Widening Participation Coordinator

Full-Time Fixed-Term for 9 months

The University’s Widening Participation and Social Mobility department is pleased to be recruiting a Widening Participation Coordinator to support the delivery of our Access programmes: Shapes & Numbers, Books & Stories, Reading Buddies, Learn with Us (Access), and Ignite your Journey.

In this role, you will join the Access Team, part of the wider Widening Participation and Social Mobility directorate at the University of Southampton. The Access Team works with students from primary through to post-16 education, delivering a broad range of programmes, including targeted interventions, in-school workshops, and on-campus activities.

This is a pivotal time for the directorate as we continue to develop and deliver the intervention strategies outlined in the University’s 2024–25 to 2027–28 Access and Participation Plan.

About you

We are looking for someone with an in-depth understanding of the barriers that young people may experience in education and a passion for supporting them to overcome these challenges. The successful candidate will have experience delivering creative and engaging activities for children and young people in educational or community settings. They should be confident in leading numeracy and literacy workshops with primary-aged pupils, as well as delivering higher education-focused talks to secondary school and college students.

We are seeking someone who is proactive, collaborative, and an effective communicator.

What we can offer

You will join a team of experienced practitioners who will work with you and support your development. This role is hybrid, with your primary base at our Highfield Campus. We promote a flexible approach to work, recognising the need to be on campus, at home, or visiting a school or collaborative partner.

This is a full-time, fixed-term position offered for nine months. Part-time options will also be considered; please contact Sophie Grady and Sinead Holmes to discuss this further.

We offer some fantastic benefits including a generous annual leave allowance plus bank holidays and University closure days, excellent family leave arrangements (including maternity, paternity, adoption, parental, and carers’ leave), a wide variety of on- and off-campus arts and culture facilities and access to a range of staff discounts and offers at local shops, restaurants, and service providers. You will also have access to our sports complex and Hartley Library based on our Highfield Campus.

As a university we aim to create an inclusive environment that attracts, supports, and retains the best students and staff from diverse backgrounds and experiences from across the world. We are proactive in fostering a culture of inclusion, respect and equality of opportunity. We believe that we can only truly meet our objectives if we are reflective of society, so we are passionate about creating a working environment in which you are free to bring your whole self to work.

If you would like to discuss this role in more detail, please contact both:

Sophie Grady (Access Manager) s.l.grady@soton.ac.uk, and

Sinead Holmes (Head of Access) sinead.holmes@soton.ac.uk, in the same email.

*An enhanced DBS check is required for this role.

Working at the University of Southampton:

Check out the staff benefits and why you should join us at The University of Southampton!

Further details:

We are committed to equality, diversity and inclusion and welcome applicants who support our mission of inclusivity.

Apply by 11.59 pm GMT on the closing date. For assistance contact Recruitment on +44(0)2380 592750 or recruitment@soton.ac.uk quoting the job number.

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