Description Position Details Human Resources Location: University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham UK Full time starting salary is normally in the range £46,485 to £55,295 with potential progression once in post to £62,098 Grade: 8 Full Time Permanent Closing date: 13th February 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, and we are 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 to develop through our sector-leading Birmingham Professional programme which provides all professional services staff with development opportunities and the encouragement to reach their full potential. With almost 5,000 professional services jobs in a wide-range of functions in Edgbaston and in our campus in Dubai, there are plenty of opportunities for you to be able to develop your career 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 and to the success of the University and, depending on the role, we offer a variety of 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 days paid holiday a 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 The University is one of the largest employers and educators in the City and is committed to a number of initiatives to enhance this position, this commitment is supported by the HR Strategy which articulates the need to recruit, develop and engage excellent people at every level. As a large employer the University has a substantial growth and skills levy, generating approx. £2.2 million per year that can be utilised to fund apprenticeship training for new or existing staff. Apprenticeships can be beneficial to the University in a number of ways including: Supporting the Universities civic mission, ensuring the University plays an important role both locally and nationally Bringing in and developing talented ‘new entrants’ to the workforce from a diverse background Linking in apprenticeships to workforce planning and proactively solving emerging skills gaps Supporting staff retention and talent management through higher and technical apprenticeships Increasing the technical, management and leadership knowledge and skills of professional services staff The post reports to the Strategic & Global HR Business Partner and works closely with colleagues in the People and Organisational Development Department (POD). In addition, the post holder reports to an expert Steering Group of University stakeholders. The post holder is responsible for both the ongoing strategic development and implementation of the University’s Apprenticeship Scheme and in addition is accountable for effective utilisation of its levy funds. This includes providing an efficient and effective ‘new entrant’ scheme for departments to recruit and develop talented entry level staff as well as providing expert advice and guidance on how the levy can be used to upskill existing workforce both through either technical or leadership and management higher apprenticeships. The post holder is also responsible for ensuring the University is compliant with all funding regulations as set out by the Department for Education (DfE). Main Duties The post holder will be expected to: Manage ongoing development of a ‘new entrant’ apprenticeship scheme, this will include : Promoting the scheme to stakeholders at all levels internally by presenting to management groups and running annual events – this will include attending divisional and leadership group meetings Maintaining and managing an efficient and effective apprenticeship recruitment service, in line with funding regulations and University policies, including providing advice for hiring managers on apprenticeship standards and job design, job evaluation and selection methods Developing and managing the annual events cycle for new entrant apprentices, that includes team building, guest speakers, careers advice and redeployment support Providing regular support to new entrant G5 (and above) apprentices to ensure they are being supported by both their line manager and training provider including support with CVs, job applications and the redeployment process Providing line managers with HR advice on any issues arising with their apprentice, this may include conduct issues, safeguarding, performance, or absence and occupational health issues. Where necessary referring on to the specific team in HR. This requires close liaison with the HR Advisory team Contract managing the relationship between the University and the training providers, this includes leading contract management meetings and addressing any quality issues Leading on a regular ‘best practise’ forum for line managers, line manager training and overseeing the Apprentice Advisory Group (AAG) Updating Steering Group on a regular basis with the schemes progress, including production of annual KPIS and managing the apprenticeship ‘non-pay’ budget of approx. £17,000 Line management of the Apprenticeship Scheme Officer, supporting their development and being a point of escalation for any complex issues e.g. employee relations issues, training provider contractual issues Ensuring resources on the intranet and internet are easy to use and updated regularly Working with managers to identify the best training providers and apprenticeship standards Working with the HR Systems Team to make sure all system is compatible with apprenticeships processes, adapting these if necessary and escalating any issues with the Systems Team Developing and managing an effective outreach programme, in line with the University Outreach teams’ policy and guidance Promoting the University’s civic commitment around apprenticeship through marketing and promotional activities, for example college open days. Represent the University as required at external events and networks e.g. The West Midlands Apprenticeship Ambassador Network. Coordinate the University’s input into the development of new apprenticeship standards that could be utilised internally. For example, the HEI Technician trailblazer Sharing best practise with other Universities and exploring where partnership working can generate benefits Develop and implement an ongoing strategy for existing staff to utilise apprenticeship training, this will include: Work with Senior Managers to identify appropriate apprenticeship standards that could be utilised by existing staff across the University Work closely with POD, including POD consultants to maximise use of the levy for existing staff Lead on providing an efficient process for existing staff apprenticeship training Advising managers on the most appropriate apprenticeship standards and training providers Work with internal partners including POD to support the management and compliance of internally delivered apprenticeships for staff Promoting existing staff apprenticeship training options to managers by presenting at managers meetings and running internal events Manage the relationship between the University and training providers addressing any quality concerns that may arise Provide regular updates to Steering Group and produce papers to cover any external/ strategic developments for the use of the levy in relation to existing staff apprenticeships Ensure