Student Immigration Manager

Job Summary

Robert Gordon University (RGU) – Aberdeen’s university of choice for thousands of staff and students - has a well-established reputation as an innovative and modern workplace, with multiple awards and recognition of our courses and Schools. Our mission is to transform lives and communities, celebrating the values of collaboration, ambition, and respectfulness.

RGU is on a bold journey to become the UK’s leading work-integrated university by 2030. We are committed to delivering a flexible, future-focused curriculum that attracts students, employers, and industry partners, and to providing an exceptional student experience that enhances individual growth, skills development and employability.

At the heart of this vision is the Student Life Directorate; a vibrant, student-centred team dedicated to supporting every student’s journey through and beyond their time at RGU. Student Life at RGU is about more than support; we are focused on empowering students to thrive academically, personally, and professionally and developing them into highly employable graduates. We foster a welcoming, inclusive environment where students are encouraged to develop their skills, embrace new opportunities and prepare for successful, fulfilling futures.

We are seeking a proactive and detail oriented Student Immigration Manager to join our Student Immigration Team. This role is integral to ensuring the University's compliance with UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) sponsorship requirements and supporting our international student community.

You will have strong analytical and communication skills, experience of managing and auditing data against regulatory requirements and the ability to explain complex compliance obligations to a range of stakeholders.

In keeping with RGU's commitment to work/life balance you will have the opportunity to work from home for a portion of the working week and also benefit from a generous pension scheme, 46 days annual leave (including statutory days) an onsite nursery and sports centre, as well as a range of voluntary health and travel benefits. This role also includes out of hours duties related to student wellbeing and urgent referrals which will be on a rota system throughout the year.

We are committed to attracting and engaging a diverse range of staff and fostering a culture where everyone feels welcome, comfortable to express their ideas, and can reach their full potential. For more information, please visit Our Diverse Workforce pages.

This post is subject to a Disclosure Scotland check. For more information visit: https://www.mygov.scot/basic-disclosure/

Job Description

RESPONSIBLE TO: Head of Student Support and Safeguarding

RESPONSIBLE FOR: Student Immigration Team

PURPOSE OF POST: Ensuring the University's compliance with UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) sponsorship requirements and supporting our international student community.

PRINCIPAL DUTIES:

Lead and manage the Student Immigration Team, ensuring the delivery of an effective, high quality immigration advice and compliance department.

Ensure institutional compliance with UK immigration legislation, Student Sponsor Licence requirements and Home Office regulations, safeguarding the University's ability to recruit and sponsor international students.

Maintain expert knowledge of immigration legislation, Home Office policy and UKVI guidance, assessing regulatory developments and advising on their impact across the University.

Develop, implement, review and continuously improve immigration compliance policies, procedures, guidance and controls.

Provide advice and guidance to senior leaders, staff and students on immigration matters, Student visa compliance obligations, regulatory changes and institutional risk, ensuring information is communicated clearly and accurately.

Monitor changes in sponsored student circumstances and ensure all reportable events are accurately assessed, recorded and submitted through the UKVI Sponsor Management System (SMS) within required timescales.

Oversee Right to Study checking processes and immigration related enrolment activities, ensuring robust record keeping and compliance with sponsor licence requirements.

Lead and coordinate internal compliance reviews, identifying areas of risk and improvement, implementing corrective actions and ensuring the University remains audit ready.

Work collaboratively with academic schools, professional services and external partners to embed compliance requirements within University processes and support the effective management of international student sponsorship responsibilities.

Represent the University within external professional networks, sector groups and consultation forums, contributing to policy development, best practice sharing and sector wide compliance initiatives.

Collate, analyse and present compliance data, management information, risk assessments, and key performance indicators to support strategic decision making.

Manage team performance, resource allocation, workload planning and staff development, fostering a culture of excellence, accountability, collaboration and continuous improvement.

As this role is part of the wider Student Life Directorate the role includes taking on responsibilities related to Student Wellbeing and Support which arise from urgent referrals and out of hours on call duties throughout the year – training will be provided.

Undertake any other duties commensurate with the grade and responsibilities of the post as required.

Person Specification

ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENTS

Knowledge

• Extensive knowledge of UK immigration legislation and student visa sponsorship requirements
• Strong understanding of Student Sponsor Licence compliance responsibilities
• Knowledge of immigration advice standards and regulatory requirements
• Excellent organisational skills with the ability to manage competing priorities and deadlines
• Strong analytical and problem solving skills with attention to detail
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
  
  

Experience

• Significant experience of student immigration compliance and visa sponsorship duties within a higher education setting in the UK
• Experience of analysing complex information to inform advice and guidance
• Experience of being involved in audits (internal or external)
• Experience of monitoring, maintaining and auditing data against established procedures, policies or regulatory requirements
• Experience of identifying process improvements and contributing to changes in procedures or systems
• Significant experience of leading and managing teams in a higher education setting, including resource allocation, staff development and performance management
• Experience of working collaboratively with internal and external stakeholders

DESIRABLE REQUIREMENTS

Knowledge

• Working knowledge of SITs, Tableau and Microsoft Dynamics Systems
• Knowledge of UK GDPR and data management requirements

Experience

• Experience of collating and presenting information to a group of students or staff
• Experience of working with external agencies, professional bodies and sector networks
• Experience of budget monitoring and resource planning within a team or service area
• Experience of presenting compliance risks and management information to senior leadership
• Experience in compliance or quality assurance

 

Behaviours

Behaviour 1: Communication - Ability to receive, understand and convey information requiring careful explanation and information of a complex or conceptual nature, in a clear and accurate manner.

Behaviour 2: Service Delivery - Experience of exploring and adapting a service to meet customers’ expectations and also identifying ways of improving standards.

Behaviour 3: Team Development - Experience of providing advice or guidance to new starts, delivering training or instruction to others on specific tasks or activities and identifying the training and development needs of the team and carrying out performance appraisals.

Behaviour 4: Teamwork and Motivation - Experience of being a team leader, agreeing clear team objectives and organising and delegating tasks according to individual abilities.

Behaviour 5: Decision Making - Experience of using own judgement to make decisions, making collaborative decisions with others to reach conclusions and providing advice or information that will influence the decisions of others.

Behaviour 6: Planning and Organising Resources - Experience of planning, prioritising and organising the work of yourself and others (within own area) on a daily, weekly or monthly basis, whilst ensuring the effective use of resources.