Job Description

Admissions Administrator

Student and Academic Services Directorate
Grade 4: £25,844 - 26,663 per annum
Open-Ended/Permanent - Full Time
Contracted Hours per Week: 35
Closing Date: 26-Nov-2026, 11:59:00 PM
Disclosure and Barring Service Requirement: Not Applicable.

The University

At Durham University we are proud of our people. A globally outstanding centre of educational excellence, a collegiate community of extraordinary people, a unique and historic setting – Durham is a university like no other.

Across the University we have a huge variety of roles and career opportunities, which together make us a large and successful community, which is a key hub of activity within our region and nationally. Whether you are at the very start, middle or end of your career, there is a role for you. We believe everyone has their own unique skills to offer.

We would be thrilled if you would consider joining our thriving University. Further information about the University can be found here.

Find out more about the benefits of working at the University and what it is like to live and work in the Durham area on our Why Join Us? - Information Page.

The Role and the Department

The Admissions Administrator will contribute to a professional, knowledgeable, effective and efficient admissions service delivering the University’s strategic aims and targets and ensuring that University and external regulations and policies are adhered to.

As part of a wider Admissions Services Team (consisting of our UG Admissions, PG Admissions, Enquiries and Admissions Compliance teams), the Admissions Administrator will support the applicant journey throughout the admissions cycle. This will include implementing admissions processes, providing information, advice and guidance to enquirers by telephone, email, or in person and applying judgement to independently make criteria-based decisions.

It also involves providing information, advice and guidance and developing positive working relationships with other staff within Student Recruitment and Admissions, across the wider University, and beyond.

A commitment to maximising personal and team effectiveness and the principles of equality and diversity is essential.

The post-holder will be based in the Admissions Compliance Team.

Student Recruitment and Admissions

Based in the Student & Academic Services Directorate, Student Recruitment and Admissions brings together several teams providing services in events, enquiry management, campaign delivery, admissions systems support, data analysis and forecasting, projects, compliance and admissions. It provides an essential service to the University in ensuring its financial sustainability and in delivering student number growth and increasing diversity in line with strategic aims and targets. We are the public face of the University in UK schools and colleges, through our contact with prospects, enquirers and applicants across the world and through our events.

Working at Durham

A competitive salary is only one part of the many fantastic benefits you will receive if you join the University:

You’ll receive 27 days annual leave per year in addition to 8 public holidays and 4 customary days per year - a total of 39 days. The University closes between Christmas and New Year.
No matter how you travel to work, we have you covered. We have parking across campus, a cycle to work scheme which helps you to buy a bike and discount with local bus and train companies.
You can access exclusive discounts via our benefits portal including money off at supermarkets, high street retailers, IT products such as Apple, eating out and days out at various attractions.
Our on-site nursery is rated Outstanding by Ofsted, and you can access holiday camps for children aged 5-16.
We provide wide-ranging health and wellbeing support including discounted membership for our state-of-the-art sport and gym facilities and access to a 24-7 Employee Assistance Programme.
We offer all staff the opportunity to take part in volunteering activities to make a difference to the local community.
Our family friendly policies, including maternity and adoption leave, are among the most generous in the higher education sector (and likely above and beyond many employers).
If you are keen on advancing in your role or career, we have a genuine passion for developing our colleagues from qualifications to IT skills, courses and apprenticeships.
We offer generous pension schemes with varying contribution amounts to help you plan for your future.

Discover more about our total rewards and benefits package here.

Durham University is committed to equality diversity, inclusion and values

Our collective aim is to create an open and inclusive environment where everyone can reach their full potential and we believe our staff should reflect the diversity of the global community in which we work.

As a University equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) are a key part of the University’s Strategy and a central part of everything we do. We also live by our values and our Staff Code of Conduct. At Durham we actively work towards providing an environment where our staff and students can study, work and live in a community which is supportive and inclusive.

We welcome and encourage applications from members of groups who are under-represented in our work force including people with disabilities, women and black, Asian and minority ethnic communities. If you have taken time out of your career, and you feel it relevant, let us know about it in your application. If you are a candidate with a disability, we are committed to ensuring fair treatment throughout the recruitment process. We will make adjustments to support the interview process wherever it is reasonable to do so and, where successful, reasonable adjustments will be made to support people within their role.

What you need to demonstrate when you apply (Person Specification)

To be considered for this role, here are the skills/experience we’re looking for:

Essential Criteria

Qualifications/Experience

Five GCSEs at least Grade C or level four (or equivalent) including English Language and Mathematics, or equivalent experience.
Experience of working in a busy office environment delivering front line administrative services.
Experience of work which involves a significant amount of data handling and verification, requiring a high level of accuracy and attention to detail.
Experience of managing time to meet deadlines and working under pressure without compromising on quality.

Skills/Abilities/Knowledge

Good spoken and written communication skills, with the ability to provide advice and guidance to a range of colleagues and customers by telephone, email and in person.
Good digital skills including experience in using the Internet, email, digital communication tools and Microsoft 365 applications, as well as the ability to learn new systems.
Committed to continuing professional development.
Ability to solve problems and resolve straightforward issues yourself and as part of a team.
Ability to work independently and use own initiative in the completion of day-to-day tasks.
Ability to make criteria-based decisions and think critically with sound judgement.
Ability to adapt quickly to changing priorities and manage multiple tasks efficiently.

