Job Description
Position Details
Careers Network
Location: University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham UK
Full time starting salary is normally in the range £36,636 to £46,049 with potential progression once in post to £48,822
Grade: 7
Full Time, Fixed Term contract up to November 2026
Closing date: 24th September 2025
UK and International travel will be required for this role
Our offer to you
People are at the heart of what we are and do.
The University of Birmingham is proud to have been a part of the City of Birmingham and the wider region for over 100 years, and we are equally proud to be recognised as a leading global university. We want to attract talented people from across the city and beyond, support them to succeed, and celebrate their success.
We are committed to helping the people who work here to develop through our sector-leading Birmingham Professional programme which provides all professional services staff with development opportunities and the encouragement to reach their full potential. With almost 5,000 professional services jobs in a wide-range of functions in Edgbaston and in our campus in Dubai, there are plenty of opportunities for you to be able to develop your career at the University.
We believe there is no such thing as a typical member of staff and that diversity is a source of strength that underpins the exchange of ideas, innovation, and debate. We warmly welcome people from all backgrounds and are committed to fostering an inclusive environment where diversity is at the heart of who and what we are, and how we work.
Supporting our people to achieve a healthy work/life balance is important both to our employees and to the success of the University and, depending on the role, we offer a variety of flexible working arrangements. We therefore welcome discussions on all forms of flexible working. In addition, you will receive a generous package of benefits including 40 days paid holiday a year, one paid day a year for volunteering, occupational sick pay, and a pension scheme. We also have three high quality subsidised day nurseries.
The University is situated in leafy Edgbaston and there are excellent transport links to our beautiful campus, including main bus routes and a train station on site. On campus we have a state-of-the-art sports centre with pool, shops, places to eat and drink, our own art gallery, museum and botanical gardens.
Find out more about the benefits of working for the University of Birmingham
Role Summary
The post will be responsible for developing and implementing a programme of activity for J-BJI - Jinan University (JNU) and University of Birmingham (UoB) Joint Institute - undergraduate students studying Maths in Guangzhou, China. The post holder will also be responsible for the delivery of a number of student experience initiatives such as orientation, summer school and graduation. Informed through collaboration with Jinan University careers service and the University of Birmingham’s College of Engineering and Physical Sciences (EPS), the focus will be on employability skill development and employer-informed preparation for the global job market, delivering a high quality student experience, and providing a “University of Birmingham” experience in China. The post holder will design and deliver a programme of career workshops, employer and alumni events that support JBJI students’ with career planning, networking, making applications, and preparing for postgraduate study, as well as managing the creation of online resources. The post holder will lead and manage large orientation and graduation events as well as the two week summer school in the UK. The post holder will establish and maintain effective relationships with a wide range of stakeholders including employers, alumni and staff within the partner universities. The post holder will also coordinate employability activity for J-BJI students attending a summer school in the UK, or participating in an exchange programme, and contribute to the work of the EPS Careers team.
The post holder will be managed by the Careers Network’s Careers Consultant for the College of EPS and work closely with a range of partners in Careers Network, EPS, the International Office and Jinan University. Regular travel to Guangzhou, China is expected.
