Role: Immigration & Global Mobility Advisor
Grade and Salary: Grade 6, £30,805 - £36,130 per annum
FTE and working pattern: 1 FTE, 35hrs per week, Monday – Friday
Contract: 12 Months FTC (Maternity Cover)
Holiday Entitlement: 33 days annual leave plus 9 buildings closed days (and Christmas Eve when it falls on a weekday)
Purpose of Role
This role will advise both HR colleagues and Managers on Immigration and Global Mobility matters, holding day to day responsibility for ensuring compliance with legislation. The role is supported by external specialist advisors where appropriate and necessary.
Reporting to the HR Operations Manager, this role complements both the HR Operations team and the Recruitment team.
Key Duties & Responsibilities
* Working with senior managers, lead the day-to-day activities and continued development of robust procedures to ensure that Heriot-Watt complies with all relevant aspects of UK Government legislation in relation to employees, visiting scholars and Academic visitors.
* Detailed understanding of the UKVI points-based system.
* Take the lead working with Recruitment and Operations teams in resolving escalated and complex immigration, Visa and Global Mobility queries from applicants, staff and managers i.e. remote working, leave of absence etc.
* Responsible for providing advice on the most appropriate Visa route for potential new hires and existing staff who wish to change Visa type or whose visas are expiring and providing any required endorsed support documentation.
* Responsible for monitoring the Global Mobility requirements for existing staff who are approved to work overseas for any duration, managing cases and liaising with payroll and other teams.
* Responding to queries from staff seeking to utilise the Global Mobility policy and procedure, working with HR Business Partner as appropriate.
* Monitor and maintain the policy and procedures for Global Mobility.
* Collate details on current staff working remotely.
* Staying up to date with legislative changes or process changes issued from the home office.
* Advise employees, managers and HR Operations and Recruitment team on the full range of Immigration options during the offer stage of the recruitment process.
* Disseminate relevant immigration and Home Office changes to colleagues within HR and around the University, particularly to hiring managers in a timely manner.
* Pro-actively review and update University policy to ensure that all operational processes and procedures used throughout the institution are in compliance with the relevant legislation and guidelines.
* Responsible for understanding ATAS requirements and ensuring requirements are met.
* Compiling appropriate data on compliance and authoring relevant management information reports.
* Provide advice and training on compliance requirements through a range of media such as intranet pages, written reports, presentations, meetings and on a one-to-one basis.
* Build a network of relevant professional contacts with compliance staff and in other Higher Education institutions to ensure that Heriot-Watt is up to date with the latest developments in the sector. Liaise with the UKVI and other external agencies.
* Assume the role of UKVI key contact responding to all UKVI queries as required and liaising with the UKVI during audit.
The above summary is not exhaustive; you will be required to provide ad hoc support on Right to Work queries and any other administrative duties as required to support the team.
Essential & Desirable Criteria
Essential
1. Educated to Degree level or equivalent experience.
2. Considerable experience in a similar role.
3. Experience in supporting Global Mobility.
4. Demonstrable knowledge of the Home Office (UKVI) framework and associated policies.
5. Competent in the use of Microsoft suite including Excel.
6. Demonstrable professional approach with the ability to work quickly, flexibly and accurately in a dynamic, changing and pressured environment.
7. Good written and oral communication skills, with ability to interact with a range of stakeholders at all levels.
8. Able to convey information to a ‘non-technical’ audience in a clear and concise way.
9. Accuracy and attention to detail.
10. Flexible and professional approach to work, with the ability to maintain confidentiality when handling sensitive personal data.
Desirable
1. Evidence in working in a large-scale complex organisation.
2. Detailed understanding of the UKVI points-based system in a University environment.
How to Apply
Applications can be submitted up to midnight (UK time) on Thursday 03 April 2025.
Please submit your CV and covering letter via the Heriot-Watt online recruitment.
We welcome and will consider flexible working patterns e.g., part-time working and job share options.
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 underrepresented 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 the Team
Covering all University Campuses internationally, the HR Directorate provides a range of strategic and operational HR Support and Guidance to the Leaders, managers and employees of the University. The services cover the full employee cycle from the point of attracting staff as potential employees, through their recruitment and induction, immigration process, career development and reward and recognition.
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.
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