Senior Admissions Officer (1915)
Senior Admissions Officer
Part Time (22.2 hrs per week) - Permanent - High Wycombe
Salary - £33,951 - £37,694
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.
To deliver a first-class admissions and recruitment service for the University’s applicants, offering official and professional advice directly to applicants, whilst ensuring the quality of service is constantly improving. This is a key post to support the Head of Admissions in all processes involved in the applicant journey from enquiry to enrolment.
The role involves leading the admissions team to successfully manage the entire admissions cycle from initial enquiry to registration including regular reporting on admissions, monitoring, tracking and analysing admissions data, monitoring customer satisfaction rates within the admissions process and managing admissions relationships with colleagues in academic areas.
What we offer:
- a generous holiday entitlement (30 days per annum, plus bank holidays & closure days)
- Hybrid working (dependant on business needs)
- 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 this role please contact Rhys Thomas at Rhys.Thomas@bnu.ac.uk
All applications are to be made in full and online.
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: 23 November 2025
Interview Date: w/c 1 December 2025
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. The University is also committed to achieving the Race Equality Charter.
Job Description
JOB DESCRIPTION
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Job Title: Senior Admissions Officer
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Faculty/Directorate: Marketing & Student Recruitment
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Grade: F |
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Location: High Wycombe
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Hours: 22.2 |
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Responsible to: UK Admissions Manager
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Responsible for: N/A
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Job Purpose: To deliver a first class admissions and recruitment service for the University’s applicants, offering official and professional advice directly to applicants, whilst ensuring the quality of service is constantly improving. You will be a subject matter expert in the course portfolio as well as qualifications acceptable for entrance and appropriate applicant assessment for professionally accredited courses. The core of the role involves dealing with a wide range of applications to the University making decisions on both undergraduate and postgraduate applications against set entry criteria, and for building / maintaining excellent working relationships with colleagues in academic areas. The role holder will need to develop a detailed understanding of both international and UK qualifications (for undergraduate and postgraduate entry) and of UKVI and UCAS practice and regulation.
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Main Duties & Responsibilities of the role:
- Making decisions on undergraduate and postgraduate applications to the University using agreed entry criteria. The postholder will bring a broad knowledge of qualification types, access issues and market intelligence to take responsibility for all aspects of the admissions process for designated academic areas and to ensure an effective and productive working relationship with colleagues within those areas.
- Proactively engaging with a range of staff across the insitution, including liaison on matters such as interviews and portfolio reviews. Ensuring decisions are returned within the relevant timescales.
- Continuously evaluate processes to suggest and implement service improvements in response to applicant or business needs.
- Providing advice and guidance to applicants, staff in Schools and external organisations on acceptable qualifications and appropriate admissions routes for UK and International applications, for undergraduate, apprenticeship and taught postgraduate courses, using a range of communication methods.
- Provide advice and guidance to applicants on placement options within their chosen programmes.
- Proactively engage in the retention of students in the early stages after joining the programme.
- To be responsible for the recording and accuracy of application information on the Admissions database, including applicant details and offer information.
- To carry out fees assessments to ensure applicants are classified in the correct fee category.
- To liaise with partner institutions and those responsible for partnerships within the University to offer advice and guidance and ensure that all partner admissions are dealt with in line with best practice and the University Admissions Policy.
- To develop a thorough understanding of UK and overseas qualifications, including English language qualifications, for entry to the University (undergraduate and postgraduate), and a working knowledge of issues around fraudulent applications, and to take responsibility for ensuring that all required checks are carried out as appropriate for the designated courses.
- To deal with telephone enquiries, email, written enquiries and walk-ins from prospective applicants, offering detailed advice on application procedures and entry requirements.
- To represent the Admissions Team at open days, offering support, advice and detailed information regarding application procedures and standard offer information to both applicants and prospective applicants, as well as more broadly support the event delivery, often taking on team leader roles.
- To represent the Admissions Team on selected events such as Interview Days and Applicant Visit Days, providing administrative support to Faculties to ensure high levels of customer service to applicants.
- To liaise with all other faculties and departments, and to liaise effectively, and ensure familiarity, with, relevant external bodies and their policies and procedures such as UCAS, SPA, NARIC, QAA and the UKVI.
- To manage the scheduling and delivery of interviews and selection days where required through liaison with the School and course leaders.
- To prepare documents and assessments required for interview, issue interview invites, offer letters and any other necessary correspondence to applicants and stakeholders, as required.
- To provide advice and guidance to colleagues within academic schools, the Marketing & Student Recruitment Directorate and other university staff as appropriate on all aspects of the admissions process
- To work closely with the whole of the Student Recruitment & Admissions Office to ensure a consistent, effective and customer focussed service is offered to all enquirers and applicants and that all key information is provided at appropriate points.
- Such other duties temporarily or on a continuing basis, as may reasonably be required.
- To 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 – Essential Criteria Only
A = Application T = Test I = Interview
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Education, Qualifications & Training |
Means of Testing |
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Good general education |
A |
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Graduate |
A |
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Knowledge & Experience |
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Experience of working in Higher Education establishment |
A / I |
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Higher Education Admissions experience |
A / I |
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Experience of using databases |
I / T |
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Experience of developing systems or procedures |
I |
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Experience of working independently and of dealing with conflicting demands and priorities |
A/I |
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Skills |
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Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including, relationship building and networking skills |
A / I |
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High level of attention to detail and confidentiality |
I / T |
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The ability to contribute to high performance customer focused teams |
A / I |
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Strong problem solving skills and a willingness to challenge conventional methods |
A / I |
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Excellent organisational and time management skills with the ability to work to deadlines |
A / I |
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Excellent IT and word-processing skills particularly Word and Excel |
I / T |
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Good telephone manner |
I / T |
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Special Requirements |
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Must be able to work overtime, including weekends during the clearing period and other key times in the year. |
I |
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It will be necessary to schedule annual leave around key busy periods which generally arise during August/September |
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Must be able to work cross campus between High Wycombe and Uxbridge |
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BNU Behavioural Framework
Delivering Excellent Service Making every contact count by providing the best quality service to all our customers (Internal Customers, Students and all our Stakeholders). Building genuine and open long-term relationships in order to improve customer services. Needs.
Working Together Showing commitment to own ongoing professional development Supporting and encouraging others to develop their professional knowledge, skills and behaviours to enable them to reach their full potential.
Finding Solutions Taking a holistic view and working enthusiastically to analyse problems and develop workable solutions. Identifying opportunities for innovation.
