Student Support Specialist

Placement Officer

The post holder will manage and coordinate the placement activity within Muscat University in line with the University’s strategic objectives. Performing a mix of career counseling and recruiting duties, the placement officer will assist students and coordinate with Muscat University staff and employers as well as with industry partners.

Qualifications: Bachelor’s degree and experience in recruitment, career development, B2B relationship management or business development.

Principal Duties & Responsibilities:

• Promoting placement opportunities and benefits to students in a range of media including, but not limited to, flyers, presentations, documents, video and online activity.
• Being the point of contact for Muscat University students with enquiries about industrial placements and being the focal point during the placement year.
• Managing, updating and promoting the Student Portal with respect to placement opportunities, documentation and application forms.
• Delivering careers related modules to prepare students for placement and help them to reflect on their experiences. To advise and guide students (in groups or as individuals, online and in person) about the application process including, CVs, application forms, interviews and selection tests.
• Advising students on their applications and on the requirements of undertaking a placement.
• Working in collaboration with the work placement tutors, ensuring that they are available to meet students or employers when necessary and to brief them about placement visits and reporting procedures, as well as any problems or concerns. To work closely with the Faculty Directors to allocate workloads to the work placement tutors and ensure consistency of approach.
• Working with the Faculty Directors to decide on appropriate employers and the suitability of what they can offer. Advising companies on choice of candidates, arranging interviews, matching job offers to students to satisfy needs of firms and students.
• Scheduling and planning for the year ahead and future placements. Liaising with employers to explain the structure of the placement year, arrange visits to campus for recruitment events ensuring that employer’s needs are met and that students and staff are aware of the events.
• Providing feedback to employers following a placement.
• Assessing placement opportunities to ensure they meet quality assurance guidelines, relevant academic subject validation documents and ensuring all placements (sourced by Muscat University or the student themselves) reach the guidelines set for Health and Safety compliance, supporting and advising employers when necessary on their legal obligations.
• Monitoring the suitability of existing placement opportunities; ensuring that employers are aware of their responsibilities to the student and of the student’s and the University’s responsibilities to them; maintaining long-term relationships with the employers concerned.
• Carrying out pre-placement site visits to ensure adequate working environment where applicable; communicating details of placements to the University bodies which require the information; and to administer all other aspects of the activity.
• Gathering and analysing market information, trends and competitor developments in order to understand and disseminate market intelligence for undergraduate placements across the faculties; managing and analysing data in relation to placement activity and creating reports for both internal and external view; contributing to the development of external accreditation reports; and participating in external accreditation reviews in relation to undergraduate placements.
• Guiding students with personal and/or academic problems related to their placements and assisting students/employers experiencing placement difficulties in liaison with other student support staff as appropriate.
• Working with academic partner institutions and the Director of Academic Relations to develop and update the placement documentations for the University, students and employers.
• If necessary, liaising with academic partner institutions, and Faculty Directors in developing new schemes for placements such as study/work placement and research placement.

Other duties:

• Maintaining detailed student placement records required by the Programme Board of Examiners. Keeping attendance records and monitoring the assignment submissions.
• Contributing to the preparation of placement brochures and other literature for companies.
• Maintaining the relevant course pages of the university portal, including placement announcements, company information, weekly journal and student placement assessment details.
• Representing the University at Open Days and speaking to potential students and parents.
• Undertaking any other duties as required by the line manager.

Placement Officer Skills:

• Demonstrable ability to maintain effective relationships with placement employers.
• Clear problem-solving ability.
• Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written, and clear examples of dealing with a range of personalities and organisational positions.
• High levels of computer-literacy – Microsoft Office suite, including Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint – for producing reports, and preparing presentations.
• Ability to present to large audiences.
• Experience of personnel work or recruitment of staff.
• Excellent organisational skills and the ability to schedule and plan within a cyclical structure.
• Good time management and an ability to prioritise.
• The ability to manage student expectations.
• Good negotiating skills
• Excellent command of English language. Proficiency in Arabic.

Terms and conditions:

• A competitive compensation and benefits package will be offered. Annual leave entitlement will be 30 days plus private sector national holidays applicable in Oman.

• Nationality: Omani only
• Deadline: 25^th November 2019.
• Contract: fixed term 2- years contract with the potential renewal.