Administrative Assistant (Academic Operations)

Job Posting Title: Administrative Assistant (Academic Operations)

Grade and Salary: Grade 4 £24,215 – £26,707

FTE and working pattern: Full time, Open ended

Based in Riccarton Campus, Edinburgh

Consideration will be given to flexible working requests

Holiday Entitlement: 28 days annual leave plus 9 buildings closed days (and Christmas Eve when it falls on a weekday)

Organisation Name: Registry and Academic Support – Academic Operations Division

About our School/Directorate and Team:

The Global Registry and Academic Support Directorate supports our students and staff colleagues across the full student life cycle from enrolment to graduation. The Directorate has responsibility as the definitive record-keeper of all student information and programme and course details, and leading services that help students settle and stay at the University with professional help and advice, through a range of wellbeing services.

It supports academic and professional services staff across the University in a number of areas, including academic, institutional and student related Regulations and Policies and global, national and institutional quality matters. It delivers these services through four Divisions, each managed by a Global Head, and two Head of Campus Registry:

• Student Life
• Online Students
• Academic Operations
• Academic Quality
• Head of Registry – Dubai Campus
• Head of Registry – Malaysia Campus

The Academic Operations Division consists of five teams: Academic Operations Liaison, Academic Operations Support, Timetabling, Examinations, and Postgraduate Research Student Support. The work of the Administrative Assistant will be primarily related to the Academic Operations Support but will collaborate across all teams.

The Academic Operations Support Team is responsible for supporting all aspects of academic operations. These are activities where the primary service users are academics; or else the primary service users are students; but with significant academic input into the process. The team also helps to support the work of other divisions providing a pool of staff who can be assigned where administrative support is needed.

Purpose of Role

The role-holder will be responsible for general administration and supporting academic operations processes, such as: processing marks and grades; processing the outcomes of mitigating circumstances, appeals, and discipline cases; minute-taking at boards of examiners and studies committees; answering academic staff enquiries; and answering student enquiries related to their studies. The role-holder may also be required to support other key functions of the Academic Operations Team, such as examinations or timetabling; as well as other Divisions of RAS, for example, supporting student first line support, graduations, or helping to gather data for quality and PSRB purposes.

Summary of Key Duties and Responsibilities:

• Assist with administrative processes related to meetings, academic boards and committees – including Boards of Examiners and School Studies Committees – from scheduling, to organising, minuting and post-board/committee processing.
• Assist with preparations across a range of activities within the Academic Operations Support Team. For example, examinations, Progression and Award Boards, or student assessment.
• Assist with all aspects of processes which can impact students’ marks, grades and awards – including updating student records according to the outcome decisions for mitigating circumstances, appeals and discipline cases.
• Assist with record keeping – work closely with the Senior Admin Assistants and academics to ensure student records are maintained and archived as per University regulations.
• Archive coursework, examination scripts and dissertations as outlined in the University’s data management policies and archive samples for accreditation purposes.
• Respond to queries from staff, students and external partners regarding academic operations processes, referring more complex queries to Senior Admin Assistants or Academic Operations Team Mangers, as appropriate.
• Provide secretarial and administrative support to RAS management.
• Undertake other tasks related to academic operations as required by their assigned Team Manager, Team Leader, the Academic Operations Manager, or the Head of Academic Operations.

Education, Qualifications & Experience:

These are the criteria on which the short-listing and recruitment selection will be based.

Essential

• Effective team working skills.
• Educated to SCQF Level 5 or similar (see link for details) or equivalent experience.
• Experience of working within a similar environment as outlined above.
• Competent in the use of relevant IT packages, including a sound knowledge of Microsoft Office applications.
• Excellent verbal and written English communication and interpersonal skills.
• Demonstrable professional and proactive approach.
• Demonstrable ability to work quickly, flexibly and accurately in a dynamic, changing and pressured environment.
• Demonstrable provision of excellent customer service.

Desirable

• Educated to SCQF Level 6 or equivalent qualification.
• Experience of working in an administrative role in higher education.
• Knowledge of Banner Student Records system.
• Experience working with multi-location teams.

Competencies, Tasks and Responsibilities

The tasks and responsibilities listed under the following Competency Headings form part of all administrative roles in the University at this level and it is expected that the role-holder will perform them to at least an effective standard at all times.

