Marketing Assistant - External Relations - 108086 - Grade 5

Position Details

External Relations

Location: University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham UK

Full time starting salary is normally in the range £30,062 to £31,900, with potential progression once in post to £35,883

Grade: 5

Full Time, Fixed Term contract up to 12 months or 18 months 

Closing date: 15th October 2026

There are 2 positions available

Our offer to you

People are at the heart of what we are and do.

The University of Birmingham is proud to have been a part of the City of Birmingham and the wider region for over 100 years, and we are equally proud to be recognised as a leading global university. We want to attract talented people from across the city and beyond, support them to succeed, and celebrate their success.

We are committed to helping the people who work here to develop through our sector-leading Birmingham Professional programme which provides all professional services staff with development opportunities and the encouragement to reach their full potential. With almost 5,000 professional services jobs in a wide-range of functions in Edgbaston and in our campus in Dubai, there are plenty of opportunities for you to be able to develop your career at the University.

We believe there is no such thing as a typical member of staff and that diversity is a source of strength that underpins the exchange of ideas, innovation, and debate. We warmly welcome people from all backgrounds and are committed to fostering an inclusive environment where diversity is at the heart of who and what we are, and how we work.

Supporting our people to achieve a healthy work/life balance is important both to our employees and to the success of the University and, depending on the role, we offer a variety of flexible working arrangements. We therefore welcome discussions on all forms of flexible working. In addition, you will receive a generous package of benefits including 40 days paid holiday a year, one paid day a year for volunteering, occupational sick pay, and a pension scheme. We also have three high quality subsidised day nurseries.

The University is situated in leafy Edgbaston and there are excellent transport links to our beautiful campus, including main bus routes and a train station on site. On campus we have a state-of-the-art sports centre with pool, shops, places to eat and drink, our own art gallery, museum and botanical gardens.

Find out more about the benefits of working for the University of Birmingham

Background

The University of Birmingham is a global institution working within a diverse and vibrant City, offering an inspiring education to our students, and undertaking critically important research.  We are a place of open, critical thinking, and the creation, sharing and dissemination of knowledge.  Professional Services put students at the heart of all they do and enable an exceptional educational experience. They provide outstanding support to our researchers and help the University to grow its influence regionally, nationally, and globally. They ensure the University’s resources are used wisely, manage and improve the infrastructure which sits at the heart of the institution, and support decisions to be made quickly and based on sound evidence.  Our Birmingham Professional programme operates across the University, supporting colleagues to network and collaborate, offering opportunities to learn and develop, contributing to the delivery of the University’s objectives, and helping everyone to understand the broader context within which we work.

Department overview 

External Relations is the division responsible for delivering our University to the world and prides itself in seizing opportunities that will enhance the profile and reputation of the University. We engage with many different audiences to build purposeful relationships internally, locally, nationally and internationally. We enable those who wish to apply to study on our courses to make informed choices.  We recognise that we are strongest when we work together and take pride in upholding our core values of being ambitious, innovative, open, collaborative and responsible.

Role Summary

The Marketing Assistant plays an important role in driving student recruitment and enhancing the University’s reputation. Working with colleagues across the University, the postholder will support the delivery of marketing activities and provide administrative support to attract, engage and convert prospective students, supporting the University to build a high quality and diverse population and achieve its growth ambitions for 2030 and beyond.

In this role, the postholder will support cross-channel, institution-wide activities and provide advice and support to colleagues and potential students through a range of methods.

