Graduate School Administrator

Job description

Service: Research Office

Full time, 1.0FTE

Closing date: 31 August 2026

Interview date: 7 September 2026

Visa Sponsorship is not available for this role. Candidates who apply for this role must already hold the legal right to work in the UK.

To ensure your application form does not corrupt, please do not include any umlauts, accents or other diacritical marks within your application form.

Job Description Job title: Graduate School Administrator

Reports to: Graduate School Manager

Service: Research Office / Graduate School

Grade: RU05

Main purpose of the job: The Graduate School is overseen and formally managed by the Director of Research and Doctoral Study who is supported by the Graduate School Manager and Graduate School Administrator. The Graduate School co- ordinates the administration and support for research degree programmes (PhD and Professional Doctorates) for the University with local support for research students being provided by their Academic Schools and supervisors. The Graduate School is responsible for the provision of the effective management of postgraduate research student (PGR) enrolments and completions, PGR training and career development, and contributes to and leads on initiatives that align with the University's Enabling Strategies aimed at enhancing the PGR environment and research culture at the institution. The Graduate School Administrator will work closely with other Graduate School staff and support the Graduate School Manager with designated academic and administrative contacts across the University, providing an efficient and responsive administrative service to students and academic staff from the point of initial enquiry and application through to the viva voce examination. Excellent liaison and organisational skills are a priority for this post in order to contribute effectively to the provision of excellent service delivery to students and their supervisors

Main duties and responsibilities: 1. To be part of the team providing service support to the Graduate School, handling

enquiries relating to research degree programmes, offering advice and guidance to staff and students.

2. To assist in maintaining paper and electronic records as required for the Graduate School, including student information, and archives of departmental publications and handbooks, programme information, records of student assessment processes and records of Graduate School meetings and Committees.

3. To administer the curation of student research information and data ensuring robust capture, record-keeping, and quality control and effective dissemination thereof, and to ensure compliance with legal, regulatory and policy frameworks.

4. To assist with providing service support for the Research Student Development Programme and supervisory training.

5. To help to ensure that University policies and procedures are adhered to in the Graduate School and Academic Schools.

6. To assist with student admissions and assessment procedures and to take an active role in Registration and Induction.

7. To maintain accurate records of any action taken relating to student progress and to update student data on the University student record system (QLe) as necessary.

8. To support the assessment process including scheduling and organisation of vivas including submission and uploading of theses and liaison with external examiners.

9. To gather and disseminate information on request on research students, research degrees programmes and research student supervisors.

10. To provide administrative support to the CRICA Doctoral Training Programme where required. 11. To be a key point of contact for administrators and Research Degrees Convenors in academic Schools,

liaising with colleagues in other University support departments such as Admissions, Student Funding, Finance, IT helpdesk, Library, Estates and Campus services, as necessary.

12. To contribute to attendance Monitoring for Student Visa research students to comply with UKVI regulations.

13. To work collaboratively with other Graduate School staff and staff from across the university to support and enhance the student experience.

14. To undertake any other requirements commensurate with the seniority of the post/as required by the head of department.

Person Specification The Person Specification focuses on the knowledge, skills, experience and qualifications required to undertake the role effectively. Please ensure that your application demonstrates how you meet the essential criteria.

Requirements E/D Criteria

Education and Qualifications

Essential • Educated to degree level or equivalent experience

Knowledge and skills Essential

• Thorough understanding of the student-related academic cycle and administrative processes, with particular reference to HE and administration.

• Proficient in the use of MS Office, particularly Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint and Outlook and able to learn new administrative systems as appropriate.

• Numeracy skills to be able to manage financial, queries related to fees.

• Using university databases, able to enter, process and analyse data accurately for various reporting purposes, both internally and externally

• Ability to pay close attention to detail. • Ability to cope with conflicting demands and prioritise their own

work effectively. • Able to use initiative and work independently, being a self-starter

and positively influencing others through a proactive approach. • An ability to contribute to ongoing service development and

improvement, maintaining a clear focus on customer satisfaction and to make suggestions which contribute to the efficiency of the Graduate School.

• Have the ability to deal effectively with a wide range of people accessing services.

Desirable • Previous experience working with research students and/or

knowledge/experience of postgraduate research (e.g., a PhD or other doctoral-level qualification)

Work experience Essential

• Previous experience gained within Higher Education in relation to supporting academic programmes.

• Experience of working effectively and proactively within a team situation, offering mutual support and cover for others when needed.

Desirable • Previous experience gained within Higher Education in relation to supporting doctoral programmes.

Communication skills

Essential

• Able to communicate in a clear, accurate and professional manner, both verbally and in writing to a range of internal and external clients

• Ability to receive, understand and present information of a complex or conceptual nature, in a clear and accurate manner.

• Written communication skills to take minutes of meetings accurately.

• Able to complete and update reports, pro-formas, letters, emails, web pages accurately and ensure good presentation.

• Ensure confidentiality at all times when dealing with students and their data, in accordance with the Data Protection Act and GDPR.

• Able to communicate effectively and sensitively with people who are upset or distressed, on occasions needing to explain details to someone with a limited understanding of the topic.

Desirable • Experience in providing secretarial support to committees in Higher Education Institutions.

Other requirements Essential • Be required to input data accurately on to the student record system.

Desirable • Broader understanding of the UK research landscape, including the Research Excellence Framework (REF).

Additional Information • The appointment is offered on a permanent and Full-time basis immediately, subject to references. • The appointment is usually made at the bottom of the range. Where a candidate's current total

remuneration already exceeds the bottom point, consideration will be given to the level of skills, experience and profile that the candidate is bringing to the role. The total remuneration of other staff doing the same or similar work within the department who have similar skills, experience and profile should also be taken into account.

• The University operates service-led hybrid working arrangements which may allow for 3 days in the office and 2 days working from home although peak times might require flexibility and any hybrid arrangement will be determined by the service and in agreement with the line manager.

• The annual leave entitlement is 25 days p.a. Additionally there are 3 - 4 days for the University's • operational efficiency initiatives at Christmas. • Your normal hours of work will be 35 hours per week, plus a lunch break of one hour each day. • The University of Roehampton is committed to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion • Set in a beautiful 54 acre parkland campus, the University has an attractive range of benefits and

you can find out more about them here. In addition Professional Services/Support staff on grades up to RU7, may access the Local Government Pension Scheme; and on grades RU7 and above may access The University's Defined Contribution Retirement Savings Group Personal Pension Plan, provided by Royal London.

Job description prepared by: Claudia Braz Nunes Date: August 2026