Schools and Colleges Engagement Regional Lead

derby.ac.uk; East Midlands; On-site; GBP 42,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading UK university is seeking a dynamic individual for a key role in Schools and Colleges Liaison. This position involves developing outreach strategies to enhance student recruitment across the region. The successful candidate will enjoy a flexible work environment, and must demonstrate excellent interpersonal skills and project management abilities, while frequently traveling to meet with schools and educators. Join this institution to impact the lives of students and contribute to higher education outreach efforts.

Benefits

38 days annual leave including bank holidays

Flexible working environment

Employee Assistance Programme

Discounted onsite gym

Cycle to Work scheme

Qualifications

• Experience in outreach, enrichment or student recruitment within a higher education context.
• Proven experience of relationship management with stakeholders.
• Recent project management experience in a complex environment.

Responsibilities

• Develop and deliver student recruitment activities in key regions.
• Build relationships with teachers in target schools and colleges.
• Facilitate outreach activity such as recruitment exhibitions and fairs.

Skills

Excellent interpersonal and communication skills

Project management

Customer service ethos

Flexible and adaptable approach

Team player

Innovative and creative thinking

Education

Relevant degree or comparable work experience

Relevant professional qualification related to marketing

Tools

Customer Relationship Management systems

Microsoft Dynamics

Job description

£32,260 to £36,251 per annum (For exceptional performers, there is scope for further progression up to £41,689 per annum)

Onsite
This role will be based on site, primarily in the named location.

We have one simple promise – to make a positive impact. Through our ground‑breaking research, teaching excellence and commitment to sustainable living, we are changing lives for the better.

The University of Derby is a modern university with a modern outlook. Everything we do is driven by delivering excellence and opportunities for our students, our staff and our region.

We have some of the best university facilities in the UK and achieve outstanding results for our teaching and research and have been awarded Gold in the prestigious Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) 2023 – making it one of the top universities in the country recognised for its outstanding student experience and student outcomes.

Financially strong and seriously ambitious we offer our employees an inclusive culture that centres itself around staff wellbeing, where you can be confident you will receive all the help and encouragement you need to build a rewarding career with lots of opportunities to enhance your skills.

Our External Relations team is responsible for promoting and raising awareness of our University’s brand in the UK and overseas. From creating all messaging and content for external campaigns and our website, to social media, and managing events – ours is a highly complex and expert marketing,PR and Internal Comms environment, key to making the University shine.

Schools and Colleges Liaison

The Schools and Colleges Liaison team works closely with schools and colleges to provide a direct link to the University of Derby.

We offer an exciting and inspirational programme of activities designed to showcase the wide range of options available to students at the University.

This role will support in the development of the University’s Student Recruitment and Outreach strategies and have responsibility for building strong and sustainable relationships with teachers and advisors in target schools and colleges for both the University’s outreach and recruitment agendas. You will develop, co‑ordinate and facilitate regional outreach and student recruitment activities in key regions, while also addressing the specific opportunities provided across Derby, Derbyshire and neighbouring counties.

You will lead outreach and recruitment activities designed to broaden access to Higher Education (HE) in general and the University of Derby specifically within the region. The aim of the role is to build relationships, raise awareness of the University and the City of Derby to attract a wide interest in the University and its courses, ultimately leading to increased undergraduate recruitment.

The role will require frequent and extensive travel to schools, colleges and events venues across the country. It requires evening and weekend working; the successful candidate must, therefore, be flexible, have excellent time management skills, and be confident in using their own initiative.

>Anticipated interview date: Monday 9th February 2026

You will demonstrate a customer service ethos which matches the University’s values and behaviours; outstanding communication, persuasion and influencing skills, and a passion for continuous improvement and a determination for excellence.

To be successful in this role, you will demonstrate an ability and genuine interest in keeping abreast of the external environment relevant to student recruitment, widening participation, and higher education developments such as Government or Office for Students policy updates as well as changes in customer requirements, including activities which influence underrepresented and hard to reach groups.

• Collaborate with the Head of Schools and Colleges Engagement to proactively target, build, account manage and maintain relationships with teachers and advisors in target schools and colleges across a defined region with the aim of increasing the profile of the University and Derby City to support in achieving recruitment and widening participation targets.
• To develop, manage, and deliver a regional schools and colleges outreach and recruitment plan, incorporating and supporting APP plans and the University’s wider growth ambitions.
• Work closely with third party partners to attend and facilitate outreach activity such as recruitment exhibitions and fairs, on-campus and off-campus events and virtual sessions to promote the University to generate prospective student and teacher/advisor leads.
• To facilitate the attendance of students and key influencers from within the target region at University events such as Open Days, Campus Tours, taster days, teachers and advisors' conferences, ensuring that all events incorporate a widening participation element.
• Work with the Strategic and Insights Planning team and the Head of Schools and Colleges Engagement to use data and insights from across the region and wider UK to identify recruitment and widening participation opportunities in the target area.
• Evaluate the impact of activity in achieving Institutional Success Measures, APP and recruitment targets.
• Work collaboratively with other HE institutions and external stakeholders, such as DANCOP, UCAS, or other regional partner agencies as needed to develop best practice in order deliver strategic outreach programmes and achieve targets with specific under-represented groups.
• Use the Customer Relationship Management system to target and track activity, manage relationships with schools/colleges, record and report on activity providing a high level of customer service to schools and key stakeholders at key points in the recruitment journey.
• In consultation with the Marketing team develop and update promotional materials (digital and print) to support the work being undertaken in the region.
• Fully embrace a culture of continuous improvement which encourages team members to question the norms, try new things and be innovative and creative in their approach.
• Represent the University at relevant professional organisation meetings and conferences driving forward the University’s social mobility and civic agendas.
• Support key University open day events and other key recruitment events.
• Understand and display University of Derby values and behaviours appropriate to the level of post.
• Actively engage in continuing professional development and lifelong learning activities.
• Carry out duties in a safe and proper manner to comply with the University’s Health and Safety Policy and Equal Opportunities Policy.
• Undertake any other duties as appropriate to the grade of post.
• Relevant degree (or equivalent qualification) or recent, comparable work experience