compliance with DfE funding regulations Be the central point of contact and subject expert on the DfE apprenticeship funding rules for employers Develop and revise apprenticeship strategy to meet any changes to the funding regulations Develop, manage and maintain an evidence file system should the University be audited by the DfE Manage the Universities growth and skills levy account (approx. £2.2 million per year) ensuring that the University does not overspend Provide regular updates to Steering Group on projected levy expenditure and any funding rule changes Explore opportunities to effectively maximise the ability to transfer apprenticeship levy within the region Manage the University (employer) contract with the DfE Work in partnership with Legal Services should any funding rule breach be identified Work with training providers to be clear on university requirements and promote increased high quality training delivery including leading the procurement process to appoint preferred training providers Supporting wider strategy Ensuring that the University is recognised as an employer of choice by maintaining membership of relevant government established groups (West Midlands Apprenticeship Ambassador Network) Make sure that the scheme embeds the University’s ambitions in relation to EDI Be a point of expertise for the University on apprenticeships and apprenticeship funding, including knowledge of the wider Growth and Skills Levy and Skills England Ensure that the apprenticeship scheme is publicly linked in with the University objective of playing an important role both locally and nationally; this can be by supporting local initiatives and managing a response to government consultation exercises Take on any additional responsibilities as delegated by the Strategic & Global HR Business Partner Actively manages equality, diversity and inclusion through monitoring and evaluation and actively challenging unacceptable behaviour. Supports the University’s sustainability agenda through resource efficient working Required Knowledge, Skills, Qualifications, Experience A first degree (First or Upper Second or equivalent) Experience of managing an apprenticeship scheme in a large and complex organisation Strong HR knowledge ideally based on both professional experience and a relevant qualification e.g. CIPD Able to carry out a range of HR processes including recruitment and job evaluation A full understanding of government apprenticeship policy and as far as possible the upcoming changes to be delivered through Skills England Ability to understand complex funding rules and regulations Experience of developing strategies and delivering on implementation plans Relevant professional experience of developing and managing an apprenticeship scheme in a complex organisation Demonstrable experience of managing a range of projects Excellent communication and presentation skills. The post holder is expected to produce papers for an expert stakeholder steering group and present to audiences up to and including University Leadership Group level Ability to manage budgets effectively Understanding of procurement and experience of contract management Able to understand different work settings across the University and identify how each area could benefit from apprenticeships Experience of planning and running events Ability to support the development of effective marketing and communication tools Be able to exercise discretion regarding the handling and management of sensitive information Good IT skills An ability to work simultaneously and effectively to progress several different tasks Excellent organisational and administrative skills A good team worker with the ability to work effectively with staff at different levels of the organisation Experience of coaching and mentoring Personal Characteristics Strong intellectual ability and the ability to apply this to management tasks A high degree of initiative, personal judgement, resourcefulness, flexibility and a self-motivating approach. The ability to complete tasks based on only broad direction and with minimum supervision Enthusiasm and willingness to meet challenging demands, working to different people, deadlines and within budget Excellent interpersonal skills, including tact and diplomacy. The post holder must inspire confidence and command authority with a range of colleagues including senior academic colleagues, senior University managers, and external contacts A strong interest in, and understanding of key Apprenticeship issues and policy Dimensions This role will provide authoritative professional advice on apprenticeships across a range of activities and/or will lead and manage diverse team(s) and resources. You will use your professional skills to resolve problems where the solution is not immediately apparent. Significant evaluation and independent thought is therefore required to resolve ambiguity. You will have wide discretion to decide on direction whilst ensuring activities are broadly consistent with operational policies. You will be able to influence policy through advising on the impact of policy change and implementation in your area of work. You will need to assess the impact of your activities across your area, with related areas and to ensure they fit with the broader objectives of the University. Planning and Organising provide professional expertise, and manage resources and/or a diverse team; integrate and co-ordinate work across different parts of the department/university; lead and manage staff who are likely to be carrying out diverse duties, and ensure collaborative working to deliver a successful service; project manage activities to facilitate major changes; develop policy within functional guidelines, and contribute to strategic development within own area; be accountable for the quality and professionalism of service delivery, with an appreciation of longer-term issues. Problem Solving and decision making anticipate, interpret and assess customer needs, identifying trends, generating original ideas and testing innovative solutions; deal with significant people management issues such as change programmes; resolve issues which may not have arisen before through use of experience and judgement. Internal and External relationships has an excellent understanding of their own working area and a broad understanding of the contribution other areas make to the success of the University; has an excellent understanding of how the University operates, together with an understanding of how academia operates in the UK; demonstrates empathy with the academic endeavour and seeks to encourage others to do so; use coaching skills to motivate and develop staff; proactively and sensitively manage the performance of their team and create a motivating environment; influence others (including across the University) to follow a particular course of action; represent the department at internal and external meetings/events/network with colleagues in other institutions to share best practice. Informal enquiries to Baljinder Bansal, email: b.bansalbham.ac.uk 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 .