Senior Programmes Officer

King’s Language Centre (LC) is seeking an experienced programme administration professional to join its diverse and vibrant programmes team on internal secondment for one year.

Part of the School of Professional & Continuing Education, the LC provides language tuition to internal King’s students via assessed language modules and postgraduate-only modules, external facing short courses and evening programmes open to the public, and language tuition for prestigious external institutions and organisations.

Reporting to the Programmes Manager (Internal provision) and supervising the work of two Programmes Officers, the role will primarily focus on our provision of assessed language modules to King’s and Courtauld Institute students – planning and delivering their day-to-day administration, as well as the learning and teaching strategies of the LC, including the electronic learning and teaching platform.

Key areas of responsibility are as follows:

•       Timetabling, enrolment and assessment

•       Support for content on electronic platforms

•       Advising students and staff on programme regulations, assessment issues, module registration and availability

The successful candidate will have an excellent track record of programme administration, with a demonstrable record of expertise in student records systems (e.g. SITS) and VLEs (e.g. Moodle) and excellent customer service skills.

This post will be offered as fixed term from 1st November 2022 – 31st October 2023,  secondment opportunities will be considered for internal applicants. 

This is a full-time post.

Programme Management

•      Jointly manage (with the programmes team) the administration of the suite of LC modules offered

•      Be responsible for collating and publishing module availability and teaching provision

•      Manage the local module selection/allocation process; seek departmental authorisation for selections and changes

•      Provide comprehensive and authoritative advice for all students on relevant programme regulations and module registration in accordance with the Credit Framework regulations and any School/Faculty/Departmental policies, including very complex problems referred up by the Programmes Officer in liaison with the relevant Deputy Director

•      Ensure that the information provided to students in any taught programme-specific handbooks is accurate and proactively maintained/edited

•      Manage the undergraduate and postgraduate taught assessment process for LC modules including:

o          liaising with Team Leaders and Deputy Team Leaders on the teaching timetable

o          communicating with external examiners

o          liaising and troubleshooting with the Chair of the Assessment Sub Board

•      Register taught students to specific language teaching groups

•      Help implement and develop the School’s strategy for use of innovative teaching methods across the academic units in their remit, using electronic platforms as determined by the College

•      Build and maintain administrative content on taught module areas on an electronic platform where required, ensuring compliance with IT Services and School/Faculty/College policies

Communication & Networking

•      Participation in departmental, School/Faculty, campus and college-wide fora as appropriate, and to cover for colleagues as required

•      Contribution to business processes review groups and spreading good practice throughout the School

•      Daily communication with other Senior Programme Officers and Programme Officers, with the Head of Operations, the Director and Deputy Directors, teaching staff, the School, the Campus Assessment & Registry and Academic Services, King’s Admissions Office, departmental professional services staff, central College directorates, students and the general public

•      Coordination with other departments to ensure that appropriate module choices are made available to undergraduate and graduate students

•      Provision of complex and authoritative advice to students and staff about programme regulations, assessment issues, module registration and availability

Decision making, planning & problem solving

•      Delegated responsibility for managing the administration of modules under the overall direction of the Head of Operations, Director and Deputy Directors

•      Responsibility for coordinating procedures across the different programmes, in liaison with the Deputy Directors

•      Responsibility for planning, prioritising and organising own work within an annual cycle and to meet deadlines governed by the teaching year

•      Daily problem-solving such as dealing with external examiners/advisers’ problems; investigating student complaints; students’ module choices; staff availability; rearranging cancelled classes etc. in liaison with the relevant teaching staff

Teamwork, teaching & learning support

•       Supervising the work of 2 Programmes Officers.

•       Provide comprehensive training and support to teaching and professional services staff in the use of College systems, providing written guidance notes or manuals

•       Contribution to the School’s overall professional services team, contributing to planning and delivering professional support to the students and staff of the relevant academic units

•       Participation in regular reviews of individual and team progress, working very closely with all other members of the team to provide cover during peak periods or particularly intensive projects.

•       Uphold and monitor the quality of service to students, assisting the Programmes Manager and Head of Operations with performance management

•       Provision of help and advice to other members of the team

•      To act as an evacuation marshal

The above list of responsibilities may not be exhaustive, and the post holder will be required to undertake such tasks and responsibilities as may reasonably be expected within the scope and grading of the post.

Essential criteria  

1.       Excellent interpersonal and customer service skills 

2.       Confident and competent IT skills, including the use of MS Office applications and systems such as SITS, VLE platforms, etc. 

3.       Excellent verbal and written communication skills including appropriate use of English in formal documents, professional emails and writing for the web 

4.       Excellent track record of academic programme administration. 

5.       Ability to balance competing priorities under pressure of deadlines and workload and comprehend complex situations quickly 

6.       Attention to detail and commitment to quality 

7.       Confidence with managing the implementation of changes in procedures and processes 

8.       Ability to contribute effectively as part of a team to form good working relationships with teaching and professional services staff at all levels 

9.       Ability to work independently and proactively, within managerial direction