Alwaleed Centre Administrative and Outreach Coordinator, Edinburgh University, Royaume-Uni ⎯ LIMITE: 26/03/15

Salary: £21,391 – £24,775 per annum

Closing Date: Thursday 26th March 2015 at 5pm (GMT)

• Job title: Admin and Outreach Coordinator
• School/Support Department: LLC – IMES
• Unit: Alwaleed Centre
• Line manager: Director of Professional Services

2. Job Purpose

• To manage the day-to-day operation and administration of the Alwaleed Centre.
• To support the Director and the Outreach Projects Manager in developing and delivering the Centre’s outreach activities.

3. Main Responsibilities (Approx. % of time)

• Developing and delivering the administration of the Alwaleed Centre’s systems, and in particular supporting its outreach programme of events, locally, nationally, and internationally, within and beyond the university (40%).

• Providing support to the Outreach Projects Manager in arranging the Centre’s events (including publicity through the Centre’s website) (10%)

• Serving as the first point-of-contact for enquiries to the Centre from both within and beyond the University (20%)

• Maintaining the Centre’s website and social media platforms, in collaboration with the Outreach Projects Manager (10%)

• Undertaking financial transactions on behalf of the Centre, and maintaining financial records in conjunction with the School Resources Manager (10%)

• Helping to prepare documentation, and preparing financial and other reports for the Centre’s Advisory Board, and for its work on behalf of the British Association for Islamic Studies (10%).

4. Planning and Organising

• Support the organisation of internal and external activities/events, collating and recording defined information and documentation as requested, to ensure activities are administered efficiently.
• Plan and prioritise own work activities to ensure operational efficiency, responding to new pressures and to Director or Centre’s requirements, adjusting priorities as needed.

5. Problem Solving

• Respond to and resolve enquiries and problems, judging when to pass complex queries on to or involve others, to provide an effective service and clear advice to the Alwaleed Centre and customers.
• Deliver a range of administrative services in support of existing systems or processes to an agreed quality standard or specification, to maximize service quality and continuity.
• Demonstrate standard services and/or prepare equipment to support customer learning.

6. Decision Making

• The ability to manage workload to take account of the varying demands of the Centre’s activities
• The ability to determine whether independent decision-making is appropriate, or whether consultation with the Director and the Outreach Projects Manager is necessary

7. Key Contacts/Relationships

• Outreach Projects Manager, and with the Centre Director as necessary
• School Director of Professional Services and other support staff in the School
• Colleagues in other areas of the University including Divinity, ECA, Politics and International Relations, Sociology, Social Anthropology, History, the Centre for South Asian Studies, and the Centre for African Studies, the International Office, Communications and Marketing, Catering and Accommodation Services
• Members of the Alwaleed Centre’s Advisory Board
• Media organisations
• Partner organisations such as the Royal Society of Edinburgh and the Edinburgh Inter-Faith Association
• Elements of the Scottish Government
• Local religious communities and their leaders
• Other Alwaleed Centres, in the UK, the USA, and the Muslim World

8. Knowledge, Skills and Experience Needed for the Job

Essential

• Vocational qualification (N/SVQ 3, ONC or equivalent) plus typically 2 years’ work experience in a relevant role
• Working knowledge of Microsoft Office packages such as Word, Excel, Outlook mail.
• Skill in dealing with enquiries from both within and beyond the university
• Event management experience
• Knowledge and experience of the Islamic World, including Muslim communities in the UK

Desirable

• Experience of website and social media administration
• Knowledge of a relevant language (e.g. Arabic or Urdu), would be an advantage

9. Dimensions

• The post holder is one of a small team of colleagues within the Alwaleed Centre comprising the Director, the Outreach Projects Manager, 2 post doctoral fellows and a cohort of PHD students

10. Job Context and any other relevant information

The HRH Prince Alwaleed bin Talal Centre for the Study of Islam in the Contemporary World is a Centre within the University of Edinburgh, established in 2010, devoted to outreach and knowledge transfer in the field of Islamic Studies. It is part of a network of Centres established by the HRH Prince Alwaleed bin Talal Foundation, of which there are currently two in the US (Harvard & Georgetown), two in the UK (Edinburgh & Cambridge), and two in the Middle East (American University of Beirut & American University in Cairo), which are devoted to the improvement of mutual understanding between the Muslim World and the West.

