Learn Welsh Academic Operations Assistant

Job Description

The Role
What you’ll do
Who you are – Qualifications, Experience, Knowledge and Skills required
How to apply
Benefits
Employment Visa

The Role

Aberystwyth University provides Welsh language courses for around 3,500 learners across Ceredigion, Powys, Carmarthenshire and the Vale of Glamorgan as one of the providers for the National Centre for Learning Welsh.

Further details about the programme can be found at Dysgu Cymraeg Ceredigion-Powys-Sir Gâr | Dysgu Cymraeg.. The Department of Learn Welsh includes a leadership and administrative team in Aberystwyth, Area Coordinators in the field, and around 100 full-time and part-time tutors.

You will work within a friendly and supportive team, making a real difference in promoting the Welsh language.

A Team Building trainer (July 2021) said:
“It is clear that this is a team that understands each other, is willing to listen, respects differences, and is committed to working hard for the benefit of others.”

In August 2022, Estyn judged the provision to be excellent, stating:
“The provider offers a wide range of professional learning opportunities for its staff, and in addition to training in teaching and learning, a broader programme is offered in areas such as wellbeing and diversity. Most staff take advantage of these opportunities and praise them.”

You will provide advice and information to learners, acting as the first point of contact for current and prospective learners; handling enquiries; supporting promotional and marketing activities; course administration (data, finance, logistics); taking minutes in meetings; and assisting with the administration of Welsh for Adults examinations.

Informal enquiries can be made by contacting Carys Hughes Jones, Administrative Coordinator for Welsh Learning, at caj@aber.ac.uk.

Appointments are usually made within 4–8 weeks of the closing date.

What you’ll do

This job description is subject to review and amendment in the light of the changing needs of the University, to provide appropriate development opportunities and/or the addition of any other reasonable duties.

Providing advice and information to learners

• Deal with inquiries from prospective learners and current learners regarding the Learn Welsh programme, deal with inquiries and refer enquiries to other officers if necessary during busy periods and staff absence. Respond to inquiries over the phone, face to face and in writing (via email or letter).  This will require drafting letters, and emails to staff, learners and external bodies using templates with modifications where appropriate. It means understanding and communicating information that may be simple or that may need to be explained or interpreted in order to help other people understand it, and consideration will need to be given to what to communicate and how. It also means providing a flexible and effective service to customers, and providing feedback to the team regarding the customer's requirements, and helping to adapt the service to meet the customer's needs. Dealing with inquiries that may be unexpected or unique, finding an appropriate solution where possible.
• Organise your own work and resources to meet agreed objectives. Respond to unexpected events or changes in priorities positively and rearrange work as necessary.
• Provide information to learners about Learn Welsh courses, together with advice on services, processes and procedures for staff, students and Learners. Dealing with queries that can be complex, and that require information about the language levels of courses, in order to give suitable advice to learners so that they can register on the correct course. Communicate both simple and more complex information clearly.
• Advising learners about registering and paying for a course, including registering and paying online on the interactive site managed by the National Centre. Giving advice and information regarding course materials, course locations and other relevant matters. Deal with unexpected or unique enquiries, finding solutions or referring appropriately.
• Undertake reception duties, including welcoming visitors, responding to inquiries about all aspects of the Welsh Learning department's work.
• Provide advice to managers on the operation of the course program and the inquiry service, and how they could be changed in the light of feedback from customers or their ease of use and effectiveness.

Teamwork

• Work as an active member of the Welsh Learning Department team by providing support to other members of the team, by showing a flexible attitude and helping to build the team's spirit. Play an active role in team meetings, contributing to discussions and supporting other members of the team. Delivering on behalf of absent colleagues which may involve undertaking more complex duties.

Promotion and Marketing

• Collaborate under the supervision of the Program Officer to implement recruitment plans and attract learners, e.g. create a monthly e-bulletin in an attractive style, create and distribute posters, send emails to learners, update the website and social networking accounts, complying with GDPR requirements.
• Attend promotional events as necessary, in order to share course information with learners and potential learners, and give advice.

External Examination Administration

• Act as Assistant Examinations Officer to assist in conducting WJEC Use of Welsh examinations for learners at all levels in a number of sites across the area; processing applications from examination candidates, and giving advice to learners regarding the examination arrangements; ensure that the arrangements comply with WJEC procedures, standards and regulations; appoint, lead and support a team of examination supervisors and assistant supervisors; arrange suitable locations to hold examinations across the area; keep examination papers safe, before and after the examinations, and return them safely to WJEC; arranging special provisions for learners with additional learning needs or disabilities; send results to the learners.

