EDI Business Partner

Salary: £40,012 per annum (with progression up to £43,491)

Grade: MA1

Location: Birmingham, UK

Contract: Full-Time, Permanent

Closing date for applications: Tuesday 8th April 2025

About us

At the heart of our Strategy for 2030 and Beyond, it is our mission to enable our students to transform their lives and to achieve their potential. Through our education and research, and the roles our graduates go on to play in the world, we not only support individuals to transform their lives, but we also play a part in transforming society.

Located in the centre of the UK’s second city, we are a university with a long heritage of innovation and of making, dating back to our origins in 1843 when we were founded as the Birmingham Government School of Design.

Our heritage of making through innovation and its application through knowledge exchange, and of creative research and practice, today finds it expression in our STEAM agenda, in our research and enterprise, and in our commitment to challenge-based learning. Working across disciplines, and delivering impactful research and enterprise, interdisciplinarity is at the heart of the continuing transformation of our academic portfolio.

About the role

Birmingham City University (BCU) is excited to offer an opportunity to join our EDI Unit as an Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Business Partner. You will play a key role in supporting our ambitious programme to create a truly inclusive environment where everyone can achieve their potential.

In this role, you will collaborate with colleagues and students across the University to drive forward our EDI Strategy and support initiatives that promote social mobility and equality. You will report to the Head of EDI and work closely with partners and stakeholders to ensure that our policies, training, and strategies are aligned with the University’s equality objectives.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and deliver the University’s EDI Strategy.
• Manage and coordinate equality charters.
• Provide expert advice and guidance on EDI matters.
• Offer training and support to staff and students.
• Create policies, reports, and briefings for diverse audiences.

Essential Requirements

The requirements of the role are detailed in the person specification section of the job description, but some key requirements are:

• In-depth knowledge of equality legislation and its application in Higher Education (HE).
• Understanding of challenges within the HE sector.
• Proven experience in developing EDI strategies and policies.
• Strong stakeholder engagement and negotiation skills.
• Ability to analyse and present data effectively.
• Proficiency in IT and using technology to enhance EDI initiatives.

What’s in it for you?

• Generous annual leave entitlement of 40 days (including bank holidays and closure periods) per annum pro rata.
• An attractive direct contribution pension scheme, or the option to retain LGPS for existing and previous members.
• Wellbeing advice and support through our Employee Assistance Programme.
• Cycle to Work Scheme.

For an informal discussion about the role, please contact Imogeen.Denton@bcu.ac.uk

Join us in making a difference at Birmingham City University. 

Birmingham City University is deeply committed to equality, diversity, and inclusivity at all levels in the organisation, and to addressing underrepresentation in our workforce to ensure we are truly representative of the community we serve. We welcome applications from applicants from all backgrounds and communities for this role, and particularly welcome applications from Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic applicants.

The University is proudly Disability Confident. This means amongst other things that we commit to offering a guaranteed interview to disabled applicants who fully meet the essential criteria for each role.

Please download the Job Description here or below for further information.

The appointed candidate will normally be employed through our subsidiary company BCU Support Services Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Birmingham City University. Appointees with prior LGPS membership who wish to enter the LGPS scheme will be able to do so and will be employed by Birmingham City University directly.

Other opportunities:

Birmingham City University aims to be the most inclusive Higher Education employer of choice in the region. Attracting, empowering, and engaging the best people, reflecting the rich diversity of our city.

We’re expanding our Equality Diversity and Inclusion Unit and are also recruiting these permanent roles:

Senior EDI Business Partner (£51k)

EDI Project Implementation Lead × 2 (£51k)

These roles are central to advancing the University’s EDI agenda and strengthening our work to support staff, students, and the wider community.

The EDI Project Implementation Leads will drive key EDI priorities and projects, with a particular focus on addressing race equality and expanding positive action initiatives to reduce the ethnicity degree awarding gap among BCU graduates.

The EDI Business Partner and Senior EDI Business Partner roles will work closely with academic and professional colleagues across the University to promote best practice in all areas of EDI, ensuring alignment with our University-wide EDI strategy.

This is an exciting opportunity to join a growing and ambitious EDI team and help shape a more inclusive experience for everyone at BCU.

To find out more and apply, click here: Search Jobs – BCU Careers