Position Details
Birmingham Business School
Location: University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham UK
Full time starting salary is normally in the range £33,002 to £35,608 with potential progression once in post to £39,906
Grade: 6
Full Time, Permanent
Closing date: 1 st July 2026
There are 2 positions available
Our offer to you
People are at the heart of what we are and do.
The University of Birmingham is proud to have been a part of the City of Birmingham and the wider region for over 100 years, and we are equally proud to be recognised as a leading global university. We want to attract talented people from across the city and beyond, support them to succeed, and celebrate their success.
We are committed to helping the people who work here to develop through our sector-leading Birmingham Professional programme which provides all professional services staff with development opportunities and the encouragement to reach their full potential. With almost 5,000 professional services jobs in a wide-range of functions in Edgbaston and in our campus in Dubai, there are plenty of opportunities for you to be able to develop your career at the University.
We believe there is no such thing as a typical member of staff and that diversity is a source of strength that underpins the exchange of ideas, innovation, and debate. We warmly welcome people from all backgrounds and are committed to fostering an inclusive environment where diversity is at the heart of who and what we are, and how we work.
Supporting our people to achieve a healthy work/life balance is important both to our employees and to the success of the University and, depending on the role, we offer a variety of flexible working arrangements. We therefore welcome discussions on all forms of flexible working. In addition, you will receive a generous package of benefits including 40 days paid holiday a year, one paid day a year for volunteering, occupational sick pay, and a pension scheme. We also have three high quality subsidised day nurseries.
The University is situated in leafy Edgbaston and there are excellent transport links to our beautiful campus, including main bus routes and a train station on site. On campus we have a state-of-the-art sports centre with pool, shops, places to eat and drink, our own art gallery, museum and botanical gardens.
Find out more about the benefits of working for the University of Birmingham
Background
The University of Birmingham is a global institution working within a diverse and vibrant City, offering an inspiring education to our students, and undertaking critically important research. We are a place of open, critical thinking, and the creation, sharing and dissemination of knowledge. Professional Services put students at the heart of all they do and enable an exceptional educational experience. They provide outstanding support to our researchers and help the University to grow its influence regionally, nationally, and globally. They ensure the University’s resources are used wisely, manage and improve the infrastructure which sits at the heart of the institution, and support decisions to be made quickly and based on sound evidence. Our Birmingham Professional programme operates across the University, supporting colleagues to network and collaborate, offering opportunities to learn and develop, contributing to the delivery of the University’s objectives, and helping everyone to understand the broader context within which we work.
Department Overview
Working as part of the Birmingham Business School careers team reporting directly to the Careers Consultant (UG), you will be responsible for proactively managing and developing the Birmingham Business School Careers service for undergraduates within the University of Birmingham’s Business School and College of Social Sciences. You will work with a team of BBS Careers and Placement professionals with the aim of delivering positive experiences and outcomes to all Birmingham Business School students, graduates, and alumni.
Role Summary
At the University of Birmingham, students are at the heart of all we do.
The Employability Support Officer provides high quality first-line employability and careers support, ensuring students can access information, resources, and practical guidance to enhance their career readiness.
The role delivers operational and administrative support across placements, employer activities, events, and student engagement. It plays a vital part in ensuring an efficient employability service by responding to day-to-day enquiries, supporting student skill development, and enabling senior practitioners to focus on strategic and specialist careers work.
Main Duties
Student Support & Enquiry Management
- Provide first line employability support via drop ins, email, online chat, and one to one appointments, offering initial guidance on CVs, job search techniques and basic applications.
- Deliver short skills focused sessions (e.g., CV essentials, using job search tools) under established frameworks and guidance.
- Signpost students to careers professionals for specialist, complex or guidance related queries in line with service protocols.
- Maintain an approachable, student centred presence and contribute to wider student engagement activities.
Work Experience & Placement Support
- Support the administration of placements and internships, including documentation handling, compliance checks, risk assessment processes, and monitoring student progress.
- Maintain accurate, timely records on placements and student outcomes using designated systems.
- Liaise with employers to resolve routine operational queries, escalating complex matters to senior colleagues where required.
Events & Employer Engagement
- Coordinate and support the delivery of careers events, employer sessions, careers fairs and on campus promotional activities.
- Oversee event logistics including room bookings, attendee lists, registration processes, digital promotion and on the day support.
- Assist with the quality assurance of employer opportunities and the maintenance of up to date listings.
Communications & Digital Support
- Contribute to the updating and maintenance of careers webpages, newsletters, and digital platforms.
- Produce clear and engaging student facing communications and short guides.
- Monitor engagement levels and produce basic analytics to support evaluation and reporting.
Administration & Systems
- Provide administrative and operational support across the BBS Careers Team related to work experiences.
- Ensure robust data management and record keeping in line with GDPR.
- Support evaluation activities, student feedback mechanisms, and the collection of insights to inform service improvements.
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
- Promote equality, fairness and inclusion in all student interactions and service activity, reflecting University expectations for Grade 6 roles.
- Act as a positive ambassador for an inclusive employability experience.
Required Knowledge, Skills, Qualifications, Experience
Essential
- Experience in a student facing, customer service or administrative role.
- Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to build rapport with a diverse student body.
- Ability to manage multiple tasks and competing deadlines in a busy operational environment.
- Confident using digital platforms and Microsoft 365 applications.
- Commitment to supporting students and contributing to a positive, inclusive, and responsive service.
Desirable
- Experience working in higher education or careers/employability settings.
- Understanding of employability processes, recruitment practices or HR environments.
Experience of supporting events or delivering short presentations/workshops.
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Selection process:
Please note that this vacancy will involve a two-stage interview process. Initial online interviews are scheduled for w/c 13th July . Candidates shortlisted from this stage will be invited to attend a face-to-face interview on Wednesday 22 July.
An information webinar will be held on 24 June at 3pm , offering the opportunity to learn more about the role, the team, and the recruitment process. You will also be able to ask questions during the session. To join, please register and join here.
Informal enquiries to Stef Cope, email: [email protected]
View our staff values and behaviours here
Use of AI in applications: We want to understand your genuine interest in the role and for the written elements of your application to accurately reflect your own communication style. Applications that rely too heavily on AI tools can appear generic and lack the detail we need to assess your skills and experience. Such applications will unlikely be progressed to interview.
We believe there is no such thing as a 'typical' member of University of Birmingham staff and that diversity in its many forms is a strength that underpins the exchange of ideas, innovation and debate at the heart of University life. We are committed to proactively addressing the barriers experienced by some groups in our community and are proud to hold Athena SWAN, Race Equality Charter and Disability Confident accreditations. We have an Equality Diversity and Inclusion Centre that focuses on continuously improving the University as a fair and inclusive place to work where everyone has the opportunity to succeed. We are also committed to sustainability, which is a key part of our strategy. You can find out more about our work to create a fairer university for everyone on our website .
