Academic Support Lead

Company: Elizabeth School of London

Position: Academic Support Lead (ASL)

Location: ON-SITE, Birmingham, UK

Employment Type: Fixed Term Contract (2 years)

Working Hours: Monday to Friday, 09:00-17:00

Salary: £30,000-£32,000 per annum

Job Overview

The Academic Support Lead will play a pivotal role in enhancing the academic support at Elizabeth School of London. The ASL will work in collaboration with other Academic Support Leads, EST Lead and the ANT Lead as well as Academic Support Tutors to support our students achieve their potentials. This role will thus involve developing, implementing, and overseeing programmes and strategies that support student retention, progression, and overall success. The ideal candidate will

work collaboratively with the academic departments (Lecturers, MLs, PLs, PAMs, CAMs), student services, and other key stakeholders to create a supportive and engaging environment that promotes academic achievement, personal development, and well-being for all students.

Key Responsibilities

Strategy and Problem Solving

• Develop and implement a comprehensive student success strategy aligned with ESL’s and the university partners’ goals and values.
• Design and lead focused on student retention, academic support, and engagement.
• Analyse student data to identify at-risk students and create targeted interventions to improve retention and success rates.
• Work collaboratively with academic departments to integrate student success initiatives into the curriculum.

Student Support and Engagement

• Oversee the delivery of support services, including academic advising, mentoring, and personal development workshops.
• Develop and maintain initiatives that promote student engagement, such as peer support programmes, student communities, and extracurricular activities.
• Provide leadership in the development of resources and support networks for underrepresented or disadvantaged student groups.
• Ensure the provision of timely and effective support for students facing academic, personal, or financial challenges.

Collaboration and Partnership

• Collaborate with academic staff, student services, and external partners to create a holistic approach to student success.
• Build strong relationships with student representatives and the Students’
• Representatives to ensure the student voice is central to decision-making.
• Monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of student success initiatives using qualitative and quantitative data.
• Produce regular reports on student retention, progression, and satisfaction, providing insights and recommendations for continuous improvement.
• Lead the development of a feedback loop that incorporates student input into the refinement of success strategies.

Leadership and Management

• Provide leadership and direction to a team of Academic Support Tutors ensuring high levels of performance and motivation.
• Manage the budget for student success initiatives, ensuring effective use of resources (where necessary).
• Lead training and development sessions for staff on best practices in academic support and engagement.

Team Management

• Work closely with CAMs, AAMs, ACs and PAMs providing guidance, support, and performance feedback
• To regularly monitor staff performance and report/feedback to relevant departments
• Attend all relevant meetings and training sessions set to improve performance, communication as well as personal development
• To resolve staff queries and concerns related to academic operations, fostering a collaborative work environment.
• Performance Monitoring and Reporting:
• Regularly monitor site’s (sites’) performance indicators such as retention rates, success, progression rates and academic standards
• Formulate reports on sites and programme performance for presentation, highlighting achievements and areas for improvement, together with appropriate actions taken.

Policy Implementation:

• Implement policies and procedures mandated by the CAMs and PAMs to ensure consistency and compliance across academic operations.
• Stay updated with regulatory requirements and industry best practices to inform policy decisions.

Examination Management:

• Ensure timely administration of assessments, marking and grade reporting in accordance with academic calendars and partner university requirements.
• Working with CAMs to conduct internal examination boards as necessary to assess student performance and maintain academic integrity.

Education, Qualifications and Experience

• Minimum of a master’s degree in education, business, or related fields.
• Proven experience in educational management in similar roles, especially in the widening participation settings.
• Strong leadership and interpersonal skills, with the ability to inspire and motivate others.
• Excellent organisational and problem-solving abilities.
• Knowledge of safeguarding policies and procedures.
• Effective communication skills, both verbal and written.
• Ability to remain calm and composed during emergencies and busy times.
• Familiarity with relevant regulations and compliance standards in the higher education sector.
• Commitment to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion within the campus community.

Benefits

• Annual leave (7.2 weeks)
• Workplace pension scheme.
• Company Sick Pay.
• Statutory maternity and paternity pay.
• Employee Assistance Programme (HA Wisdom Wellbeing)
• Virtual GP access (Livi)
• 'Speak Up Service' - confidential support service to report any workplace concerns
• Specialist physical and mental wellbeing support services with 24/7 confidential counselling support (Wisdom)
• Specialist menopause support, including online CBT (Wisdom)
• Financial, legal and medical advice services provided (Wisdom)
• Life & Leadership coaching (Wisdom)
• Financial coaching (MUNNY)
• Discounts and perks, offering savings on shopping, activities and more (Bright Exchange)
• Career development and training opportunities.
• Training and self-development opportunities.