Main Duties
Career Development
- Developing an employability action plan in partnership with a variety of colleagues in Jinan University and the University of Birmingham careers services, and undertaking activity that meets the requirements of this plan
- Working in partnership with academic and professional services colleagues and students, to develop and deliver a variety of initiatives; ensuring these achieve institutional quality standards and are compliant with relevant legislation and University guidelines
- Working closely with students to identify their careers ambitions and undertaking appropriate assessment of need, as required
- Developing and delivering employability related workshops and information sessions that complements, and where appropriate, signposts to services provided by JNU
- Developing online resources and information tailored to support the career needs of JBJI students
- Working with Careers Network’s International Careers Consultant, the International Employer Liaison Officer, and employers, to develop a bank of labour market information and international opportunities relevant to student aspirations for global internships and graduate jobs
- Researching targeted labour markets and to share this with Careers Network colleagues and students
- Supporting the development and delivery of a programme of activity for JBJI students on a summer placement or one year exchange programme in the UK
Student Experience
- Lead on student experience initiatives, developing opportunities for student of J-BJI to feel part of the University of Birmingham global family
- Manage the orientation planning and delivery for University of Birmingham at J-BJI
- Manage the graduation ceremony planning for J-BJI in collaboration with partners at Jinan University, School of Mathematics and within the College of EPS
- Work directly with the academic director of student experience to develop opportunities for students such as the guest lecture series
- Lead and manage the annual Summer School in UK, including marketing, visa applications and schedule
Relationship development, employer-led projects and events
- Leading on the organisation of events and workshops tailored for JBJI students. These may include skills sessions, alumni information talks, employer-led projects, employer presentations, and ‘treks’ to employer sites
- Engaging employers and professionals as speakers or presenters at events, and developing relationships with, and creating a network of, alumni who can support the employability programme for JBJI students
- Working with UoB and JNU staff to identify opportunities for employers to engage with JBJI students on campus or remotely, and leading on new projects as required
- Working with the International Office and DARO, as a point of contact for international employer and alumni enquiries
- Promoting, and supporting JBJI students participation in JNU and UoB Careers Fairs and other national or international recruitment fairs
- Marketing and promoting relevant events and opportunities through appropriate channels, including emails, social media and, where appropriate, academic contacts
Evaluation and monitoring
- Developing and monitoring robust feedback systems to allow for the effective evaluation of events and engagement and to lead on continuous quality improvement for both the JBJI student and employer experience
- Leading an annual review of the JBJI Maths employability action plan
- Monitoring and identifying new trends in growth areas to increase opportunities with employers within relevant sectors in China, the UK, and globally
University context
- Taking an active role within Careers Network, and the EPS College Careers team, and contributing to activities that support Maths students and / or international students in particular
- Sourcing a range of student and alumni stories to use as case studies for marketing and information sharing
- Managing expenditure in line with budget, maintaining accurate and up to date financial records; and to monitor income generation from employer events
Required Knowledge, Skills, Qualifications, Experience
- Degree in a related field or equivalent, alongside significant related experience
- Good knowledge and understanding of Higher Education and the global graduate labour market, and issues impacting on student employability
- Knowledge and experience of working in an international context and an understanding of Chinese language and culture
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to form effective working relationships with students, employers, colleagues and other stakeholders
- Experience of persuading and negotiating with internal and external stakeholders
- Excellent team working skills and ability to cross-promote services
- Proven experience of delivering group work and/or advice in a similar setting
- Event management or project management experience
- Experience of writing and developing learning material and information
- Proven experience of planning and delivering events
- Experience of using data to inform priorities and activity, and using effective processes for monitoring and evaluation
- Proficiency in the use of social media plus evidence of IT literacy (e.g. Word, Excel, Outlook) and database management
- Drive and enthusiasm and the ability to work proactively
- Ability to work independently, and to manage own work programme and a budget
- Ability to travel and work in China on a regular basis
OH And DBS Required
The University is committed to safeguarding and we promote safe recruitment practice, therefore all associated pre-employment checks will be undertaken before any appointment is confirmed. Due to the nature of the work undertaken in this role all successful applicants will be subject to a satisfactory Occupational Health and DBS clearance prior to appointment.
Informal enquiries to Richard Newman, email:
[email protected]View our staff values and behaviours here
We believe there is no such thing as a 'typical' member of University of Birmingham staff and that diversity in its many forms is a strength that underpins the exchange of ideas, innovation and debate at the heart of University life. We are committed to proactively addressing the barriers experienced by some groups in our community and are proud to hold Athena SWAN, Race Equality Charter and Disability Confident accreditations. We have an Equality Diversity and Inclusion Centre that focuses on continuously improving the University as a fair and inclusive place to work where everyone has the opportunity to succeed. We are also committed to sustainability, which is a key part of our strategy. You can find out more about our work to create a fairer university for everyone on our website . 
