Alumni Project Senior Assistant

As we prepare to celebrate our 60th Anniversary in 2025, Van Mildert College is seeking an enthusiastic, engaging and skilled Alumni Project administrator to play a vital role providing administrative support to the Principal and other members of the College team in organising events and raising funds for the College.

Van Mildert College is a vibrant, stimulating, welcoming and diverse community. We have 1600 current students, of whom 525 live in College. We also have a large, diverse and highly engaged alumni community that stretches across the globe. In 2025, we intend to celebrate the impact College has had on the thousands of people who have been associated with it over its first 60 years, as well as raising money for key projects that will support the future of the College.

The successful candidate will support the delivery of both the celebrations and the accompanying major fundraising campaign. Reporting directly to the Principal, the successful candidate will support alumni engagement, event management and fundraising, working alongside the University's Development and Alumni Relations Office (DARO). They will work alongside the Principal, DARO and the alumni association on alumni and supporter development to increase the number of regular givers, upgrading existing donors and identifying key prospects. They will need to be a visible part of the daily life of the College, both on site and at events off site for alumni and other guests.

Specific Role Requirements

The role may require some limited evening and weekend working around key events. This will be agreed in advance with the line manager., We will update you about your application at various points throughout the selection process, via automated emails from our e-recruitment system. Please check your spam/junk folder periodically to make sure you have not missed any of our updates., Here are the kind of activities that you'll be asked to undertake and ways in which you'll be expected to operate.

Service Delivery

• Provide an excellent and timely service to our alumni and colleagues.


• Help to organise high-profile events in prestigious locations for alumni.



• Provide admin support to the Principal when engaging potential high-value donors to the college.



• Collect, organise and record data and information accurately for use by others.


• Provide admin support for the annual alumni reunion in college, and other alumni events both in and out of college.


• Use standard office-based devices and applications such as Word, Excel and MS Teams to deliver services.


• Collate and distribute information e.g. meeting papers to support the VM60 Working Group.


• When carrying out your role, carry out standard checks and follow professional and regulatory requirements e.g. security standards when handling and archiving data and information.


• Provide support for meetings, working groups and committees by preparing related documents.


Teamwork/Liaison

• Help to set up for events.


• Help create communications for the alumni community.


• Help and cooperate with the rest of your team on operational matters to help achieve shared objectives.


• Liaise with staff in other areas to ensure that services are being delivered in an efficient and collaborative way.


Communication/Personal

• Show a commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion and the University's values.


• Follow established procedures to respond to queries and bring any complex issues to the attention of more experienced team members.


• Respond to queries by providing routine information to students, alumni and external stakeholders and signposting to additional guidance.



• Any other reasonable duties.


Please note that in submitting your application Durham University will be processing your data. We would ask you to consider the relevant University Privacy Statement Privacy Notices - Durham University which provides information on the collation, storing and use of data.

SECONDMENT
The post is full time, fixed term for a 1 year period and may be offered on an internal secondment basis subject to the agreement of the current line manager.

1. Five GCSE's at least Grade C or level four (or equivalent) including English Language and Mathematics or equivalent experience.
2. Experience of working in a team delivering customer focussed administrative services or having relevant qualifications for the role.
3. Experience of managing time to meet deadlines.

Skills/Abilities/Knowledge
4. Good spoken and written communication skills.
5. Good digital skills including experience in using digital devices and apps including the internet, email, digital communication tools, Microsoft 365 applications, digital booking systems.
6. Committed to training/continuing professional development.
7. Ability to solve problems as part of a team and resolve straightforward issues.
8. Ability to provide advice and guidance to a range of colleagues and customers.

Desirable Criteria

1. Demonstrable experience of working with stakeholders external to your organisation

2. Demonstrable experience of working in a related area in a customer-facing role.

At Durham University, we are proud of our people, because they are at the heart of our globally outstanding institution, which is a key part of our local community. We inspire our people to do extraordinary things and we invite you to join our fantastic team.

Across the University, we have a huge variety of roles and responsibilities, which together make us one large and successful community. Whether you are at the very start, middle or end of your career, there is a role for you. We believe everyone has their own unique skills to offer.

At the University we promote and actively champion equality, diversity and inclusion. It is crucial that everyone can be themselves and can flourish in an environment where everyone respects each other and is treated fairly. We want our people and wider community to feel happy, secure and proud to be a part of Durham. We are looking for the same values in you.

A competitive salary is only one part of the many fantastic benefits you will receive if you join the University: you will also receive access to the following fantastic benefits:

• 27 Days annual leave per year (in additional to 8 public holidays and 4 customary days per year), a total of 39 days. Including time off between Christmas and New Year.


• No matter how you travel to work, we have you covered. We have parking across campus, a cycle to work scheme which helps you to buy a bike and discount with local bus and train companies.


• Discounts via our benefits portal including; money off at supermarkets, high street retailers, IT products such as Apple, the cinema and days out at various attractions.


• On site nursery is available and access to holiday camps for children aged 5-16 throughout the year.


• Lots of support for health and wellbeing including discounted membership for our state of the art sport and gym facilities and access to a 24-7 Employee Assistance Programme.


• The opportunity to take part in staff volunteering activities.


• Family friendly policies, including maternity and adoption leave, which are among the most generous in the higher education sector (and likely above and beyond many employers)


• If you are keen on advancing in your role or career, we have a genuine passion for developing our colleagues from qualifications, to IT skills, courses and apprenticeships.


• Generous pension schemes.