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About the Role

Staff Tutors are members of the academic staff in the School of Education, Childhood, Youth and Sport in the Faculty of Wellbeing, Education and Language Studies (WELS). They play a vital role in the provision of the Open University’s (OU) supported open learning model of education through the management of Associate Lecturers and operational management of tuition. Staff tutors contribute to the presentation of modules and qualifications and engage in scholarship and research congruent with the School and Faculty strategic priorities. They represent the Open University on national and local strategic groups.

The post holder will be based at home but may be required to undertake travel including to Milton Keynes. They will work closely, usually remotely, with team colleagues and with Academic Services staff based in Nottingham.

The successful candidate will work alongside other staff tutor colleagues managing and supporting the professional development of Associate Lecturers to ensure the quality of delivery of modules across the School. They will also work with the ECYS Student Support Team and other university staff to provide subjectspecific advice and guidance for students, either directly or through briefings and academic management decisions.

The curriculum of the School comprises modules in five programmes: Early Childhood; Education Studies (Primary); Childhood and Youth; Sport, Fitness and Coaching; and Postgraduate studies in Education, Childhood and Youth. The post holder is expected to hold a qualification and have experience in one of these subject pathways but may be required to work across pathways.

The postholder will be encouraged to contribute actively to the School’s programme of scholarship and research, and to the academic development and organisation of the School of Education, Childhood, Youth and Sport, the Faculty and The Open University.

Key Responsibilities

• Line managing associate lecturers including recruitment, induction, probation, and workload management
• Providing guidance and support to Associate Lecturers
• Assuring the quality of the work of Associate Lecturers
• Contributing to a programme of staff development activities for Associate Lecturers
• Organising tutorial provision, including planning and monitoring tutorial provision, and liaising with other units within the University and Faculty including AL Services and Faculty Coordinators
• Providing advice to front-line staff within the ECYS Student Support Team offering support to enquirers, students, and other staff
• Reporting on the presentation of modules and on the performance of Associate Lecturers and students as well as advising module teams on that basis.
• Working with Staff Tutor colleagues, module teams and curriculum leads within the School and the OU in Wales, Ireland and Scotland, to develop tuition strategies and enhance the quality of the School’s teaching programmes.
• Undertaking work in the development and /or maintenance of distance teaching materials as part of relevant module teams
• Where appropriate, representing the School externally and undertaking outreach activities on relevant aspects of the School’s teaching programmes as appropriate.
• Representing the interests of the school and its students within the faculty and university as appropriate
• Contributing to key University commitments including staff and studentfacing Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, and Retention initiatives.
• Undertaking scholarship activities in line with University and Faculty objectives.
• Working some weekends and evenings may be required including occasional time away from home.

About You

Essential:

• Higher degree and professional experience in a field relevant to programme areas covered by the post.
• Knowledge of at least one other programme pathway area covered by the School in addition to your area of professional expertise.
• Ability to carry out the role in a way that is consistent with equality legislation and University policies.
• An understanding of the needs of adult, distance and independent learners, and an imaginative approach to tutoring modules for a wide range of adult students of different backgrounds.
• Knowledge and experience of online learning environments; a keen interest in innovative forms of teaching and learning and providing student support in an online environment.
• Professional and/or academic experience of the management and development of staff.
• Successful experience in the planning and management of staff and/or non-staff resources.
• Proven organisational skills, including the ability to exercise judgement, to prioritise, and within a budgetary framework.
• Successful experience in working to deadlines, sometimes under pressure.
• Successful experience in working individually and in teams in a collegial and supportive manner.
• Ability to build good relationships with a range of stakeholders.
• High level of communication skills to suit varied audiences and occasions.
• Good understanding of UK education systems and in particular the policies and regulations affecting the markets for the programmes currently taught and planned by the School.
• Ability to travel within the UK

Desirable:

• Experience of organising staff development at higher education level.
• Successful experience of undertaking scholarship of teaching and learning activities.
• A record of academic and /or professional publications.
• Hold qualified teaching status. 

Support with your application

If you have any questions, or need support or adjustments relating to your application, the recruitment process, or the role, please contact us on 01908 541111 or email careers@open.ac.uk quoting the advert reference number.

What's in it for you?

At The Open University, we offer a range of benefits to recognise and reward great work, alongside policies and flexible working that contribute towards a great work life balance. Get all the details of what benefits we offer by visiting our Staff Benefits page (clicking this link will open a new window).

Flexible working

We are open to discussions about flexible working. Whether it’s a job share, part time, compressed hours or another working arrangement. Please reach out to us to discuss what works best for you.

Next steps in the Recruitment process

Interviews are likely to take place at the end of November. 

Early closing date notification

While most roles will remain open until the advertised closing date, applications may be reviewed on an ongoing basis. In some cases, vacancies may close earlier if a sufficient number of suitable applications have been received and equality impacts have been appropriately considered. All roles will remain advertised for a minimum of one week before any early closure is implemented.

If you have started an application or were in the process of applying when the advert closed, we encourage you to get in touch. We are committed to understanding individual circumstances and can offer further support where needed, including reasonable adjustments for applicants with protected characteristics.

How to apply

To apply for this role, please submit the following documents:

• A CV
• A Supporting Statement of up to 1000 words. You should set out in your statement why you are interested in the role and provide examples of where your skills and experience meet the essential criteria for this role as detailed above.

You can view your progress and application communications when you are logged into our recruitment system.  Please check your spam/junk folders if you do not receive associated email updates.