The six key objectives of the Centre are:
• To improve radically knowledge and understanding of Islamic civilisation and of Muslims in Britain among policy-makers, the general public, and students of all ages in the UK through a comprehensive educational outreach programme, and by helping to integrate the study of Islamic civilisation into the school curriculum
• To advance tolerance, mutual understanding and cross-cultural dialogue between Islam and the West by building new partnerships with institutions in the Muslim world, and with mosques and madrasas within the UK
• To foster intellectual curiosity and build educational excellence among young Diaspora Muslims in the United Kingdom
• To create the UK’s leading resource for expertise on Islam in the modern world, based on the integration of the study of Islamic civilisation and issues relating to Islam in modern Britain
• To produce, on a self-sustaining basis, a world-class cadre to researchers at the postgraduate and post-doctoral levels by providing studentships and fellowships designed to feed into the next generation of academics as well as the public and private sectors
• To establish a model partnership network with Muslim and other universities around the world, both within and outside the Arab world, that creates new opportunities for knowledge transfer and fosters collaborative research

To realise these objectives, outreach activities, at the local, national and international levels, such as conferences, workshops, lectures, study days, summer schools, roadshows, and courses, for policy-makers, business leaders, the media, teachers, students of all ages (including in schools), and members of the public are planned with a focus on (a) Islamic civilisation; (b) Muslims in Britain; and (c) education. The Centre also currently serves as the administrative hub for the British Association for Islamic Studies (BRAIS), which seeks to develop Islamic Studies at a strategic level throughout the UK and Ireland, and this includes responsibility for the organisation of the association’s annual conference, which is held at a different venue in the UK each year, normally in April.

Application Procedure

All applicants should apply online by clicking the apply link at the bottom of this page and submitting an up to date CV. This allows candidates to upload a CV and cover letter, ideally in the form of one PDF document. The application process is quick and easy to follow, and you will receive email confirmation of safe receipt of your application.

We anticipate interviews will be held on Monday 20th April 2015. You will be notified whether you have been shortlisted for interview or not.

The closing date is 5pm (GMT) on Thursday 26th March 2015.

If you have not heard from us by Friday 3rd April 2015, you can assume your application has been unsuccessful.

Eligibility to Work

In accordance with the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006 the University of Edinburgh, as an employer, has a legal responsibility to prevent illegal working and therefore must check that all employees are entitled to work in the United Kingdom (UK).

To do so, the University of Edinburgh requires to see original documents evidencing right to work in the UK before commencement of employment and this is normally carried out at interview. Details will be provided in any letter of invitation to interview.

For further information on eligibility to work please visit our eligibility to work website

In the circumstances where the vacancy does not meet the Home Office and Visa Services advertising, salary and/ or qualification level criteria for sponsorship the successful applicant must have the existing right to work in the UK.

Conditions of Employment

Pension Scheme

For employees on University Grades 1-5 or equivalent there are two pension schemes available: University of Edinburgh Staff Benefits Scheme (SBS) or the National Employment Savings Trust (NEST).

This role is grade UE05 and therefore the post holder will automatically become a member of the NEST scheme if their monthly earnings are deemed to be ‘qualifying earnings’ (equivalent to the HMRC monthly threshold above which their earnings are taxable). If the post holder’s earnings are not deemed as “qualifying earnings” and therefore will not automatically become a member they can opt in to the NEST scheme.

The post holder can choose to join SBS and by doing so they will not become a member of the NEST scheme.

Further information on the different employer/employee contribution levels required for each scheme and different levels of benefits that the post holder may receive may be found at on our Pensions website

Salary

The role is grade UE05 and attracts an annual salary of £21,391 to £25,513 per annum for 35 hours, each week. Salary is paid monthly by direct transfer to your Bank or Building Society account, normally on the 28th of the month.

The University reserves the right to vary the candidate information or make no appointment at all. Neither in part, nor in whole does this information form part of any contract between the University and any individual.

Plus d’infos: https://www.vacancies.ed.ac.uk/pls/corehrrecruit/erq_jobspec_version_4.display_form