Exams & Awards Assistant

Salary: £25,249 with progression to £26,707 per annum

Newcastle University is a great place to work, with excellent benefits. We have a generous holiday package; plus the opportunity to buy more, great pension schemes and a number of health and wellbeing initiatives to support you.

The closing date for this role is Monday 9th March and interviews will be held on Thursday 19th March.

The Role

The Examinations & Awards Team is looking to recruit an enthusiastic and motivated Examinations & Awards Assistant. As part of Registry and Education Services based at our Newcastle-upon-Tyne campus, which benefits from fantastic transport links and state of the art facilities.

You will liaise with internal stakeholders and work closely with other members of the team to plan, coordinate and deliver a successful examination service for students and colleagues.

We are seeking someone who is well organised, detail focused and able to manage their own workload effectively. Strong interpersonal skills and confidence communicating by phone, email and in person are essential, along with proficiency in Microsoft packages.

Please note that flexible working and campus-based attendance may be required at busy periods, during which annual leave will also be limited.

This is a fixed term post, until 30th April 2027.

Informal enquiries are welcomed. Please email Jonny Emmerson - Senior Exams and Awards Manager jonny.emmerson@newcastle.ac.uk

Key Accountabilities

• The delivery of the exams enquiry service including the provision of advice and guidance to students, colleagues and third parties as required, and to ensure that queries are dealt with appropriately in a timely manner
• The administration of examination papers including the conducting of quality checks and logging processes via the Exam Paper Portal; and the preparation of examination venue packages
• The planning and successful delivery of all examinations including digital, liaison with colleagues in the Learning & Teaching Development Service (LTDS), the University’s IT Service (NUIT) and Estates, plus providing relevant  guidance and support to Schools
• The planning and successful delivery of examinations for students who have been granted alternative examination arrangements in light of a disability or medical/mental health condition, including the effective implementation of all agreed arrangements  
• The administration of off-campus examinations including liaison with overseas examination hosts to ensure the correct arrangements are in place and the University’s standards are maintained
• The planning and successful delivery of the high volume of ad-hoc examinations that take place throughout the year
• The recruitment and coordination of approx. 200 members of staff hired on a casual basis to work as Examination Invigilators including the allocation of invigilation duties and maintenance of accurate personnel files
• The coordination and uploading of information for HEAR documents provided by Schools and other services, the issuing of electronic documents via a digital portal and the day to day responses to the verification requests received from third parties
• The administration of all finance-related activity in regards to examinations including the calculation of accurate payments for all invigilation duties undertaken; and the stock management of the stationery, materials and equipment required for examinations

Examinations & Awards Assistants work with senior members of the Examinations & Awards Team to:  

• Assist in the reviewing of the processes and functions of the Examinations and Awards Team in order to provide a continuously improving service to students, graduates, and other University departments
• Provide support to the congregation and award verification functions as required and assist with other Student Progress Service events/activities (as required) including congregations and registration

The Person 

Knowledge, Skills and Experience 

• A proven track record of planning and organisation of tasks
• Excellent communication skills, both oral and written, including the ability to communicate effectively with students and staff at a wide range of levels
• Demonstrable experience in IT, including an up-to-date and good working knowledge of Microsoft 365
• Previous work experience in a relevant role and/or comparable setting
• Displays strong attention to detail with a commitment to data accuracy and integrity

Attributes and Behaviour

• Ability to work under pressure, manage conflicting priorities and meet strict deadlines
• Works effectively within a team and actively seek to assist team members with pressing or raised workloads
• Confidence to advise students and staff on matters of regulation and procedure
• Communicates sensitively and tactfully when responding to customers who may be disappointed, angry or upset
• Adopts a positive attitude and approach to problem solving
• Committed to delivering an effective and efficient service

Qualifications

• Educated to GCSE Level Maths and English A* to C/9 to 4/NVQ Level 2 or significant experience in a relevant role

Newcastle University is a global University where everyone is treated with dignity and respect.  As a University of Sanctuary, we aim to provide a welcoming place of safety for all, offering opportunities to people fleeing violence and persecution.

We are committed to being a fully inclusive university which actively recruits, supports and retains colleagues from all sectors of society.  We value diversity as well as celebrate, support and thrive on the contributions of all of our employees and the communities they represent.  We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer and encourage applications from individuals who can complement our existing teams, we believe that success is built on having teams whose backgrounds and experiences reflect the diversity of our university and student population.

At Newcastle University we hold a Gold Athena Swan award in recognition of our good employment practices for the advancement of gender equality.  We also hold a Race Equality Charter Bronze award in recognition of our work towards tackling race inequality in higher education REC.  We are a Disability Confident employer and will offer an interview to disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role as part of the offer and interview scheme.

In addition, we are a member of the Euraxess initiative supporting researchers in Europe. 

Requisition ID: 29143