senior Administrative Assistant

Heriot-Watt University; Kilmarnock; Remote; GBP 26,000 - 32,000; Full time

Job summary

A higher education institution in the UK is seeking a Senior Administrative Assistant to support online campus students. The role involves managing admissions, maintaining records, and ensuring excellent customer service. Candidates should have a SCQF Level 6 education, extensive experience in similar environments, and proficiency in IT tools. Flexible working arrangements available.

Qualifications

• Several years’ experience in a similar environment.
• Demonstrable professional and proactive approach.
• Ability to handle multiple tasks simultaneously.

Responsibilities

• Support online campus student admissions and enrolment processes.
• Maintain online student records and process course changes.
• Assist in graduation ceremonies and exam board preparations.

Skills

Excellent customer service

IT package competence including SharePoint and MS Teams

Interpersonal skills

Attention to detail

Ability to plan and manage workload

Ability to work under pressure

Education

Educated to SCQF Level 6 or equivalent experience

Job description

Senior Administrative Assistant (Off Campus Students)

Grade: Grade 5 (£26,707 - £31,236)

Contract Type: Full Time (1FTE), Open Ended - Consideration will be given to flexible working requests

Organisation Name: Registry and Academic Support: Off Campus Students Division

Purpose of Role

The role-holder will spend their time supporting key off campus student processes such as online student admissions and enrolment; course registration and payment processes; examination related processes; preparation of online student records for boards; answering online student enquiries related to their studies.

Summary Of Key Duties And Responsibilities

• Organise and support all aspects of online campus student admissions and enrolment, course registration and payment processes for both new and continuing online students with support from Administrators as well as all follow up administrative tasks necessary.
• Organise and support all aspects of a student’s application for formal enrolment on a programme of study.
• Organise and support all aspects of application for recognition of prior learning or credit transfer requests.
• Undertake particular administrative tasks required to create and maintain online student records, process course changes, create and maintain class mark lists (CMLs) and maintain, and archive, student files as outlined in the University’s data management policies.
• Organising and providing support for all aspects of the processes related to examination registration, cancellation and data preparation processes including logging and distribution of exam scripts for marking, working with academic colleagues/tutors to ensure strict deadlines for marking are met.
• Undertake processes required for preparing online student records for exam boards and processing of results, such as entering and checking marks, grades, and decisions and assisting at graduation ceremonies.
• Organising and providing support for all aspects of the processes related to Academic Misconduct, Appeals and Mitigating Circumstance cases.
• Undertake processes required for preparing online student records for progression and award boards where relevant.
• Staff both student and academic facing services related to online students, such as student helplines, enquiry management systems, email enquiry accounts or face-to-face support where required.
• Collaborate in redesigning processes related to the work of the Off Campus Students Division. In conjunction with key internal stakeholders, review and identify areas of improvement to the online student experience and retention.
• Provide secretarial and admin support to RAS management; and to other Directorates and Schools when agreed with their line management.
• Advise and support colleagues in Scotland, Dubai and Malaysia on the processes related to the Off Campus Students Division.
• Undertake other tasks related to the Off Campus Students Division as required by their assigned Line Manager, the Online Students Manager, the Partnerships Manager or the Head of Off Campus Students.

Education, Qualifications & Experience

These are the criteria on which the short-listing and recruitment selection will be based.

Essential

• Educated to SCQF Level 6 or similar (see link for details) or equivalent experience
• Several years’ experience of working within a similar environment as outlined above
• Demonstrable provision of excellent customer service
• Ability to plan and anticipate needs, proactively managing own workload to use time effectively, whilst handling multiple tasks simultaneously.
• Competent in the use of relevant IT packages including SharePoint and MS Teams
• Well-developed interpersonal skills
• Attention to detail
• Ability to work under pressure
• Demonstrable professional and proactive approach
• Demonstrable ability to work quickly, flexibly and accurately in a dynamic, changing and pressured environment

Desirable

• Experience of redesigning and improving processes or procedures
• Collaboration with multi-location teams

About Our School/Directorate And Team

The Global Registry and Academic Support Directorate supports our students and staff colleagues across the full student life‑cycle from enrolment to graduation. The Directorate has responsibility as the definitive record‑keeper of all student information and programme and course details, and leading services that help students settle and stay at the University with professional help and advice, through a range of wellbeing services.

It supports academic and professional services staff across the University in a number of areas, including: academic, institutional and student related Regulations and Policies and global, national and institutional quality matters. It delivers these services through four Divisions, each managed by a Global Head, and two Heads of Campus Registry:

• Student Life
• Off Campus Students
• Academic Operations
• Academic Quality
• Head of Registry – Dubai Campus
• Head of Registry – Malaysia Campus

The Off Campus Students Division consists of two teams supporting Heriot‑Watt Online students; the Off Campus Students team (STEM) and the Off Campus Students team (non‑STEM). The work of the Administrative Assistant will be related to the Off Campus Students support teams.

The Off Campus Students Division is responsible for supporting all aspects of the off‑campus student journey from enrolment to graduation by providing a single structure to support and enhance the student experience of those studying online programmes or studying off campus via dedicated University approved partnerships globally.

This job description is intended as a flexible framework which outlines the key general areas of activity in your position. Other activities may be required which are not outlined above but which are appropriate to the position and grade. Your personal objectives (Forward Job Plan) will also set out specific tasks and objectives for you to achieve, including objectives to help your career development.

How To Apply

Applications can be submitted up to midnight (UK time) on Wednesday 03 December 2025.

Please submit your CV and a cover letter setting out how you meet the criteria for the role. We regret that we cannot consider applications with CVs alone.

We welcome and will consider flexible working patterns e.g., part‑time working and job share options.

Equal Opportunity

Heriot‑Watt University is committed to securing equality of opportunity in employment and to the creation of an environment in which individuals are selected, trained, promoted, appraised, and otherwise treated on the sole basis of their relevant merits and abilities. Equality and diversity are all about maximising potential and creating a culture of inclusion for all.

Heriot‑Watt University values diversity across our university community and welcomes applications from all sectors of society, particularly from under‑represented groups. For more information, please see our website https://www.hw.ac.uk/uk/services/equality-diversity.htm and also our award‑winning work in Disability Inclusive Science Careers https://disc.hw.ac.uk/ .

Use our total rewards calculator: https://www.hw.ac.uk/about/work/total-rewards-calculator.htm to see the value of benefits provided by Heriot‑Watt University.

About Heriot‑Watt University

At Heriot‑Watt we are passionate about our values and look to them to connect our people globally and to help us collaborate and celebrate our success through working together. Our research programmes can deliver real world impact which is achieved through the diversity of our international community and the recognition of creative talent that connects our global team.

Our flourishing community will give you the freedom to challenge and to bring your enterprising mind and to help our partners with solutions that can be applied now and in the future. Join us and Heriot‑Watt will provide you with a platform to thrive and work in a way that also helps you live your life in balance with well‑being and inclusiveness at the heart of our global community.