Head of Student Immigration and Visa Services - Stirling, United Kingdom - University of Stirling

University of Stirling

Verified Company

Stirling, United Kingdom

2 weeks ago

Posted by:

Tom O´Connor

beBee Recruiter

Description

Post Details
Full time
Open ended

There is an expectation that work will be undertaken in the UK.

For the purposes of sponsorship, this is a role under SOC code 2317.

The Post

The Head of Student Immigration and Visa Services role is a new post within Academic Registry and provides leadership to the Student Immigration and Visa Services function of the team, which is responsible for leading the University's compliance with the requirements of its UKVI licence, and delivering expert advice to the University on student immigration compliance matters, a range of effective services relevant to compliance, and information and advice provision.

The team supports the Academic Registrar and works in conjunction with the rest of the Academic Registry team in the successful delivery of Academic Registry objectives.

The team also works collaboratively with the University's Faculties, Divisions, and Professional Services to achieve institutional objectives.

The Head of Student Immigration and Visa Services is part of Academic Registry's senior leadership group and acts as the internal key expert in student immigration compliance and support.

The postholder is responsible for providing:

the management, development and delivery of the University's arrangements to ensure consistent UKVI compliance; the availability of effective management information and reporting to inform compliance and performance monitoring; excellent information, support and advice for students and staff; and leadership to the Student Immigration and Visa Services team.

As such, the post-holder leads the implementation of policy, procedure and systems relevant to the area, and is responsible for working with a collaborative approach to achieve a coherent institutional approach, and for implementing strategies and plans for development to optimise service excellence and consistent compliance in a fast-developing area of high-risk activity.

Description of Duties

Provide expert advice to the Academic Registrar, senior officers and the University as a whole on student immigration and visa matters, as the key institutional adviser in this area
Lead development and maintenance of robust, effective arrangements for student immigration, fostering an operating culture of compliance
Embed proactive approaches across the team's delivery and establish a strong presence for the function within institutional operations and governance, ensuring the consistent development, use, monitoring and maintenance of compliance across the student journey
Establish effective data gathering, retention, analysis and reporting arrangements for the function, and provide information and reports as required to support and facilitate compliance monitoring at all levels of operation, and to inform institutional planning and decisionmaking
Lead the team's consistently proactive collaboration and partnership with other areas to establish, develop and provide advice on appropriate processes and approaches to embed compliance within their operations
Lead the effectiveness and oversight of student immigration arrangements in the University's joint venture and other partnerships, taking proactive steps to support and ensure compliance
Ensure provision of a supportive, compliant information, advice and guidance service to students across the different stages of the student journey, that seeks to facilitate resolution of immigration issues, in line with Home Office policy and guidance
Lead provision of communication, awareness raising, training, guidance and support for staff within the University, as appropriate to need, to underpin a culture of compliance
Provide committee management and input as required to relevant groups, in line with Academic Registry governance approaches, ensuring groups are enabled to undertake their remits based on effective management information, and the timely highlighting of emerging internal or external issues or challenges
Provide effective leadership of the Student Immigration and Visa Services area of Academic Registry to ensure consistently high quality delivery, in support of the aims and objectives of Academic Registry and the wider University, and the provision of excellent services to both students and staff
Ensure effective line management and staff development across Student Immigration and Visa Services, and that staff deployment enables required delivery, performance and business continuity

Please see attached document for a full list of duties and responsibilities.

Essential Criteria

Educated to degree level, or equivalent extensive employment experience across a range of roles with increasing levels of responsibility
Demonstrable experience of working successfully in the area of student immigration/visa compliance and implementing responsive change and innovation
Extensive experience in working within prescribed regulatory frameworks
Expert knowledge of the current UK immigration rul