Experience

• Experience of working in outreach, enrichment or student recruitment within a higher education context or other relevant organisation
• Experience of relationship management with key stakeholders and collaborative working at all levels
• Experience of developing plans, leading on the delivery and implementation, reporting and evaluation
• Recent experience of project management in a complex environment
• Up to date knowledge of current issues affecting progression to higher education, student funding, recruitment and qualifications
• Recent proven experience of evaluating data and feedback and revising activities and work practices accordingly

Skills, knowledge & abilities

• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, both verbal and written, with a record of influencing and motivating others
• Up-to-date knowledge of current issues affecting progression to HE, student funding, recruitment and qualifications
• Understanding of and commitment to widening access/social mobility
• Flexible and adaptable approach to work, to be self­motivated and disciplined
• Knowledge of risk assessing for events and outreach work
• Excellent highly developed presentation skills
• Proven ability to identify and maximise new opportunities
• Proven ability to work using your initiative and as part of a team without direct supervision
• Proven ability to follow procedures and processes
• Proven ability to manage complex and conflicting demands in a fast-paced environment
• Demonstrate a commitment to an excellent standard of customer service
• Team player
• Innovative and creative thinker
• Strong solution‑focused attitude and positive and professional demeanour
• Empathy with the needs of learners

Business requirements

• Requirement to undertake an Enhanced DBS disclosure
• Must be willing to work evening, weekend and some overnight work as appropriate
• Willingness and flexibility to travel and work between University and external sites in a cost effective and timely manner, including travel across the UK
• Ability to work outside of normal working hours (including some evenings and weekends), to support the business during key University events, such as Graduation, Clearing and Open Days and at key student admissions points.

Qualifications

• Full driving licence
• Relevant professional qualification related to marketing or working with young learners

Experience

• Recent experience of working with groups of learners progressing into HE
• Experience of using Customer Relationship Management systems such as Microsoft Dynamics
• Generous annual leave entitlement of 38 days inclusive of bank holidays and concessionary days (pro rata)
• Suite of holistic wellbeing benefits and support including family-friendly policies, generous sick pay provision and comprehensive Employee Assistance Programme
• Access to a variety of staff discounts at high street retailers
• Discounted onsite gym
• Cycle to Work scheme
• A flexible working environment
• A commitment to personal and professional development

For further information and informal enquiries regarding the role, please contact Liam Dowson, Head of Schools and Colleges Engagement via [e-mail]

For enquiries regarding your application and for sponsorship eligibility, please contact the recruitment team via [e-mail] .

The University is unable to sponsor the employment of international workers under the Skilled Worker route for this role; however, applications are welcome from candidates who are able to demonstrate an alternative right to work in the UK.

This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (ROA) 1974 and is therefore subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.

Any information you provide will be treated in confidence and only used when considering your suitability for the post.

To enable us to process your DBS check please ensure you are able to supply the documentation listed on the DBS website at interview stage.

Equity, diversity and inclusion

The University of Derby is committed to promoting equity, diversity and inclusion, regardless of age, disability, trans status, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief (or none), sex and sexual orientation.

We are Disability Confident Employers, demonstrating our commitment to disability inclusion, and invite applicants to highlight adjustments they may require to ensure equitable participation in our recruitment processes.

Further, we are committed to ensuring an environment which is trans and non-binary-inclusive for all our staff, students, partners, and visitors, and continuously review our policies, guidance and training.

When applying to join the University, you can choose your preferred title, including the gender-neutral title 'Mx'. We also ask our candidates if they would like to share their preferred pronouns. This is voluntary but demonstrates our commitment to inclusivity for trans and non-binary candidates. Once employed, you can add pronouns and preferred names onto our system.

The University of Derby undertakes anonymised shortlisting during the staff recruitment process. This means that, when shortlisting, panel members will not be able to see an applicant’s name and will see an applicant number instead. This demonstrates the practical steps we are taking to remove barriers to recruitment by minimising the possible impact of our unconscious bias.

However you identify, we actively celebrate the knowledge, experience and talents each person brings. Our students come from a wide range of backgrounds; therefore we are particularly interested to hear from applicants who will help our leaders and teams be more reflective of our student population.

At the University of Derby, we are passionate about embedding sustainability into everything that we do. We aim to bring environmental sustainability into all aspects of the University, including teaching, research and operational activities. In line with the University's strategic framework, we expect all our staff to embed sustainability into their working practices and support the University's objective to reach net zero carbon by 2050.

Don’t miss your chance – join the team and make a difference today!

How to apply

You can apply by submitting an online application. Once you have signed in or registered with us you will be able to begin your application. If you are creating an account for the first time, please ensure you provide an email address that you access regularly as this will be our main means of contacting you regarding your application.

The University reserves the right to close this vacancy early if we receive a high volume of applications. We encourage you to submit your application as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.

If you require any assistance, including the provision of any documentation in an alternative format, please contact the Recruitment team at [e-mail] .

Please note all applications must be submitted online by Midnight GMT on the closing date of the vacancy.

The University of Derby is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all our staff, students and children. At the University of Derby, safeguarding is everybody's concern.