Teamwork

• Participate in and contribute to the general support across the team Cover for other colleagues within the immediate team.
• To liaise with other professional service colleagues in support for, and assistance with, specific aspects of the role.
• Cover for other colleagues within the immediate team.

Service Excellence

• Create a positive image of the University by being responsive, prompt and courteous when responding to requests or enquiries from customers.
• Produce standard and ad hoc reports as requested.
• Enter and maintain records and data into the appropriate university system (e.g. Banner Student, Student Information Desk, or Banner Workflow).
• Liaise with internal and external teams, committees, bodies etc. to ensure an effective service.
• Carry out general office duties, e.g. reception/meeting and greeting; sort and organise mail; order stationery; maintain office equipment such as printer, photocopier etc.
• Keep working area clean and tidy in line with appropriate H&S requirements.

Clear and Consistent Communications

• Maintain confidentiality at all times by following university policies and guidance in managing confidential information and personal data.
• Write standard communications using templates, understanding what parts of the template to use as appropriate.
• Record and produce accurate minutes when required.
• Reply to simple requests for information, routing enquiries where information is not standard/routine.
• Explaining standard procedures, regulations, operating instructions or course information.
• Disseminate news and information to relevant customers and colleagues.

Planning and Organising

• Arrange meetings/workshops for internal or external customers, including room and equipment, hospitality and invites to attendees as appropriate.
• Carry out routine instructions from standard procedures.
• File, archive and destroy data in line with the University Data Protection & Retention Policy.
• Provide appropriate admin support for meetings and events.
• Support Directorate and team processes and procedures by meeting schedules and timetables.

Initiative and Problem Solving

• Act as first point of contact for queries from customers by phone, email, system-generated and in person.
• React to problems using judgement and past experience to solve routine issues.
• Use experience and initiative to identify when to pass non-standard issues to line manager.
• Use experience to suggest solution to new problems to line manager.

Decision Making

• Make day to day decisions in prioritising own workload.
• Provide advice and guidance, respond to queries and refer more complex queries to more senior members of the team as appropriate.
• Understand the appropriate tools to use when undertaking day to day tasks.

Management Responsibilities

• There are no management responsibilities within this position but you may be asked to take on management or supervisory duties on occasion as part of your personal development.
• Citizenship
• Demonstrate the University Values at all times through performance and behaviour.
• Participate in ad-hoc duties to support the team/University and for personal development.
• Support newer or inexperienced colleagues within and outside the University by offering support, help and advice.
• Positively promote the University internally and externally through positive behaviour and supporting University-wide activities.

This job description is intended as a flexible framework which outlines the key general areas of activity in your position. Other activities may be required which are not outlined above but which are appropriate to the position and grade. Your personal objectives (Forward Job Plan) will also set out specific tasks and objectives for you to achieve, including objectives to help your career development.

How to Apply

Please submit your CV & covering letter via the Heriot-Watt on-line recruitment.

Internal Applications can be submitted up to midnight (UK time) on Sunday 29th March 2026

If you are successful in your application, you will be required to obtain a PVG certificate prior to commencing employment. The University will arrange and cover the cost of the PVG application; however, appointment to the role is conditional upon satisfactory clearance being received before your start date.

At Heriot Watt we are passionate about our values and look to them to connect our people globally and to help us collaborate and celebrate our success through working together. Our research programmes can deliver real world impact which is achieved through the diversity of our international community and the recognition of creative talent that connects our global team.

Our flourishing community will give you the freedom to challenge and to bring your enterprising mind and to help our partners with solutions that can be applied now and in the future. Join us and Heriot Watt will provide you with a platform to thrive and work in a way that also helps you live your life in balance with well-being and inclusiveness at the heart of our global community.

Heriot-Watt University is committed to securing equality of opportunity in employment and to the creation of an environment in which individuals are selected, trained, promoted, appraised and otherwise treated on the sole basis of their relevant merits and abilities. Equality and diversity are all about maximising potential and creating a culture of inclusion for all.

Heriot-Watt University values diversity across our University community and welcomes applications from all sectors of society, particularly from underrepresented groups. For more information, please see our website https://www.hw.ac.uk/uk/services/equality-diversity.htm and also our award-winning work in Disability Inclusive Science Careers https://disc.hw.ac.uk/ .

Use our total rewards calculator: https://www.hw.ac.uk/about/work/total-rewards-calculator.htm to see the value of benefits provided by Heriot-Watt University.

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