Job Description
Position Details
School or Department: Library Services, Academic Skills Centre
Location: University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham UK
Grade/Band: Grade 5
Hourly rate: £16.29 per hour plus holiday entitlement
Casual contract from: 15/09/2025 - 13 weeks
Positions available: 7
Advert closing date: Monday 14th July, 23.59 p.m.
If we receive a high volume of applications then we may close this advert early. We recommend that you apply as soon as possible.
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 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.
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
Background
The Academic Skills Centre is a place where students can come to develop their academic, digital and mathematical skills. Our aim is to help students become more effective and independent learners by providing them with a range of support services. These include drop-ins, one-to-one appointments, online resources and workshops. We also embed workshops or resources directly into programmes across the University.
Role Summary
The Mentors will be working under the direction of the Academic Skills team in Library Services. They will contribute to delivering and developing academic skills support for Birmingham Scholar students through the Academic Skills Centre (ASC). The Mentors will be provided with training by an expert team of skills advisors and dedicated school representative staff. The Mentors will ideally represent each of the five Colleges across the University. You will be a reliable and approachable peer for fellow Birmingham Scholar students and support them through ASC’s drop-in sessions and events. You will contribute insights to the Academic Skills team through your lived experience as a Birmingham Scholar student. You will also collaborate with the Student EDI team to promote these support offers to over 3,000 Birmingham Scholar students.
Main duties
- Connect with Birmingham Scholar students through participating in the Birmingham Scholar Welcome and the ASC’s peer engagement activities
- Support incoming first-year Birmingham Scholar students in their transition to academic life at the University
- Provide support to Birmingham Scholar students through ASC’s academic skills drop-in sessions
- Assist with the delivery of the ASC’s events for Birmingham Scholar students
- Signpost the ASC’s support offers and wider Birmingham Scholar programme activities for Birmingham Scholar students
- Collaborate with the Student EDI team (the managing department of the Birmingham Scholar programme) in Student Services to promote ACS’s support offers via the Birmingham Scholar newsletter, social media, and other channels.
- Help develop the ASC’s online resources for developing the academic skills of Birmingham Scholar students
Additional duties may include
- Assist in the evaluation of the ASC’s activities for Birmingham Scholar students
- Assist the ASC team in identifying and disseminating good practices and new initiatives to support the development of academic skills for Birmingham Scholar students
Person Specification
Essential
- A current Birmingham Scholar student in the 2025/26 academic year
- An appreciation of the diversity of cultures, identities, and lived experiences
- Ability to connect and engage with a diverse student population
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills
- Strong organisational skills and good time-management skills
- Enthusiasm and flexibility
- Commitment to the hours required
- Able to work as a member of a team as well as proactively on their own
- Good IT skills, including Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, email, and social media
Desirable
- Experience in organising and running events
- Experience in producing video content for social media
- Experience in coordinating and facilitating small group activities
Additional Information
What’s in it for you?
- Flexible hours during Autumn and Spring terms
- Opportunity to build your confidence
- Understanding of learning support and development in higher education
- An opportunity to reflect and utilise your own experience as a Birmingham Scholar to support and empower peers
- Specialist training in academic and digital skills support
For any informal queries, pleas e contact Adam Lines ([email protected])
View our staff values and behaviours here
Valuing excellence, sustaining investment
We value diversity and inclusion at the University of Birmingham and welcome applications from all sections of the community and are open to discussions around all forms of flexible working.
The University of Birmingham restricts all students to working up to 20 hours per week during term time. If your application is successful and your course does not follow the usual academic term timetable (e.g. PGT, PGR or PhD student), you and your supervisor must formally agree vacation periods if this role exceeds 20 hours per week. In addition to this, please be aware if you are an International student you will be required to apply to the Registry for the appropriate Authorised Absence.
You are only eligible to apply to this role if you are a current University of Birmingham student. If you are not a University of Birmingham student your application will not be considered.
To work you will need to carry out a right to work check.These checks will need to be completed prior to work commencing. 
