Student Experience Officer - Life and Environmental Sciences - 47560 - Grade 6

University of Birmingham; Birmingham; On-site; GBP 40,000; Full time

Job summary

A prominent UK university seeks a dedicated professional to improve and enhance student experiences within the College of Life and Environmental Sciences. This role involves organizing events, engaging with students, and supporting their academic journeys. The ideal candidate has a level 5 qualification and experience in Higher Education. A friendly and approachable demeanor is essential, along with self-motivation and strong organizational skills.

Benefits

40 days paid holiday

Occupational sick pay

Pension scheme

Flexible working arrangements

Qualifications

• Experience of working in Higher Education is required.
• Understanding of the student lifecycle is needed.
• Knowledge of the Equality Act 2010 is essential.

Responsibilities

• Support schools within the college to enhance student experiences.
• Organize and deliver events and activities for students.
• Engage with students to gather feedback.

Skills

Excellent interpersonal skills

Strong communication skills

Event organization

Student support experience

Self-motivation

Team collaboration

Education

UK level 5 qualification (e.g. Foundation degree, HND)

Tools

Microsoft Office

Social media platforms

Job description

Position Details

College of Life and Environemental Sciences

Location: University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham UK

Full time starting salary is normally in the range £33,002 to £35,608 with potential progression once in post to £39,906

Grade: 6

Full Time, Permanent

Closing date: 9th October 2025

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, andweare 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 todevelopthrough our sector-leading Birmingham Professional programmewhichprovides allprofessionalservices staff with development opportunities and the encouragement to reach their full potential.With almost 5,000professionalservices jobs in a wide-range of functionsin Edgbaston andin our campus inDubai, there are plenty of opportunities foryou to be able to develop yourcareer 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 andtothe success of the University and, depending on the role, we offer avarietyof 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 dayspaid holidaya 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

Role Summary

At the University of Birmingham, students are at the heart of all we do.This College-based role will provide dedicated support to the schools within the college whilst contributing to College-wide initiatives to improve and enhance the total student experience in the College across the whole student body.

Main Duties

• Identify the requirements and desires of current students to inform a student experience offering. This is likely to be through feedback, surveys, focus groups, and conversations with students and relevant committees.
• Devise, promote and deliver an engaging annual programme of activities and events that meet the needs of students. This may include trips, residentials, speakers, careers and networking events, or exam support sessions for example.
• Developing, organising and delivering student events, including leading on Welcome and Induction activities. This area of work will require some evening and weekend work.
• Facilitate and promote staff-student committees to foster and develop an interactive community of students and staff that is inclusive and supportive and ensuring the School’s Student Representation System adheres to the University’s Code of Practice on Student Representation.
• Support students to take ownership of their learning journey, for example signposting students to the University Careers Network, Academic Skills Centre or Wellbeing etc. Work with these University teams to develop a range of events / opportunities for students.
• Maintain a range of dynamic and student friendly communications to all undergraduate and postgraduate students via social media & student comms.
• Work with academic and Professional Services colleagues to ensure the effective operation of key external and internal student feedback processes. Following analysis, contribute to the School / College student experience action plan and support with delivery where appropriate.
• Participate in various Working Groups and provide secretarial support to Committee meetings as appropriate.
• Work collaboratively within the Student Experience and Communications Team to promotes equality and values diversity, acting as a role model, and fostering an inclusive working culture.
• Any other duties as allocated by the Head of Education Services.

Required Knowledge, Skills, Qualifications, Experience

• Qualified to UK level 5 (e.g. Foundation degree, HND) or equivalent
• Relevant experience of working in Higher Education
• Understanding of the institutional structures and ways of working in the College or School
• Experience of supporting students
• Self- motivated, well-organised and able to prioritise workloads to meet deadlines
• Excellent interpersonal, communication and influencing skills to work with a wide range of academic, support and industrial people as well as with undergraduate/postgraduate students
• Strong understanding of the student experience, issues, and the student lifecycle
• Knowledge and experience of organising events and trips
• Knowledge and experience of communications, including via social media platforms
• Working knowledge of standard Microsoft Office software, including databases and spreadsheets
• 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
• Demonstrable commitment to continuing professional development and training

Desirable

• Experience in developing web-based materials
• Knowledge of emerging social media trends
• Knowledge of the issues facing the Higher Education sector

Dimensions

This role does not directly manage others.

This role does not own a budget.

Planning and Organising

The role is required to plan and organise an annual programme of events and activities for a specific student group within College / School. The planning horizon is therefore typically monthly to a year. The nature of the role means that the role holder needs to be a self-starter and to use their initiative, with the ability to plan and manage their workload effectively.

Problem Solving and decision making

The role has the opportunity to collaboratively shape the student experience programme, within the overall strategy for the College / School. Some activities will be annual fixtures, some will arise from the College / School Action Plan, and others will emerge from the student or academic body. The role will need to be analytical and evaluative in interpreting requirements and then be creative and use their initiative to constantly improve and come up with new activities and offerings.

Role holders do not manage a budget, so if they can deliver an activity or initiative without any spending then they are able to do so. If they require any funds, they will need to seek approval and agree a budget.

There are some areas that relate to the student experience that are out of scope of what this role can influence or decide, including teaching and areas of academic judgment, corporate services activities, and things impacting across the institution that are handled centrally, e.g. timetabling considerations.

Internal and External relationships

This role is very much focused on collaboration and communication, and as such has a wide range of stakeholders with which they work:

Academic relationships: the role needs to influence senior colleagues, identifying collaborators and those that can help influence more widely, encouraging the participation of academics in events and activities. The key stakeholders are:

• Director of Education
• Deputy Director of Education (Student Experience)
• Heads of School / Education
• Other academics within the School or College

Professional Services: the role needs to co-ordinate with a range on professional services around a range of day-to-day activity (such as open days, web page and e-learning updates etc). The main teams that this role interacts and co-ordinates with are:

• Marketing & Communications Team
• Careers service
• Alumni service
• Digital Education team
• Student Wellbeing Team
• Programme Administrators

Students: students are a core stakeholder group, and the role will need to engage and communicate extensively with students. In their communications, they will need to be a friendly and approachable contact, as well as to encourage their participation in the programme of activities and collect their feedback and input. Key routes to this group are:

• Student Ambassadors
• Student Representatives
• Community Volunteers
• Student groups and fora

Informal enquiries to Grace Page, email: [e-mail]

View our staff values and behaviours here

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