Work Experience Co-ordinator

About ARU:

ARU is a global university transforming lives through innovative, inclusive and entrepreneurial education and research. ARU holds a Gold award for the quality of its education, awarded through the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF).

ARU’s research institutes and four faculties bridge scientific, technical and creative fields. We deliver impactful research which tackles pressing issues and makes a real difference to our communities. Our academic excellence has been recognised by the UK’s Higher Education funding bodies, with 16 of our research areas assessed as world leading. We are the largest provider of Nursing, Midwifery, Health and Social Care students in the East of England, and we are also among the UK’s leading universities for degree apprenticeship provision, working with hundreds of employers across the UK.

At our ARU Writtle campus, we specialise in animal, environmental, agricultural and horticultural courses, for learners aged 16 to 18, adult learners, undergraduate and postgraduate levels.

About the Role:

Based at our ARU Writtle campus, the Work Experience Co-ordinator will play a key role in supporting Further Education students to access high-quality industry placements and meaningful workplace experiences. Working closely with the Department of Animal, Human and Biovet, along with Equine teaching teams, you will visit and monitor students in the workplace, support employers and students to develop clear action plans, and help ensure that placements are safe, effective and aligned to curriculum goals.

You will also contribute to sourcing suitable work placements, carrying out off-site visits and health and safety assessments, maintaining accurate records and administrative processes, and supporting wider employer engagement activity. This is a varied and rewarding role for someone who enjoys working with young people, building strong employer relationships and helping students develop the skills and confidence they need for their future careers.

About You:

We are looking for someone with excellent communication and organisational skills, who is confident working across a busy academic environment and liaising with students, employers and colleagues at all levels. You will have the ability to work independently, prioritise effectively and maintain a high standard of accuracy and responsiveness in your work. A proactive, solution-focused approach and the ability to make sound decisions are essential.

You should have relevant industrial experience, a good understanding of health and safety requirements, and experience of carrying out risk assessments. Strong administrative and digital skills are important, along with the confidence to use systems and software effectively. A full driving licence is essential, and an HS8 qualification is desirable, although a willingness to undertake this would be welcomed. Experience of analysing student destination information, producing reports or presentations, and supporting service improvement would also be beneficial.

To be successful you will hold two A levels or vocational qualification at NVQ level 3 or equivalent and have a minimum of grade C/4 or equivalent grade in English and Maths.

Informal enquiries can be made to Sarah Fritz at sarah.fritz@aru.ac.uk

Find out more about working with us and how we recruit.

We have an agile working culture and offer an extensive range of benefits including generous holiday entitlement, occupational pension schemes, training and development opportunities, travel to work scheme and a competitive relocation package. Visit our benefits page for full details.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting welfare of our staff and students and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Applicants should be aware that ARU will carry out online searches as part of the due diligence on short listed candidates.

All appointments at ARU Writtle are subject to satisfactory pre-employment checks, including a satisfactory Enhanced criminal records with Children’s Barred List check through the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS). Further information can be obtained from https://www.gov.uk/disclosure-barring-service-check. Shortlisted candidates will be required to disclose any prior disciplinary action or investigation related to sexual misconduct or abuse.

This role is considered exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the amendments to the Exceptions Order 1975, 2013 and 2020. Further information about filtering offences can be found in the DBS filtering guide.

We value diversity at ARU and welcome applications from all sections of the community.

We have a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK and will conduct Right to Work checks in line with UKVI’s Right to Work policy and our own institutional policy. Furthermore, we must note: 

• Applicants applying from outside the UK: At this time, ARU is unable to sponsor applicants applying from overseas for a Worker Route visa.
• Applicants already in the UK: ARU is unable to offer Worker Route visa sponsorship to applicants whose salary does not meet our minimum sponsorship threshold, which aligns with roles at Grade 6 and above.

Committed to being inclusive and open to discuss flexible working.

We reserve the right to close this vacancy once we have received sufficient applications.

Guidance Notes:

Please download the Job Description Person Specification for key requirements. To apply, demonstrate how your skills and experience meet the criteria.