Scheduler

The Registry

This key role will assume responsibility for the delivery of timetables and personalised timetables for allocated programmes.

Job details

Responsible to

Scheduling and Space Officer

Location

Kedleston Road, Derby Campus

Closing date

Wednesday 26 February 2025

Salary

£27,280 to £29,634 per annum, pro rata (for exceptional performers, there is scope for further progression up to £34,090 per annum, pro rata)

Job grade

ATOS 5

Reference

0013-25

Contract type

Permanent

Post type

Part-time

Adaptive working type

Hybrid
This role will be based on site, primarily in the named location with the opportunity to work remotely available in line with our Adaptive Working Framework.

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.

The Registry supports all aspects of the student journey, right from initial enquiry and application, all the way through to final award and student completion. We strive to provide an outstanding service to all our users and to be thought leaders in our fields of expertise, developing research informed practise. Registry teams work collaboratively with stakeholders to deliver a high-performance culture that promotes wellbeing, diversity and opportunity for all, supporting excellent student experience.

The Timetabling Unit is the centralised function for the governance, assurance and delivery of programme level timetables and personalised student timetables. The team ensures that the student experience is maximised within the timetable.

This key role will assume responsibility for the delivery of timetables and personalised timetables for allocated programmes. From the point of data gathering, you will work with programme areas to identify curriculum delivery requirements to deliver an excellent service, capturing the details within the timetabling system and identifying the most effective way to represent this information to ensure an efficient student and staff centred timetable.  

The role will also include responsibility for the booking of rooms to support non-academic requirements. 

This role is part time, 22 hours per week, based at our Kedleston Road site but will require the post holder to spend time at all sites, especially our Buxton campus.

If you love a puzzle then you will excel within this role. We are looking for someone with the drive and ambition to deliver outstanding results. You will be detail-oriented with excellent interpersonal skills, capable of demonstrating tact and diplomacy in various situations. The ideal candidate will have a methodical, creative, and accurate approach to handling and collating data, ensuring reliability and precision.

You will also be comfortable with using technology to gather information to gain a clear understanding of the requirements. Strong data handling skills are essential, including the ability to collate, verify, analyse, and report on complex information. Confidence in using software applications, particularly those involving data manipulation, is required.

Experience in delivering high-quality customer service, providing advice and guidance to stakeholders, and creating innovative solutions to problems is highly valued. The ability to work collaboratively across teams and departments to achieve shared goals is key to success in this role.

  1. To be responsible for ensuring that the data within the timetabling system is accurate and up to date at all times by working in continuous collaboration with the Colleges and professional services. This will include continuous audit to ensure accuracy of the timetables and to resolve any omissions or errors on timetabling information with the relevant stakeholders.
  2. To take a lead on the timetable production process for designated areas, coordinating with academic colleagues to ensure the creation of a timetable that promotes the student experience and optimises space utilisation. The delivered timetable will include classroom based delivery, exams and induction schedules.
  3. To advise academic staff formulating proposals for new and revised curriculum delivery, ensuring conformity with university norms, practices and policy, and identifying and resolving issues necessary to course scheduling.
  4. Provide advice on successful course scheduling and delivery patterns, and feedback on academic timetabling to influence future changes to programmes, maintaining a close relationship within the Registry and Colleges. Providing operational advice on the timetabling process and policy, resolving complex enquiries.
  5. Responsible for all room booking requests, ensuring that all room booking queries are dealt with professionally.
  6. Responsible for performing the class scheduling process within PeopleSoft, ensuring that the data reflects the timetable provision.
  7. Responsible for the provision of personalised timetables for all students within allocated areas, ensuring that the student experience is optimised, and that all personalised timetables are available within the stipulated timeframe.
  8. To maintain a detailed knowledge and understanding of the academic process and University systems, and their alignment with timetabling.
  9. May be asked to provide line Management and associated support for other members of the team.
  10. Plan, organise and prioritise own workload and provide cover for other members of the team. Using initiative to deal appropriately with changing priorities and situations.
  11. Registry staff may be expected, from time to time, to work in other areas of the Registry, including other sites.
  12. Support the wider work of the Registry across a range of programmes from Further Education (FE), undergraduate (UG) and postgraduate (PG), providing an excellent student experience and assisting in key University operational activities e.g. enrolment, awards ceremonies, acting as a focus for the central timetabling team for the purpose of delivering personalised timetables to all staff and students, whilst ensuring the best use of all University space and enhancing the student experience.

Essential Criteria

Qualifications

  • Educated to HND level standard or equivalent demonstrable work-based experience

Experience

  • Confidence and successful experience in using software applications, particularly involving the manipulation of complex information
  • Experience of delivering a good customer service to stakeholders and providing advice and guidance to others
  • Experience of understanding and applying data protection requirements

Skills, knowledge & abilities

  • Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to demonstrate tact and diplomacy in dealing with a wide range of contacts both internal and external to the University
  • Data handling skills, with the ability to collate, verify, analyse, and report on complex data
  • Creating innovative solutions to problems, addressing the root cause
  • Working collaboratively across boundaries to achieve common goals
  • Ability to take a professional approach and work on own initiative
  • Ability to manage own time / priorities the work of others in the team effectively as required
  • Ability to adapt and be flexible
  • Ability to understand and apply regulations/rules e.g. GDPR
  • Confident to demonstrate digital competency across a range of technologies, including but not limited to Microsoft Office
  • Excellent organisational skills
  • A methodical, creative and accurate approach to the handling and collation of data
  • Is a positive role model to the team
  • Is able to take responsibility and proactively provides solutions to resolve matters taking on a sense of ownership
  • Doesn’t take things at face value; is confident to question and investigate beyond first impressions to make informed decisions on actions
  • Thinks outside of the box and looks for more efficient ways of doing things for themselves and others in an engaging and effective way
  • Is able to see and consider the bigger picture; asking searching questions to resolve issues in a timely manner, focusing on the customer and business needs at all times

Business Requirements

  • Willingness and flexibility to travel and work between University sites in a cost effective and timely manner

Desirable Criteria

Qualifications

  • Educated to degree level standard
  • IT qualifications e.g. word processing, spreadsheets, web development etc.
  • Customer Service Qualifications

Experience

  • Experience of computerised timetable systems
  • Experience of complex timetabling/scheduling activities within education
  • Experience of working in the Higher Education sector

Skills, knowledge & abilities

  • Knowledge of timetabling or scheduling software
  • Ability to assimilate written and verbal information
  • Ability to work in a fast paced environment
  • Generous annual leave entitlement of 38 days inclusive of bank holidays and concessionary days (pro rata)
  • Local Government Pension Scheme
  • 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
  • Discounted access to Devonshire Spa
  • Cycle to Work scheme
  • A flexible working environment
  • A commitment to personal and professional development

Find out more about rewards and benefitsFind out more about rewards and benefits

For further information and informal enquiries regarding the role, please contact Rachel Sheridan, Timetabling Manager via r.sheridan@derby.ac.uk

For enquiries regarding your application and for sponsorship eligibility, please contact the recruitment team via recruitment@derby.ac.uk.

Visa Sponsorship Eligibility

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.

Please visit Applying from Overseas for more information.

 

DBS check

If you are successful, you will be required to undertake a 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.

For more information on equity, diversity and inclusion at the University of Derby, please visit our website.

 

A university that celebrates you

Environmental Sustainability

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 2040.

 

Environment and sustainability

Unlock your potential and apply 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 recruitment@derby.ac.uk.

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

Further details

Download Scheduler job descriptionDownload Scheduler job description

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.

Please find our Safeguarding pages including our Safeguarding Policy.