Head of College Services

Head of College Services

Permanent, Full Time

£48,000 – £54,000

Cambridge

Do you have strong project management skills with the ability to write papers on complex or sensitive manner?

If so the role of Head of College Services at St Edmund’s College may be for you, a role like no other this is a hybrid between strategy and operational delivery and personal assistance.

Person Specification

Experience

• Experience of managing formal meetings – planning, diarising, booking, minuting and following up actions
• Experience of planning, booking, diarising and executing events successfully, including communicating with stakeholders and responding effectively to unexpected occurrences
• Experience of project planning and management
• Experience of writing papers on complex or diplomatically sensitive matters
• Experience of managing competing work streams efficiently with minimum external guidance.
• A general understanding, or the ability to obtain it, of external and economic trends affecting the sector in which the College operates.

Skills/Competencies

Ability to:

• Anticipate and predict the needs of the College
• Shape plans which help support the College’s vision and strategy
• Identify step changes that transform the performance of areas for which the role is responsible.
• Challenge the status quo in own and related areas
• Draw together and present reasonable conclusions from a wide range of incomplete and complex information
• Communicate with conviction and clarity to stakeholders at all levels
• Act with diplomacy and sensitivity
• Collaborate, consult and facilitate activities to support the College outcomes
• Influence stakeholders (senior members, staff, students) to secure College outcomes
• Risk assess the activities of the College and external influences that may impact on areas of responsibility
• Research and draft documents to a high standard for consideration by the senior team.
• Work to tight deadlines
• Creative and flexible and proactive, to maximise opportunities to promote the work of the College and solve problems.
• Computer literacy as required by the role.

Key duties & responsibilities

Vision & Impact

High-profile events and projects by the College in support of our Vision and strategy will be conceived and delivered by Officers’ teams or members. The role holder will be responsible for setting and agreeing the direction and ensuring the coherence and impact over the whole over the year, including regular evaluation against our strategic priorities. To enable this they will have day to day responsibility for central budgets in this space and for how College events and projects are overseen and agreed.

Arrange, research and drafting of documents and reports and where necessary commission reports from internal or external sources to help with the strategic delivery of the College.

Effective College Leadership

Support the effective working of the College leadership to ensure the time of the senior team is maximised for delivery of the College Vision and strategy. Take minutes at the College’s principal meetings in particular, College’s Council (Trustee Body) and Governing Body, and act as a staff advisor to the Nominations Committee.

Chair meetings that move forward agreed actions or activity, involving relevant Officers as necessary. These currently include the Grants Panel and Administrative Staff Network. Provide feedback to the College leadership on the smooth and effective running of the College and its organisational culture, working with them and wider staff and members to identify, prioritise and resolve issues.

Act as day-to-day support for the College’s Von Hugel Institute of Critical Catholic Inquiry. The VHI is led by a part-time director and a small team of part-time staff, engaging with a pool of research associates from around the globe to deliver multidisciplinary research outputs and a programme of events. It is fully integrated within the College and a key component of the College’s research objectives and THRIVE framework. Working closely with the Director the role holder will provide operational support to the team to realise the VHI’s strategy and increase its impact as a core and integrated part of the College’s Vision and strategy.

Develop, lead and deliver projects in support of the College’s organisational effectiveness. Be the Senior Responsible Officer for the website, working closely with, and delivering through, department heads and communication colleagues to ensure the website meets the needs of the College.

Internal Management & Membership Engagement

Lead the planning of the College Calendar, which includes committees and certain internal events as well as external events, ensuring facilities and key staff are available. Working with the Governance, Risk and Compliance Manager to schedule governance meetings for inclusion in the College Calendar and where necessary reviewing papers to be presented to meetings. Ensure that the senior team have been prepared for College events by collaborating with all departments within the College.

Manage the Membership Assistant, retaining ultimate responsibility for all necessary administration relating to the senior membership including recruitment, appointments, welcome, renewals and departures. Work closely with the Vice-Master and Master to ensure a clear and attractive offer to and engagement with senior members, including leading on the processes (internal and with University partners) for Junior Research Fellow recruitment and supporting the Fellow who acts as Post-doctoral Research Associate Convenor. Ensure the business of the College is well communicated to the membership and other stakeholders of the College.

Manage the Executive Assistants ensuring the Master, Bursar, Senior Tutor and VHI Director offices run smoothly. Have oversight of planning of diaries and the management of correspondence of the offices to ensure they are of the highest possible standard.

Undertaking key streams of work in relation to the strategy and business plan development including resource plans as directed by the senior team.

Deputise for senior team members as directed.

How to apply

To apply, please complete the application form and send it to Nicky Chalklin, HR Administrator by email [email protected]

Closing date for completed applications: 28/03/2024

If you have informal enquiries about the post, please email the HR Manager, Hannah Carter, on [email protected].

In applying for this role, you will provide personal data which the College will process in accordance with its data protection obligations and its Data Protection Policy: http://www.stedmunds.cam.ac.uk/data-protection

Any offer of employment is subject to evidence of your right to work in the UK and the receipt of satisfactory references.