Placements Officer (1948)
Placements Officer
Full Time – Fixed Term Contract (2 years) – High Wycombe
Salary – £29,588 -£33,002
Buckinghamshire New University is an ambitious, modern university that is always open to fresh ideas and thinking. We believe in the transformative power of education, and in doing the right thing by our students, people and local community. That’s why our BNU community is a special place to work and study, and where people who want to make a difference can contribute and succeed.
Our University’s DRIVE values and are at the heart of all that we do. We are united in being dynamic, responsible, inclusive, visionary and empowering to ensure that we provide the best experience to our learners and offer excellent service to our partners and to each other as colleagues. Our commitment to these values is unwavering and they are central to our mission. We encourage applications from all backgrounds, communities and industries and we are happy to discuss any reasonable adjustments that you require.
An opportunity has arisen for an experienced administrator to join Buckinghamshire New University based at the High Wycombe Campus. Your role will be to provide administrative support for the planning and co-ordination of the placement allocation for Undergraduate students enrolled on non-regulated programmes. You will also maintain a database of placement information, liaise with a variety of stakeholders and carry out a wide range of administrative tasks.
You will have excellent interpersonal and communication skills, be used to working accurately, be able to operate flexibly under pressure in a fast-moving environment, have a good standard of education and be able to work within existing administrative procedures. You will be familiar with MS Word, Access and Excel.
What we offer:
- a generous holiday entitlement (30 days per annum, plus bank holidays & closure days)
- training & development support opportunities
- contributory pension scheme
- discounted gym membership for our on-site gym
- a range of staff discounts with major retailers.
Please click here to see our wide range of benefits available for employees.
Please click here for our behavioural based interview question bank.
Please click here to view our employee handbook.
If you have the qualities and attributes representative of the University’s values and ambition, we would be delighted to hear from you.
For further information about the role please contact Stuart Murchie at Stuart.Murchie@bnu.ac.uk
BNU is proud to have a diverse community and a strong track record of diversity, equity and inclusion. Our aim is to continue to build an environment where everyone thrives and can be themselves. We therefore ensure that our interview/shortlisting Chairs complete the relevant e-learning and/or inclusive recruitment training.
We therefore particularly encourage applications from candidates who are likely to be underrepresented in BNU’S workforce. These include people from global majority backgrounds, disabled people, and LGBTQI+ people, particularly in more senior roles.
Closing Date: 18th January 2026
Interview Date: Wednesday 4th February 2026
If you are successful in securing an interview for the role, you will be required to provide proof of eligibility to work in the UK.
BNU is a Disability Confident employer and as such you will be given the opportunity to declare a disability as part of the application process.
Job Description
JOB DESCRIPTION
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Job Title: Placements Officer
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College/Directorate: Directorate for Student Success |
Grade: E |
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Location: Normally based at High Wycombe Campus, may be required to spend some time at Uxbridge campus |
Hours: 37 |
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Responsible to: Experiential Learning (Placements and Internships) Implementation Manager
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Responsible for: Supporting the Experiential Learning (Placements and Internships) Implementation Manager in the planning and co-ordination of the placement allocation of students on non-regulated programmes. The postholder will maintain the database of placement information, liaise with a variety of stakeholders and carry out a range of administrative tasks. The postholder must be flexible in delivering support to students, employer partners and academics, and be able to operate under pressure in a fast-moving and changing environment whilst contributing to a positive student experience.
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Job Purpose: The purpose of the job description is to indicate the general level of responsibility: the duties may vary from time to time without changing their general character or level of responsibility. While working in a particular area of responsibility, they should be prepared to provide support to other areas as and when required. To practice an inclusive approach and support building an inclusive university community where people can be themselves.
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Main Duties & Responsibilities of the role:
- To plan and co-ordinate the placement allocation of students, through creating student plans and managing the placement database and various spreadsheets for all non-regulated placement details.
- To maintain and manage accurate records on designated student cohorts, ensuring that the hours are recorded for reporting student progression and engagement.
- To ensure that the overall placement planner is adhered to, with Business Partners informed of students’ details at least two months in advance.
- To ensure that all placement related documents are signed and submitted on time, that onboarding processes are completed on time and module specific placement hours have been formally recorded and passed to the relevant academic staff for verification within set timescales.
- To liaise with the School Registry regarding the suspension, withdrawals and resumptions of students from their course/cohort.
- To communicate and maintain links with Business Partners, placement supervisors, Academic staff, administrative staff and Students in relation to placements via written correspondence, telephone, email or in person.
- Provide support to Students, Academics and external organisational staff that will be hosting BNU non-regulated students for placements.
- To undertake any other reasonable duties deemed necessary by the Experiential Learning (Placements and Internships) Implementation Manager or Director of Student Success, including assisting other administrative areas as required.
- Comply with relevant legislative and other requirements (e.g., the Data Protection Act 2018 and GDPR; Health and Safety; UKVI; and Equality and Diversity) in all working practices.
PERSON SPECIFICATION
A = Application T = Test I = Interview
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Education, Qualifications & Training |
Means of Testing |
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Good general education to GCSE standard |
A |
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Knowledge & Experience |
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Delivering an excellent customer experience |
A/I/T |
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Significant relevant experience in a busy administrative environment |
A/I |
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Experience of working successfully in a team |
A/I |
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Experience of problem solving |
A/I/T |
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Awareness of Data Protection and confidentiality issues |
A/T |
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Experience of customer service or dealing with the public |
A/I |
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Knowledge of educational working practices and/or experience of Higher Education systems, processes and procedures in the UK |
A/I |
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Experience of working with placement students |
A/I |
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Skills |
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Digitally able and proficient in Microsoft tools |
A/I |
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Proven ability Microsoft Office and with database management |
A/I/T |
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Excellent written and verbal communication skills |
A/T |
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Excellent attention to detail |
A/T |
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Excellent telephone manner |
A/I |
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Good organisational skills |
A/I |
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Ability to prioritise tasks and work flexibly on own initiative |
A/I |
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Ability to work under pressure |
A/I |
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Ability to work as part of a team |
A/I |
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Special Requirements |
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There maybe occasional requirement to attend stakeholder meetings outside of normal hours |
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Behavioural INDICATORS
The BNU Behaviours Framework (BBF) is a framework for all University staff that sets out the key behaviours that exemplify the DRIVE values and ethos of the University. The nine categories provide a clear steer on behavioural expectations that will help support a step change in the performance and culture of the University. The three key behavioural indicators for this post are as follows:
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Delivering excellent service Providing the best quality service to external and internal customers/students/stakeholders. Building genuine and open long-term relationships in order to drive up customer service standards.
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Working together Working collaboratively and across boundaries with others in order to achieve objectives. Recognising and valuing the different contributions people bring to this process.
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Achieving results Consistently meeting agreed objectives and success criteria. Taking personal responsibility for getting things done. |