Senior Student Retention Coordinators

Role Summary

We are seeking two Senior Student Retention Coordinators to join our centralised Student Retention team. These newly created roles offer an exciting opportunity to contribute to the University's commitment to student experience and success, supporting both Home and International students.

In this role, you will play a key part in supporting student continuation, progression and success through the management of student engagement and retention casework. You will provide specialist case management for students experiencing barriers to engagement, attendance, continuation and progression, using professional judgement to coordinate appropriate interventions and support. Working closely with academic colleagues, professional services teams and specialist support services, you will contribute to effective retention activity, promote consistent practice and support the continuous improvement of student engagement processes.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage a specialist caseload of complex or high-risk student retention cases including students with persistent non-engagement, repeated absence concerns, withdrawal requests, acting as an escalation point for complex matters. 
• Deliver targeted retention activity for identified priority student groups.
• Work collaboratively with academic and professional services colleagues to coordinate student support.
• Provide operational guidance and support to Retention Coordinators, promoting consistent practice across the team.
• Identify emerging trends through data and insight, contributing to the continuous improvement of student retention processes.

We welcome applications from candidates both within and outside of Higher Education. Whether your experience has been gained in a university or another student or customer-facing environment, you'll bring the ability to manage sensitive casework, exercise sound professional judgement and work collaboratively to achieve positive outcomes.

Essential Requirements

• Experience of managing sensitive, complex or high-risk casework requiring professional judgement, discretion and confidentiality.
• Experience of supporting students experiencing barriers to engagement, continuation or progression.
• Experience of using data, systems or records to monitor and track student activity.
• Ability to manage competing priorities and a complex caseload effectively within a busy operational environment.
• Knowledge of student support services and the ability to provide appropriate guidance and signposting.
• Ability to work collaboratively with academic and professional service colleagues to support positive student outcomes.
• Understanding of the importance of student engagement, continuation and progression within the student journey.

Desirable Requirements

• Experience of using student records systems or attendance monitoring systems.
• Knowledge and understanding of the Higher Education landscape, including TEF, Access and Participation Plans or widening participation priorities.
• Experience of providing guidance, support or operational advice to colleagues within a team environment.
• Understanding of the barriers that can impact student engagement and success in higher education.

Further Information

If you are excited by the opportunity to help shape the future of student retention and contribute to improving student success at Birmingham City University, we would love to hear from you.

For an informal discussion about the role, please contact Gurpri Bains at gurpri.bains@bcu.ac.uk. 

Closing Date: 23.59 hours BST on Monday 31 August 2026

Interviews for this role are scheduled to take place on 10 and 11 September 2026.

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