Desirable Criteria

Knowledge and understanding of UCAS processes.
Knowledge and experience of Higher Education admissions processes.
Knowledge and experience ff student/applicant records systems.

How to apply

To progress to the assessment stage, candidates must evidence each of the essential criteria required for the role in the person specification above. Where there are desirable criteria we would also urge you to provide any relevant evidence. Please don’t forget to check if there is any weighted criteria (see above).

While some criteria will be considered at the shortlisting stage, other criteria may be considered later in the assessment process, such as questions at interview.

Submitting your application

We prefer to receive applications online. We will update you about your application at various points during the process, via automated emails from our e-recruitment system. Please check your spam/junk folder periodically to ensure you receive all emails

What you are required to submit:

A CV
A covering letter which shows examples of how you meet all of the criteria within the Person Specification

Contact details

If you would like to have a chat or ask any questions about the role, Sam McNaughton (Assistant Manager) would be happy to speak to you. Contact Sam at samuel.d.mcnaughton@durham.ac.uk

Typical Role Requirements

Here are the kind of activities that you’ll be asked to undertake and ways in which you’ll be expected to operate.

Service Delivery

Contribute to equality, diversity and inclusion and the University’s values.
Provide an excellent and timely service to our applicants, academic departments and other colleagues within and beyond the office.
Use standard office-based devices and applications such as MS Word, Excel and Dynamics, and a Student (Admissions) Record System to deliver services.
Update guidance on standard operating procedures followed by the team.
Contribute to the planning of Admissions Services activities, work and deadlines to ensure the smooth running and timelines of service.
Operate admissions processes (such as responding to enquiries and processing admissions-related decisions), finding solutions or escalating queries where necessary.
Compile, record, store and archive admissions data and information to ensure the accuracy and safety of information, and provide reports as required to team members and managers.
Acquire, maintain and apply a good working knowledge of professional and regulatory policies including: Durham University policies, UCAS regulations, Equality Act 2010, GDPR (data protection), Home Office regulations, UUK Admissions Code of Good Practice and Consumer Protection Law.
Apply standard professional and recognised regulatory procedures to make admissions-related decisions and process, check and reconcile anomalies within admissions data and information sets.

Teamwork

Resolve queries and respond to requests for information and advice and bring any complex issues to the attention of more experienced team members.
Help your team organise and provide administrative services that support key activities undertaken within your service and contribute to team planning activities.
Help your team ensure that products and services are adapted in response to feedback and to meet changing demands.

Communication/Liaison

Seek feedback from students, staff and anyone else that you come across as part of your role on their requirements from your service to ensure that their reasonable expectations are being met.
Record information e.g. bookings for activities/events and respond to queries which you receive.
Liaise with staff in other areas, professional organisations and agencies to ensure that services are being delivered in an efficient and collaborative way.
Liaise with external suppliers, contractors, specialists and service providers to plan the delivery of services and events.
Provide support for meetings, working groups and committees, such preparing and sending documents for meetings, drafting reports and taking minutes.
Liase and collaborate with staff in other areas of the organisation to ensure a seamless, smooth and efficient service, and to develop personal knowledge of the University and admissions processes.
Liaise with internal and external stakeholders to support the organisation, planning and delivery of admissions activity.
Work with team members in Admissions Services, the wider Student Recruitment and Admissions Office and stakeholders across the institution to ensure the smooth running of administrative processes within Admissions Services.
Provide expert information, advice and guidance to applicants and their advisors by email, telephone or in person, including participation in recruitment events such as open days.
Any other reasonable duties.

Occasionally the postholder will be required to work weekends, evenings and extended hours. This is to assist with tasks such as open days, recruitment events, undergraduate Confirmation & Clearing and other peak periods.

Additional opportunities are available to support UCAS Fairs and other recruitment activity, which may include UK travel.

Leave is restricted at certain times of the year, including in August around A Level results publication and on occasional days through the year when major recruitment events are delivered such as open days.

Useful links

If you would like further information about admissions in general, you might like to visit the following sites:

Please note that in submitting your application Durham University will be processing your data. We would ask you to consider the relevant University Privacy Statement Job Applicants/Potential Job Applicants - Privacy Notice which provides information on the collation, storing and use of data.

Durham University is a UKVI sponsor. Applicants who require sponsorship to work in the UK should note that not all roles are eligible. Further information on visa requirements and eligibility can be found on the UKVI website.

We welcome applications from candidates with disabilities, neurodiversity and long-term health conditions, and we are committed to ensuring fair treatment throughout the recruitment process.

We will make adjustments to support the recruitment and interview process wherever it is reasonable to do so and, where successful, adjustments will be made to support people within their role.

If you are unable to complete your application via our recruitment system or would like to discuss any reasonable adjustments to support you in the application process, please get in touch with us on e.recruitment@durham.ac.uk

If you have any issues logging in or creating an account, please get in touch with us on e.recruitment@durham.ac.uk

Admissions Administrator

Job Description