Change your career, change lives

The Open University is the UK’s largest university, a world leader in flexible part-time education combining a mission to widen access to higher education with research excellence, transforming lives through education. Find out more about us and our mission by watching this short video (you will be taken to YouTube by clicking this link).

About the Role

Working within OU Validation Partnerships (OUVP), the Partnerships Administrator will report to the Validation Support Manager and provide comprehensive administrative and project support to the Senior Manager Partnerships and Manager Partnerships in the management and oversight of the University’s collaborative partnerships across Further and Higher Education. You will contribute to the review, enhancement and implementation of processes that assure the quality and standards of the University’s non-validated taught Curriculum Partnerships, as well as provide administrative support for processes relating to the approval and review of both potential and existing validated partners.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage and monitor a shared email box and provide assistance with queries from colleagues across the university.
• Assist the Senior Manager Partnerships and Manager Partnerships with administrative tasks and support to include:
  • Project support, team activity planning support.
  • Support and guidance in respect of the quality assurance of collaborative provision. 
  • Updating and publication of the University registry of Partnerships.
  • Partnership reporting to central University departments.
  • Website (intranet) ongoing review, maintenance, updates, and development.
  • Development, update, and maintenance of accurate electronic record and consistent filing systems.
  • Specific projects/activities/working groups to ensure that the unit is audit ready and working as efficiently and effectively at all times.
• Assist the Approvals Team (Validation) with administrative tasks and support related to the delivery of the OU validated awards, including:
  • Arranging and supporting, meetings and visits
  • Managing the receipt and circulation of documentation and collation of feedback
• Assist with the maintenance of records and correspondence and provide accurate information and data in support of the Unit’s responsibilities, including:
  • Preparing award documentation for the conferment of Validated Awards and the printing of Validated Award certificates in liaison with the Validation and Awards Co-ordinator.
  • Liaise with other University units, as required, including Finance, Central Legal Services, Business Development Unit, Faculties, the Research office and the Quality office.
• Work collaboratively with other OUVP staff to support and deliver the Unit’s responsibilities;
• Prepare papers, reports, data for Senior Management Team as well as updating Standard Operating Procedures

About You

Essential

• Excellent IT skills, including advanced level IT skills in Microsoft Office, particularly Excel, Outlook, and Word.
• Experience in an administrative post, providing office cover and meeting support and minute taking, data entry, including updating, maintaining and extracting data from spreadsheets and databases.
• Excellent Communication skills, both written and verbal, including the ability to disseminate information effectively, proof read documents and amend documentation as necessary.
• Excellent inter-personal skills and the ability to build good relations, with a friendly, approachable, patient and facilitative manner, using tact and discretion as necessary.
• Proven ability to work to a high level of accuracy with attention to detail, particularly when under pressure.
• Ability to prioritise and adapt in a busy and changing environment, using initiative to achieve results.
• Flexibility and the ability to work collaboratively and responsively in a variety of team settings.
• Proven organisation and time management skills with ability to remain effective under pressure.
• Evidence of commitment to continuous improvement of services and to own personal development.
• Ability to carry out the role in a way that is consistent with equality legislation and University policies.

Desirable

• An awareness of issues relevant to the Higher Education sector, nationally and internationally.
• Experience of working with Quality Assurance processes and procedures.
• Experience of working in a partnerships team or within collaborative provision.
• Experience of website maintenance.
• Project management experience.

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

Hours

This is a part time postion of 20 hours per week, preferably worked across five days, although four days will be considered. The role is required to cover mornings, with a latest start time of 9.30am.

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.

Work location
It is anticipated that a hybrid working pattern can be adopted for this role, where you can work from home and the office. However, as this role is contractually aligned to our Milton Keynes office it is expected that some attendance in the office will be required when necessary and in response to business needs. We’d expect this to be approximately once per week on a Wednesday. 

Next steps in the Recruitment process

Interviews are anticipated to take place week commencing 1 June 2026.

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 has 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 as separate documents;

• CV
• Supporting statement, up to 1,000 words, you should set out in your statement why you’re interested in this role and provide examples of where your skills and experience meet the required competencies for this role as detailed in the job and person specification.

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.