Andy Thompson

Experience

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  Reform Road Safety and Education

  Jul 2008 - Jan 2014

  Administration Manager

  Led all administrative functions: records, invoicing and finance and client liaison- Managed a team of assistants and administrators including performance management and review- Oversaw the administration system with overall responsibility for key functions and data quality - Managed change projects and administration projects to update systems and improve efficiency- Recruited and managed lecturers, facilitators and administrators across the company - Organized budgeting, managed venues and oversaw the annual course timetable and schedule Show less

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  St Mary's University, Twickenham, London

  Feb 2014 - Nov 2016

  This senior role was to lead the development of a portfolio of institutional initiatives and projects to enhance, encourage and facilitate student engagement, improve the student experience and target retention. Senior leadership• Led and oversaw institution-wide projects to strict deadlines, from strategy to implementation on student induction and Welcome Fortnight, personal tutoring, student retention strategies and administrative reform including student withdrawal processes.• Managed a network of stakeholders institution-wide and a central project team.• Responsibilities for significant sector research and strategies, including the Teaching Excellence FrameworkPlanning and organization• Designed and implemented a new induction strategy, personal tutoring policy and significant administrative reform. This included: writing proposals for senior management and university committees; leading and coordinating a portfolio of new staff training programmes and CPD frameworks; planning / modelling workloads and resources; delivering IT solutions; developing long term strategies to budgetChange management, drafting policy and statistical analysis• Successfully coordinated student induction and pre-entry activities for Welcome Fortnight to deadline, including event management responsibilities, team coordination and cross-university communication.• Coordinated several successful inter-departmental projects to improve student induction and retention.• Identified institutional knowledge gaps around withdrawal and student attrition data and led projects to effectively use this information to inform practice and successfully reformed institutional administration practices in key areas, including programme administration and central data management (Registry).• Significant use of statistical analysis to form proposals and enhance institutional practice, such as withdrawal data, HESA information and student experience data (questionnaires, Focus Groups). Show less My role as Undergraduate Admissions Officer gave me overall responsibility for all UG admissions functions and student admittance into the institution, including the management of a team of HE professionals, and a network of stakeholders. Leadership and management:• Overall responsibility for all undergraduate admissions including UCAS and related systems; the management of a team of assistants, interns, administrators and temporary staff. This includes staff induction and training, probationary reviews, performance management and recruitment.• Acted as Secretary to the Admissions Sub-Committee.• Successfully led projects to improve efficiency, administrative procedure on pre-induction and internal coordination, receiving an internal award for Best Inter-Departmental Team Work 2015.Project Management and Statistical analysis:• Co-ordinated projects on gathering statistical information, updating admissions policies and entry requirements and liaising with programme directors on induction procedure.• Achieved the most successful clearing cycle in the institution’s history. Show less My role as a Registry administrator was to manage key functions of the University's processes around student records and examinations planning and procedure.Organization and Planning:• Joint responsibility for organizing all central student examinations; including venue management, recruiting and briefing invigilators, paper management, schedule creation and management• Coordinated and managed additional needs students (SEN).• Acted as Secretary to University Examination Boards; compiling data, preparing papers and advising on procedure• Managed the student records system and data quality• Liaised with Quality and Standards where necessaryCustomer Service:• Advised students and staff on university procedures and policy and provided training on key systems• Oversaw Extenuating Circumstances claims Show less

  • Student Engagement Officer

    Apr 2016 - Nov 2016

  • Undergraduate Admissions Officer

    Mar 2015 - Apr 2016

  • Registry Administrator (Records and Exams)

    Feb 2014 - Mar 2015
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  Russell Elite Education

  Dec 2016 - Aug 2017

  Higher Education Consultant & Teacher

  This role was conducted part-time on a remote basis. I providing admissions advice, guidance, support and information for potential applicants to UK universities.I also taught academic and business English to students for whom English is not their first language.

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  University of Warwick

  Sept 2017 - Nov 2018

  Project Manager

  My project manager role in postgraduate progression was the management of an OfS funded intiative to research support mechanisms which successfully promote progression to and success in postgraduate taught study, with an emphasis on examining rates of progression by Widening Participation students.This role involved substantial stakeholder management, budgetary responsibility, support mechanism design and finding IT solutions to complex cross-institutional project deliverables. As a research project the parity of the Consortium's implementation is fundamental; involving significant team-work and liaison across the network to achieve a high-level of rigour to the research. I worked alongside 6 research intensive universities in collaboration to deliver the £500,000 project. My role also entails the development of a life-cycle approach to student support - specifically linking pre-entry WP activity to ongoing support throughout undergraduate study to progression to postgraduate study. Show less

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  The Open University

  Nov 2018 - Jun 2020

  Operations Manager, Student Support Operations

  I had direct line management responsibilities for teams of Senior Advisors in the STEM Student Support Teams who deliver key support functions to 40,000 Open University students across the UK. I was also responsible for service KPIs and demand and capacity models for the operational SSRC. I also have overall responsibility for Faculty liaison with the science schools, working with key senior academic staff on curriculum related issues, informing decisions on student support, and ensuring the support services are well informed on all academic curriculum matters to support students effectively. Show less

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  The University of Huddersfield

  Jun 2020 - now

  I currently manage all operations within the School of Human and Health Science at the University of Huddersfield. I have overall responsibility for:• Technical Support and Development• Executive Project Management• Research Development Support• The Deans Office• Quality Assurance (Including PSRB requirements)• Course Administration and Operations• Student Support and Guidance• Marketing• Placements• Finance and Business Support, including contracts.• Admissions• Data Management• TimetablingMy portfolio comprises of over 120 staff with significant people management responsibility as well as meeting several strategic priorities, including quantifiable KPIs.Alongside the Dean I oversee the School's budget with other duties including digital transformation, estates and health and safety. Show less I managed all professional and administrative services within the School of Education and Professional Development at the University of Huddersfield. I am responsible for quality, course administration and ASIS (SITS), research support, student support operations, marketing, placements and finance including oversight of the school's budget. My portfolio comprises of 40 staff and several strategic priorities, including budgets and digital transformation, as well as estates and health and safety. Show less

  • School Operations Manager

    Sept 2023 - now

  • School Manager

    Jun 2020 - Sept 2023