About the Role

This is an exciting opportunity to work in The Open University’s Careers and Employability Services (CES), which helps thousands of people realise their life and career ambitions.  We are a team of 70 staff based around the UK, who work in a highly connected and innovative environment. 

The core elements of this role will be as a member of the CES Senior Management Team providing leadership across CES to ensure an inclusive, positive and resilient team culture; and as Senior Manager for FASS (Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences) leading and managing an integrated approach to the delivery of appropriate careers education, information, advice and guidance (CEIAG) for FASS students and alumni.  You will work closely and develop effective working relationships with senior faculty colleagues and in other units and have the opportunity to lead and shape service design in meeting the needs of OU students and stakeholders.
 
Your role would be attached to the team based in Milton Keynes, linked to the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences staff. 

Key Responsibilities

• Overseeing the delivery of impactful Careers and Employability Services to students, alumni and faculties, with specific responsibility for the delivery of services to the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences.
• Develop effective working relationships with senior colleagues in Faculties, Academic Services and other departments to support the delivery of careers education, information, advice and guidance (CEIAG), drawing upon professional training as a careers specialist.
• To proactively support the Head of Service Delivery in the strategic development and management of Careers and Employability Services, including developing links with the Pro-Vice Chancellor Students (PVC-S) employability team to deliver Employability Strategy aims and objectives.
• Working with other senior managers, to provide leadership across CES and enable a positive, resilient and supportive team culture and an integrated approach to delivery of appropriate CEIAG for students, with particular focus on the effectiveness of support for their affiliated Faculty, and other specialisms where appropriate.

Skills and Experience

Essential

• A professional qualification in Careers Guidance 
• A first degree or equivalent 
• Appropriate experience in HE and specifically in the field of Careers Education or Employability and Personal Development Planning.
• Knowledge and understanding of priorities in the higher education sector, and the place of part-time distance learning within it.
• Experience of leading and managing others.
• An understanding and a commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion.
• Familiarity with the use of a range of digital technologies in service design and delivery of careers education, information, advice and guidance, employability and PDP.
• Interest in and experience of innovative pedagogy.
• Experience of using new technologies to deliver business processes.
• Experience of working independently, as well as being able to work collaboratively and as an effective member of a dispersed team.
• Highly developed interpersonal and communications skills including written, oral and presentation skills, negotiating and influencing skills and, demonstrating the ability to liaise  effectively with a wide range of stakeholders.
• An engaging individual and inspiring and resilient leader with a capacity to think strategically and problem solve and to build and develop an effective team at a distance.
• Ability to work collaboratively with other individuals and teams – in person and virtually, across multi-disciplinary, cross-faculty and cross-unit teams.
• Ability to work flexibly and respond positively to change and changing priorities, empowering other staff to do the same.
• Analytical, planning and research skills, with the ability to use data and insight to assimilate information from multiple sources and stakeholders and use it to inform and continuously improve service evaluation and delivery.
   

Essential Requirements

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 month.

Hours: This is a part time position of 30 hours per week with a negotiable work pattern. 

How to apply: To apply for this role, please submit the following 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 as detailed in the job and person specification.

*Early Close:  We reserve the right to close adverts sooner than the closing date.