Student Finance Manager

Location: Milton Keynes Closing Date: 24 January 2024 - 12:00 (noon) Interview date:  w/c 5 February 2024 Change your career, change lives. The Open University is the UK’s largest university, a world leader in flexible part-time education combining a mission to widen access to higher education with research excellence, transforming lives through education. The Student Finance Manager is responsible for providing support to the Student Finance Administration team. The team sits within the Student Fees unit of Academic Services and is responsible for contributing to student success by ensuring that the right student has the right funding at the right time. The Student Finance Administration team is responsible for the reconciliation of Tuition Fee Loan/Grant income and for the recovery and administration of unpaid student fees. The role You will lead a small specialist team who manage the administration of tuition fee loan and grant income. You will need to be able to motivate, lead, coach and enable this team to deliver student success by ensuring that the right student has the right funding at the right time. You must be able to demonstrate your ability to bring out the best in people and ensure great performance. To be able to lead this team, you will need to have strong experience of building and analysing large and complex data sets. You will need these to solve problems that arise and to drive continuous improvement and more efficient processes, whilst developing your team to do the same. You will be working across traditional team boundaries, so your influencing skills with a diverse community of stakeholders will be key. You will also be responsible for providing management information in respect of tuition fee income and will work closely with colleagues across the University to ensure that IT systems, policies, processes, and controls are in place to ensure the timely and correct administration of Student Loans Company and other funding. Skills and experience This role will suit you if you: Can evidence an ability to lead, motivate, influence and support individuals or a team. Are experienced in using Management Information tools to compile, analyze and interpret large sets of data. Possess the ability to communicate complex information clearly, both orally and in writing, with a very high level of accuracy and attention to detail. Possess excellent communication and team-working skills proven by working co-operatively with a wide range of stakeholders. Can absorb complex and sometimes opposing information, and ensure that appropriate action is taken, balancing operational needs and the right outcome for students. Have experience of planning, prioritising, and organising complex workloads, sometimes under pressure, to ensure deadlines are met and operational services delivered. Can adapt to unfamiliar situations, demands and changing roles or work practices, systems, and software.