Education Coordinator (Appeals, International and Assessor Support)

Location: Craven Street with opportunity for hybrid working (see job profile for details)

Job level: H - Coordinator

Salary: Starting salary of £30,826 per annum plus competitive benefits

Working hours: The normal working hours for the above post will be 9am – 5pm, Monday to Friday 

The College of Optometrists is the professional body for optometry. It qualifies the profession and delivers the guidance and development to ensure optometrists provide the best possible care. We promote excellence through the College’s affixes, by building the evidence base for optometry, and raising awareness of the profession with the public, commissioners, and healthcare professionals. 

We are looking for an Education Coordinator (Appeals, International and Assessor Support) who will join our established and busy Scheme for Registration team. This role will provide support for trainees undertaking the Scheme for Registration. In particular, those trainees who are appealing for additional time to complete the Scheme for Registration and those seeking to complete the Scheme having qualified internationally.  Using the CRM, the Education Co-ordinator will ensure good data management in line with GDPR; provide accurate data for both College colleagues and the UKVI.  They will respond to queries from staff and trainees; as well as provide administrative support for work based administration. The role holder will be a main contact for key external stakeholders of the College and will be responsible for delivering a responsive, accurate service to them. 

The Scheme for Registration plays an important part of the College and the role holder will be significantly involved in the administration of the key aspects of the trainee life cycle. They will support the delivery of an outstanding trainee experience which meets the learning needs of our trainees. 

Reporting to the Scheme for Registration Manager, the role holder will be responsible for:

• The operational delivery of three panels that meet regularly throughout the year: the Appeals Panel, the Disciplinary Panel and the Appeals Review Panel. 
• The operational delivery of our responsibilities in relation to the UKVI and sponsoring international trainees undertaking the Scheme for Registration.
• Managing the trainee record systems in Microsoft Dynamics and maintaining data.
• Maintaining and building working relationships with key internal and external stakeholders.
• Supporting work based administration delivery.
• Supporting colleagues with broader Scheme for Registration duties as may be required.
• Adhering to the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) and rules and guidance governing Scheme for Registration. Handling any other duties or tasks as directed by Scheme for Registration Manager, Deputy Director or Director of Education. 

Successful candidates would need to demonstrate the following skills, experience and knowledge:

• Experience of working within education environment.
• Ability to take responsibility and coordinate an area of work with a proactive attitude.
• Ability to prioritise duties, and seek clarification and guidance from Line Manager when faced with competing responsibilities.
• The ability to maintain information to a high standard of accuracy and completeness.
• Experience of Microsoft Dynamics or similar CRM, web-based tools and a competent user of IT with the ability to use Word, Excel and Adobe. 
• The ability to communicate with and collaborate with people from a diverse range of cultural, educational and professional backgrounds.
• Excellent verbal and written English language communication skills.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, ability to develop and maintain effective working relationships with all stakeholders.
• Ability to contribute as a team player with good sense of humour.
• Good organisational and administrative skills, with the ability to meet deadlines. 

A copy of the full job description summarising the key activities and full list of essential requirements can be downloaded from the website. In return, we offer a variety of benefits including a generous pension plan, life assurance and a health care cash plan. The College has a TOIL policy and provides time off for events taking place during the evening and weekends. There is also potential to progress to a range maximum of £37,315 under our performance based/market driven incremental scheme. 

To apply for the position, please send your CV and a cover letter no later than the closing date below clearly demonstrating how you meet the requirements of the role via the 'Apply' button above.

Application deadline: Wednesday 16 October, midnight

Interview date: Wednesday 23 October

Equality and inclusion

The College is committed to providing equal opportunities in employment and to avoiding unlawful discrimination. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, valuing the differences that a diverse workforce brings to the organisation. In support of this we follow a fair recruitment process in which shortlisting and other recruitment decisions are made on the basis of skills, competencies and experience demonstrated in the application and interview process. 

If you require a reasonable adjustment to be made to support your application due to a disability or other condition, please let us know. 

Additional Information

• Typical working hours at the College are 9 am to 5 pm (7 hours, excluding lunch) working five days a week. We operate a flexible working window from 8 am to 6 pm where you can vary your start and end time (working a 7 hour day). This role is flexible and can be worked over a variety of working patterns.
• We also offer hybrid working (a mixture of home and office working). Typically College staff will work around 20 - 40% of their time at the workplace (whether this is the office at Craven St, or a face to face meeting, exam or event at another business related site or organisation) per week.