Course Administration

• Coordinating course data administration, including responsibility for monitoring, checking and correcting class registers, and coordinating the process of contacting learners who have not registered and paid, in order to ensure complete and accurate records.
• Assist in the preparation of termly data reports on courses and registrations by learners for the National Centre for Welsh Learning and collaborate with the Program Officer to prepare for the annual data audit.
• Collect, record and check learner data, including personal details and assessment records, keeping the necessary records (on paper and on computer), in accordance with the policies of the University and the National Welsh Language Learning Centre, and comply with the relevant legislation. This includes entering registration and course data on the interactive site.
• Accept payments from learners, including card payments over the phone and record the payments on the interactive site, and issue receipts.
• Responsibility for checking that payments have been correctly recorded against the learner's and provider's record.
• Create purchase orders for locations, goods and services, and create contracts with external course locations, using the ABW finance system.
• Collaborate with Area Coordinators to administer supplementary courses by running registration reports on the interactive site, and collecting and checking registration forms, fees and class registers.
• Deal with inquiries from tutors and provide them with advice and information regarding course arrangements.
• Collaborate with the Academic Operations Officer to administer the Intensive

General duties

• Keep the minutes of Learning Welsh meetings, as required. That may include the Welsh Learning management team and the Welsh Learning Training, Quality and Curriculum Committee.
• Doing administrative and general office work - filing, photocopying, dealing with the mail, and so on, and assisting the Learning Welsh department.
• Adherence to Standard Operating Procedures Guidelines.
• Undertake health and safety duties and responsibilities appropriate to the job.
• Be committed to the University's Equal Opportunity and Diversity Policy, together with an understanding of how it operates within the responsibilities of the position.
• Be committed to your own development and the development of your staff, by using the University's Effective Contribution Plan process effectively.
• Any reasonable duty required that is commensurate with the grade of the role

Who you are – Qualifications, Experience, Knowledge and Skills required

Essential

1. A-levels/Level 3 (or equivalent) or experience in higher education
2. High-quality administrative work.
3. Data and financial administration.
4. Teamwork across organisational levels.
5. Customer-focused environment
6. Strong IT skills (spreadsheets, databases, email).
7. Ability to use and improve processes.
8. Accuracy with data and finance.
9. Commitment to personal development.
10. Commitment to working bilingually.
11. Oral (spoken) and Written Welsh Level C1.*

Desirable

1. Degree-level education.
2. Experience in Welsh learning, further or higher education.
3. Experience using website content management systems.
4. Welsh language skills at C2 level.

*More information on Welsh Language Levels can be found at:
https://www.aber.ac.uk/en/hr/policy-and-procedure/welsh-standards/

How to apply

To promote a flexible workforce, the University will consider applications from individuals seeking full time, part time, job share, or term time only working arrangements.

Applications for this role must be made through jobs.aber.ac.uk. You are welcome to apply for any vacancy in Welsh or English and any application submitted will be treated equally.

Benefits

• Flexible working policy
• Hybrid Working 
• 36.5 – hour week for full-time roles
• Generous leave entitlements – 27 days annual leave plus bank holidays and university closed days
• Commitment to Professional Development
• Enhanced contribution to our workplace pension schemes
• Staff recognition and reward schemes
• Opportunity to learn the Welsh language for free
• Staff relocation bursary
• Maternity, Paternity, Parental and Adoption Leave
• Staff discount for gym facilities, hospitality, and retail on campus. 

Please keep reading

Aberystwyth University generally supports hybrid working, allowing a mix of office-based and remote working for suitable roles to enhance flexibility and productivity. Job descriptions typically detail a primary work location alongside opportunities for flexible, remote, or home-based work, subject to service needs and manager approval.

We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and communities and, those that are currently underrepresented in our workforce. This includes but is not limited to Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic candidates, candidates with disabilities, and female candidates.

We are a Bilingual Institution which complies with the Welsh Language Standards and is committed to Equal Opportunities. You are welcome to apply for any vacancy in Welsh or English and any application submitted will be treated equally.

Employment Visa

Under the UK Government’s points-based system scheme, this role does not meetthe criteria to be sponsored by Aberystwyth University (AU) for a Skilled Worker Route (SWR) application.