Main Duties

1. Support the delivery of a range of marketing activities and campaigns to meet student recruitment targets across all markets.
2. Work closely with colleagues across marketing, student recruitment, admissions, Colleges, the wider External Relations division and across the institution, to deliver a comprehensive and unified approach to meeting student recruitment targets.
3. This role requires flexibility, with a focus that may shift across different products and audience groups, in response to strategic priorities.
4. Research, write and produce engaging copy, marketing collateral and digital content for prospective audiences and across channels, championing the University brand to ensure consistency of messaging, content and visual identity across all channels aligned with Global Top 50 ambitions. 
5. Coordinate the development of marketing collateral, liaising with internal and external partners as required.
6. Use CRM systems to deliver targeted, timely communications that drive enquiries, applications, conversion and retention. Monitoring performance of activities and taking appropriate action to improve outcomes.
7. Work with teams to deliver social media activity and plans.
8. Coordinate and support student teams who are producing content and delivering peer-to-peer engagement.
9. Proactively review, maintain and develop content for the University website.
10. Deal with a wide range of complex enquiries and correspondence independently or exercising judgement to redirect them to senior colleagues or other departments in the University.
11. Coordinate and support market research activity and wider market analysis, making recommendations as appropriate.
12. Collate, analyse and interpret data in relation to metrics and reviewing activities in line with these, and prepare written reports.
13. Act as brand champion, representing and promoting the University’s values and identity in all interactions and advise on marketing best practice.
14. Provide other administrative support including arranging travel, servicing meetings, diary management and budget administration.
15. Provide support to the wider marketing and student recruitment teams as needed, supporting a variety of activities, events, and campaigns (e.g. representing and promoting the University at recruitment events, supporting subject interviews) and any other duties commensurate with the grade.
16. Willing to work occasional evenings, weekends, and travel as needed to support activities.

General duties

1. Promote a supportive and inclusive team culture working with discretion, demonstrate diplomacy, maintain confidentiality and ensure compliance with GDPR, CMA and other regulations as required.
2. Promotes equality and values diversity, acting as a role model and fostering an inclusive working culture. 
3. Supports the University’s sustainability agenda through resource efficient working. 

Required Knowledge, Skills, Qualifications, Experience

• Educated to A Level or equivalent Level 3 qualification (e.g. NVQ, National Diploma) or relevant work experience demonstrating ability to perform the role.
• GCSE (or equivalent) in English and Mathematics at grade C/4 or above.
• Previous experience in a relevant role; within a large, complex organisation desirable.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to communicate effectively, including with colleagues at all levels, and deliver exceptional customer service.
• Strong IT proficiency, including Microsoft Office, with the ability to learn new systems quickly.
• Excellent organisational skills with proven ability to plan (including sometimes others’ workloads), prioritise, and manage multiple tasks to meet deadlines.
• High level of professionalism, discretion, and tact when handling and managing sensitive information/issues.
• Ability to work flexibly and effectively both in a team and independently, using initiative and sound judgment.
• Ability to work effectively in a large, complex organisation and to develop a good understanding of how the University and higher education institutions work.
• Ability to interpret and apply policies and procedures accurately.
• Meticulous attention to detail and high standards of accuracy.
• Confidence in handling statistical and financial data.

Other Requirements:

• Commitment to demonstrating behaviours aligned with the University and External Relations framework.  
• Willingness to travel and prepared to undertake occasional work in the evenings and at weekends.
• Knowledge of the protected characteristics of the Equality Act 2010, and how to actively ensure in day to day activity in own area that those with protected characteristics are treated equally and fairly. 

Informal enquiries to Madeleine McGarrie, email: [email protected] 

View our staff values and behaviours here

Use of AI in applications: We want to understand your genuine interest in the role and for the written elements of your application to accurately reflect your own communication style. Applications that rely too heavily on AI tools can appear generic and lack the detail we need to assess your skills and experience. Such applications will unlikely be progressed to interview.

We believe there is no such thing as a 'typical' member of University of Birmingham staff and that diversity in its many forms is a strength that underpins the exchange of ideas, innovation and debate at the heart of University life. We are committed to proactively addressing the barriers experienced by some groups in our community and are proud to hold Athena SWAN, Race Equality Charter and Disability Confident accreditations. We have an Equality Diversity and Inclusion Centre that focuses on continuously improving the University as a fair and inclusive place to work where everyone has the opportunity to succeed. We are also committed to sustainability, which is a key part of our strategy. You can find out more about our work to create a fairer university for everyone on our website.