Postgraduate Widening Participation Assistant (Part Time)
Job Description
Student Admissions and Access is looking for a Postgraduate Widening Participation Assistant to work within the Postgraduate Admissions Office on innovative projects that aim to improve access to postgraduate study for people from underrepresented backgrounds. This is an opportunity to make meaningful change in a growing area of work. This role is being offered at 0.4 FTE (equivalent to two days per week), with some flexibility regarding working days.
The Postgraduate Widening Participation team works closely with colleagues across the University and Colleges, as well as external partners and institutions. We are currently working on exciting projects such as the AIM applicant support programme and Research Experience Placements; you will work closely with the team manager and project coordinator on these projects, assisting with areas such as event planning, communications, evaluation, and financial processing.
Responsibilities
As Postgraduate Widening Participation Assistant, you will have excellent communication skills and creative ideas about how we can share information about our work with prospective applicants, colleagues, and the wider sector. Your contributions will help ensure that our programmes are engaging and effective for participants and prospective Cambridge applicants. You will also work closely with the postgraduate students who contribute to our programmes as ambassadors and mentors, ensuring that they are well supported in their roles. You will demonstrate strong administrative skills such as record keeping, data handling, and providing timely responses to queries. As the team continues to develop our postgraduate widening participation work, we are introducing processes to ensure that we are working efficiently, and you will play an important part in helping to establish and maintain these.
Benefits of Working at the University of Cambridge
- Competitive rates of pay with automatic service-related pay progression and annual cost of living increases;
- Generous annual leave allowance;
- Flexible working opportunities;
- Generous maternity, adoption and shared parental leave entitlement and other family-friendly schemes (e.g., workplace nurseries);
- An auto-enrolment pension scheme, with a generous employer contribution;
- Travel benefits and retail discounts at over 2,000 local and national stores;
- Schemes to support with relocation/the provision of accommodation.
The University operates a hybrid working policy, with staff able to benefit from working both in the office and at home. Student Admissions and Access is based within the Student Services Centre on the New Museums Site in central Cambridge.
Application Information
Additional information regarding the role can be found within the Further Particulars. When applying, please upload your CV and cover letter which clearly sets out how you meet the criteria listed in the person specification of the Further Particulars (the knowledge, skills, and experience required for the role) along with relevant examples. Candidates will be shortlisted and invited to interview based upon these criteria.
The closing date for applications is Thursday, 27th August 2026.
Interviews for the role are expected to be held on Wednesday, 9 September 2026. If you have restrictions on your availability or would require a virtual interview, please indicate this clearly in your application.
Please quote reference AT49886 on your application and in any correspondence about this vacancy.
The University actively supports equality, diversity, and inclusion and encourages applications from all sections of society. The University has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK.
Sectors
Locations
Sectors
Locations
Job Description
Student Admissions and Access is looking for a Postgraduate Widening Participation Assistant to work within the Postgraduate Admissions Office on innovative projects that aim to improve access to postgraduate study for people from underrepresented backgrounds. This is an opportunity to make meaningful change in a growing area of work. This role is being offered at 0.4 FTE (equivalent to two days per week), with some flexibility regarding working days.
The Postgraduate Widening Participation team works closely with colleagues across the University and Colleges, as well as external partners and institutions. We are currently working on exciting projects such as the AIM applicant support programme and Research Experience Placements; you will work closely with the team manager and project coordinator on these projects, assisting with areas such as event planning, communications, evaluation, and financial processing.
Responsibilities
As Postgraduate Widening Participation Assistant, you will have excellent communication skills and creative ideas about how we can share information about our work with prospective applicants, colleagues, and the wider sector. Your contributions will help ensure that our programmes are engaging and effective for participants and prospective Cambridge applicants. You will also work closely with the postgraduate students who contribute to our programmes as ambassadors and mentors, ensuring that they are well supported in their roles. You will demonstrate strong administrative skills such as record keeping, data handling, and providing timely responses to queries. As the team continues to develop our postgraduate widening participation work, we are introducing processes to ensure that we are working efficiently, and you will play an important part in helping to establish and maintain these.
Benefits of Working at the University of Cambridge
- Competitive rates of pay with automatic service-related pay progression and annual cost of living increases;
- Generous annual leave allowance;
- Flexible working opportunities;
- Generous maternity, adoption and shared parental leave entitlement and other family-friendly schemes (e.g., workplace nurseries);
- An auto-enrolment pension scheme, with a generous employer contribution;
- Travel benefits and retail discounts at over 2,000 local and national stores;
- Schemes to support with relocation/the provision of accommodation.
The University operates a hybrid working policy, with staff able to benefit from working both in the office and at home. Student Admissions and Access is based within the Student Services Centre on the New Museums Site in central Cambridge.
Application Information
Additional information regarding the role can be found within the Further Particulars. When applying, please upload your CV and cover letter which clearly sets out how you meet the criteria listed in the person specification of the Further Particulars (the knowledge, skills, and experience required for the role) along with relevant examples. Candidates will be shortlisted and invited to interview based upon these criteria.
The closing date for applications is Thursday, 27th August 2026.
Interviews for the role are expected to be held on Wednesday, 9 September 2026. If you have restrictions on your availability or would require a virtual interview, please indicate this clearly in your application.
Please quote reference AT49886 on your application and in any correspondence about this vacancy.
The University actively supports equality, diversity, and inclusion and encourages applications from all sections of society. The University has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK.
