Senior Department Administrator

Reference
1122384

Branch
University of Warwick

Start date
07/12/2026

Duration
Other - See Job

Hours and days
Monday – Friday. 36.5 hours per week.

Dress code
Smart Casual

Rate of pay
£25.47

Holiday rate
£3.07

Role

Provide senior operational leadership for the School during a period of temporary absence cover, taking responsibility for the effective management of professional services and the delivery of key departmental priorities. Exercise independent judgement, resolve operational issues and provide clear support to the Heads of Department (HoD) and senior colleagues.

The focus of the assignment will be on maintaining effective services, leading the team and progressing priorities that fall within the cover period.

Duties and responsibilities

Operational leadership and management

• Lead and manage the Department’s professional services activity, setting priorities, allocating resources and ensuring that essential services and deadlines are delivered.
• Act as the principal point of contact for departmental operational matters, taking ownership of issues and working directly with academic colleagues and central services to resolve them.
• Make decisions within delegated authority, involving the HoD or COO where matters require their authority or present significant strategic, financial or reputational risk. Where escalation is necessary, provide a clear assessment and recommended course of action.

Student administration and education

• Oversee the Academic Administrator in the provision of undergraduate and postgraduate administration, ensuring effective delivery across teaching, assessment, examinations and student records.
• Oversee teaching and assessment planning, coordinating administrative activity with academic leads and managing competing demands.
• Ensure that student administration meets University requirements, including engagement monitoring and quality assurance, and take responsibility for resolving complex administrative issues.

People leadership and staffing

• Provide clear leadership and line management for the administrative team, managing workloads, supporting colleagues and maintaining effective service delivery during the cover period.
• Manage staffing matters within the remit of the role, including recruitment, absence, probation and contractual arrangements, drawing on specialist HR advice where required.
• Oversee teaching and marking arrangements and associated staffing administration, working with academic leads to meet departmental needs.

Financial and resource management

• Support the HoD in managing departmental budgets within delegated authority, maintaining oversight of income, expenditure and commitments and ensuring compliance with University financial procedures.
• Work with Finance colleagues to identify financial pressures, maintain accurate forecasts and take appropriate action.
• Provide financial and resource advice to the HoD and contribute to planning or funding submissions required during the assignment.

Research administration

• Oversee administrative support for the Department’s research portfolio, ensuring that project finances, contractual requirements and reporting deadlines are effectively managed.
• Work with academic colleagues, Finance and Research Support Services to resolve issues and maintain compliance with funder and University requirements.

Governance, information and departmental facilities

• Coordinate effective departmental governance, ensuring that committees receive timely information, decisions are followed through and agreed actions progress.
• Provide reliable management information and practical advice to support departmental decisions, identifying emerging issues and recommending action.
• Oversee departmental space and facilities matters, working with relevant University services to resolve operational problems.
• Make proportionate improvements to processes where these address immediate needs or strengthen service continuity, and ensure a clear handover at the end of the assignment.

Skills and experience

• A practical, collaborative approach, with the ability to establish credibility quickly and take ownership of issues through to resolution.
• Educated to degree level or equivalent relevant professional experience.
• Substantial experience of higher education administration, including responsibility for managing departmental operations or a significant professional services function.
• Experience of leading and managing administrative teams, setting clear priorities, allocating workloads and supporting effective service delivery.
• Ability to exercise sound independent judgement, make decisions within delegated authority and resolve complex operational issues, recognising when senior involvement is required.
• Experience of managing budgets, monitoring expenditure and interpreting financial information to inform decisions.
• Strong numerical and analytical skills, including the ability to analyse and present financial and management information using spreadsheets.
• A sound understanding of university administration and governance, with the ability to interpret and apply policies and procedures pragmatically.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to build effective working relationships, advise senior colleagues and handle sensitive matters with discretion.
• Ability to manage competing priorities, meet deadlines and maintain oversight of a varied workload in a busy academic environment.
• Confident use of administrative systems and data sources, with the ability to learn unfamiliar systems and processes quickly.

Desirable

• Experience of managing professional services within an academic department, school or research centre.
• Experience of research administration, including project costing, contract administration or research grant management.
• Experience of coordinating projects or implementing practical improvements to administrative processes.
• A relevant postgraduate or professional qualification.

Location
On Campus – FAB Building

Additional information

• Start and end date: ASAP until end of December (Possibility of extension)
• Deadline to apply: Thursday 26th November 26

Please provide a CV and cover letter with your application.

Please note upon applying for this role you are consenting to your contact details being shared directly with the hiring manager.

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