Policy Officer - London, United Kingdom - GuildHE

Description

Job description

Policy Officer**
Salary: starting in range of £29,000-£34,000 (max 39,000) including London Weighting


Working pattern:
Full-time, Permanent (35 hours per week)


Pension:

USS

Annual leave:25 days plus bank holidays and wellbeing days


Location:
Hybrid working - Based in central London (Euston), with occasional UK-wide travel and flexible working options


Reports to:
Policy Director (Insight, Access & Student Experience)


Application Process
Interviews will be held virtually and will include a pre-set task.

• Please note we are currently unable to provide visa sponsorship for employment. We reserve the right to close this job listing early if a suitable applicant is appointed._

Job Purpose

GuildHE is the representative body for smaller and specialist universities and higher education institutions.

GuildHE is seeking a full-time Policy Officer to work with our team and more closely with the Research and Knowledge Exchange Managers to deliver policy activities for and on behalf of our members.

The Policy Officer will be responsible for supporting our policy work related to the student experience (at both undergraduate and postgraduate level) and the development of policy positions pertaining to our research and knowledge exchange activities.

This will require them to work closely with our three Policy Managers for the student experience, research and knowledge exchange.

The post holder will require good knowledge and understanding of the UK higher education sector.

A degree or equivalent is desirable as well as experience working either in higher education or in a policy role in a related sector.

We are looking for an effective and confident communicator who can demonstrate excellent analytical and problem-solving skills, who is a good team player, self-motivated and able to work on your own initiative.

Specific Responsibilities
The post holder will be responsible for providing intelligence and insight in the following policy areas:

• Student support & student services
• To keep up to date on key sector activity in relation to students' academic and pastoral support needs including mental health, wellbeing, progression and attainment.
• To support GuildHE's work on equality and diversity, including our antiracism programme, policy on disabled students and access and participation.
• To understand wider student experience such as accommodation, learning resources and social/cultural capital development in our member institutions.
• To work with the policy managers on intelligence gathering in relation to employability and skills.
• Support the work of the Research Consortium (GuildHE Research)
• Devise, develop, and deliver initiatives for postgraduate students and early careers researchers at member institutions, including a Virtual Doctoral Training Network and PGR Network for ethnic minority students
• Lead on policies relating to Open Access and academic facilities/resources;
• Support the Policy Manager for Research on developing and delivering content for other research projects and events including the GuildHE Research Leads meeting, sandpits/match events, workshops and roundtables.
• Maintain our shared services (i.e. research outputs repository, shared postgraduate online training, research impact tracking and researcher development tools) and explore new services in response to members' needs
• Ensure that our student support policy work cuts across to the support for postgraduate students.

Supporting GuildHE Member Networks
To support the development of evidence-based policy arguments and to facilitate communication, collaboration and the sharing of best practice between GuildHE Members, the role holder will proactively plan the activities for the following networks:

• Student Support
• Librarians

The postholder will also need to attend the Students' Union and Access and Participation network on a regular basis and support the Research Leads Meeting, leading on Doctoral School, Shared Services, and Open Access in particular.

Advocacy and networking
In relation to the above policy areas, the post holder will:

• advise GuildHE members on relevant policy developments, and to provide written briefings and updates where appropriate.

- conduct associated research, gather and process data, as well as analyse national data to find trends and support evidence-based policy development
- contribute to the formulation of responses to relevant policy consultations on behalf of GuildHE.
- liaise closely on policy matters, where appropriate, with other relevant agencies and bodies such as but not limited to Universities UK, the OfS, UKRI, Research England and the Department for Education.
- represent GuildHE externally and as an observer and/or representative on relevant HE sector agencies, groups, and projects.
- seek opportunities to promote GuildHE's members' work through attending sector forums, events, responding to consultatio