Tutor with the Brilliant Club

The Organisation

The Brilliant Club is an award-winning charity that mobilises the PhD community to support students who are less advantaged to access the most competitive universities and succeed when they get there.

We do this through two core programmes where we recruit, train and place PhD researchers to work with state school pupils; The Scholars Programme and The Brilliant Tutoring Programme.

The Opportunity

We are excited to be recruiting for STEM tutors to join our Researcher Development Programme, which offers PhD and Early Career researchers a meaningful, paid professional development opportunity.

Tutors working with us will:

• Support local pupils from less advantaged backgrounds
• Get expert training and real experience to develop their teaching and other transferable skills
• Join a nationwide community of researchers making a significant impact on university access
• Develop competencies compatible with Vitae’s Researcher Development Framework

Please see more detail here about both The Brilliant Tutoring Programme and The Scholars Programme.

The Brilliant Club exists to increase the number of pupils from less advantaged backgrounds progressing to the most competitive universities. We think it is important that our charity reflects the lived experience of our beneficiaries, and we want to be an organisation where employees from any background can thrive. We particularly welcome applications from disabled, Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME), Lesbian, Gay, Bi, Trans including non-binary (LGBTQ+) candidates, and candidates from low-income families. These groups are currently underrepresented at The Brilliant Club and we are committed to increasing representation and diversity at the charity.

Role-specific Experience and Qualifications

Essential

• Currently studying for a PhD or Master’s degree or holds a doctorate (no time limit on when PhD was completed)

Desirable

• Some experience of teaching or working with young people (though this is by no means essential as you will be required to attend The Brilliant Club training)

Person Specification

Time and Resource Management

Essential

• Able to plan sessions in an organised and efficient manner and adhere to agreed deadlines.
• Excellent timekeeper, ensuring prompt arrival to sessions; well organised within sessions.
• Capable of adapting quickly to new systems/ processes.

Desirable

• Confident in using digital systems for delivery of online lessons.
• Experience of creating resources/ work for others; ability to map out a series of sessions in a coherent and logical manner.

External Stakeholder Knowledge and Management

Essential

• Ability to work in a way that promotes the safety and wellbeing of children and young people.
• Professional approach to problem solving with range of stakeholders involved in placements.
• Awareness of role as a visitor within a school community; understanding of the other commitments held by professionals within a school.
• Understanding of The Brilliant Club mission and the Widening Participation agenda nationally.

Desirable

• Understanding of the barriers young people face to university access and some of the ways these might be overcome.
• Understanding of the current climate in the UK school system and some of the challenges young people might be facing.

Communication

Essential

• Awareness of how to engage pupils and adapt university style learning for a school setting.
• Able to communicate in a timely and professional way with The Brilliant Club staff and teachers.
• Able to adapt teaching approaches to meet the needs of all learners.
• Able to explain research accessibly to non-expert audiences (The Scholars Programme).

Reflectiveness

Essential

• Able to identify strengths and areas of development, open to feedback.
• Desire to develop tutoring/teaching skills.