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Profiles

Sabii: Student Administrator

Why did you apply for a post at HESA?

The job description made it sound like a really intriguing role, with lots of variety. My placement coordinators at the University of Gloucestershire also said that they’d received great feedback from previous students who had placements at HESA.

What does your current role involve?

My main function is to help higher education providers submit data to HESA. This includes offering support by phone and email about a range of issues, from data specifications to technical problems. I have also enjoyed being able to visit new providers to induct them into HESA’s submission processes.

But my work involves a wide variety of tasks. Since starting here, I’ve been involved in contractual negotiations with providers, processing invoices, writing support materials, and supporting colleagues across the organisation in their day-to-day work.

What makes HESA as an organisation distinct?

HESA is such a friendly, open place to work. I was delighted to find it so welcoming and sociable as an organisation. It’s like nowhere I’ve worked before.

HESA is an organisation that really values its employees and there are great benefits to working here – from the flexitime policy to the many opportunities for personal and career development.

What makes Cheltenham as a town distinct?

Cheltenham is a really beautiful town. The people and Cheltenham’s cultural atmosphere make it a really invigorating place to live and work.

Cheltenham is small enough that you can walk around and it feels like a close-knit community. There’s also lots to do on a day-to-day basis, from the busy shopping areas to the many festivals Cheltenham offers including food and drink, jazz and literature. I particularly love the science festival which is always fascinating and educational.

What’s the best aspect of working at HESA?

It’s a real privilege to be able to work in such a supportive team. Everyone’s willing to help each other: I’ve received so much support from my colleagues and I’ve also been able to return the favour and assist them with their work.

It’s a very relaxed office, with a great flexible working scheme to allow me to achieve a good work-life balance. The social scene is also great here – there have been loads of opportunities for me to connect outside of work with colleagues from a huge range of backgrounds.


Nick - Software Developer

Nick: Software Developer

Why did you apply for a post at HESA?

On a practical level, I really wanted to avoid a lengthy commute. The HESA offices are perfectly located for me – I haven’t had to drive to work for the last ten years, instead enjoying the luxury of my chauffeur-driven bus.

But the job also appealed to me: the nature of the role and style of the work were intriguing, and it was well suited to my skillset.

What does your current role involve?

I am a software developer in the Studio scrum team. My role involves working collaboratively with others to maintain and improve the systems that support the data submission and delivery processes. Our work focuses on the Student and AP student collections.

I am the lead on a complex project examining our delivery systems, which has been a challenging but immensely valuable experience, with work including delivery automation and deployment to and from the Cloud.

I’ve also recently been able to go out on visits to meet some of the users of our software. This was hugely rewarding: I enjoy the gregarious nature of the job, and it was a real privilege to be able to engage with our users.

What makes HESA as an organisation distinct?

It’s definitely the teams we work in. There are many different teams here, but we work well together. There’s a strong sense of shared responsibility: we value the products we develop, so everyone mucks in to support each other.  I’ve never had such close working relationships with so many people working across so many different areas.

What makes Cheltenham distinct?

Working in the centre of Cheltenham is fantastic. You can step outside the front door and you have everything you need.

I’m keen on promoting the social side of HESA and there’s lots to do in Cheltenham. Everyone has an opportunity to attend our social events and I find that it helps promote a happy work environment and a sense of community. I’m always happy to either organise an event or support others in running one.

What’s the best thing about working at HESA?

I wouldn’t still be at HESA after ten years if I didn’t enjoy working here.

I welcome the challenges that new technology brings – even if it’s sometimes hard to keep pace with the changes. I also enjoy the social scene. HESA has always been a welcoming place, and I’ve made so many great friends here.

As a family man, the flexible working policies are great. I was also overwhelmed with how supportive everyone was when my wife and I adopted our second son. And that’s typical of HESA: whenever anyone has a massive life event, everyone offers all the support they can.