Widening Participation Recruitment Officer

The role

The role will be a key member of the Widening Participation team, helping to ensure the University effectively delivers on the Access commitments as outlined in our Access and Participation Plan (APP). The Widening Participation team’s purpose is to increase access to the University for students from disadvantaged, minoritised or underrepresented backgrounds, engaging with social and structural barriers and supporting the diversification of our student community.

This is one of a team of Officers who deliver multiple projects, partnerships and initiatives to support a broad range of students and to increase applications and intake to the University. The role is varied and fast paced and involves working with a range of stakeholders across the team, the wider University, and in local and national schools and colleges. The role is ideal for someone with an agile and responsive mindset who is looking for a challenge within a supportive team and who is interested in working in strategically important areas of recruitment and Widening Participation (WP).

What will you be doing?

You will lead on a range of widening participation projects and initiatives, with a particular focus on supporting and recruiting post-16 students from underrepresented and disadvantaged backgrounds. This may include leading our residential Summer School programme, Insight into Bristol; supporting other projects such as Access to Bristol (the University’s flagship programme for local students); or coordinating operational support for our third-sector partners, The Brilliant Club.

You will also work with target schools and colleges, with an emphasis on engaging students from underrepresented groups such as Asian and Black audiences and students eligible for Free School Meals.

Working collaboratively with a team of Widening Participation Recruitment Officers and Mature Student Recruitment Officers, you will monitor application and intake statistics and interpret this data to develop appropriate Widening Participation activities.

There are also opportunities to gain experience in a range of settings, including admissions processes and procedures, designing and delivering recruitment activity, data analysis, partnership development and relationship management.

As we move into delivering the University’s 2025/26 - 2028/29 APP, our WP strategy will evolve and different areas of focus may emerge requiring the postholder to work across different remits in a collaborative environment.

You should apply if

• You are experienced working with marginalised, underrepresented or disadvantaged groups and are committed to driving equalising change for students from these groups
• You enjoy working in collaborative teams, working across a diverse portfolio of projects
• You are organised and details-orientated and have excellent time management skills, with the ability to be flexible and balance multiple work streams and adjust to changing priorities
• You have excellent data and evaluation skills and enjoy analysing complex datasets to find innovative solutions
• You are resilient and positive, even when dealing with complex and challenging problems
• You are confident and assertive and can communicate well with anyone with your excellent relationship building skills
• You can deliver engaging, effective activities and events for large cohorts, both in person and online
• You have a keen interest in changing the University for the better and making it more accessible for underrepresented groups in the long term, as well as an ability to identify and action “quick wins” to make a difference to students in the short term

Additional information

For informal queries about the role, please contact Kath Bourne, Widening Participation Manager.

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