Undergraduate Development Partner

Work with every Undergraduate to help them reach their potential.

In March 2016 James Dyson met with the Universities Minister, Jo Johnson, to discuss the acute shortage of graduate engineers in the UK.  He invited James to be the first to take full advantage of the new Higher Education and Research Act and build the Dyson Institute of Engineering and Technology – a brand new type of higher education institution.

Undergraduates who join Dyson take a leap into the unknown – they leave home for the first time, they start a challenging course at a (new) university and they begin a job in one of the most fast-paced, highly pressurised companies in the world.

This role will support our undergraduates in thriving in this environment; helping them with a wide range of professional skills development essential in supporting them to fulfil their potential and successfully navigate their early careers and academic study.

In this role you will first meet and work with our next generation of undergraduates at their assessment centres and will work to support them in their development all the way through to graduation.

This role will report into the Undergraduate Experience Manager of the Dyson Institute, with a dotted line into Dyson’s Head of Talent.

Market Overview

Dyson HQ is tucked away in the Wiltshire countryside. Our secluded location helps us to protect our ideas and stay independent-minded, yet nearby are the fashionable cities of Bristol and Bath (where a young James Dyson invented cyclone technology).

The growing campus is the heartbeat of Dyson, benefitting from an onsite gym, sports pitch, multiple cafes and a nature walk. Over 3,500 people, including James himself, spend their days strategizing, inventing technology and telling the Dyson story to the world.

By September 2018, Malmesbury will be a 24hr campus and our campus extension for the Dyson Institute will be built – 78 pods, crafted in Scotland and transported by lorry to Malmesbury, will be installed on site to house our first-year undergraduates. Our new Club House will become the social centre for the 3,500 employees and Undergraduates at Dyson.

Function Overview

Dyson is ambitious about growth: expanding our global business by growing our people. We prize those rare individuals who challenge, invent and fit the Dyson mind-set.  We invest heavily in preparing them to lead the future of our business.  The Dyson Intitule of Technology embodies this ethos.

This is a pioneering programme for both for Dyson and the education sector and will dovetail with the James Dyson Foundation’s school engagement initiatives to ensure that we attract and recruit the best school leavers in the UK.

Our first cohort of undergraduates are enrolled on a four-year Bachelor of Engineering Degree written by leading Dyson engineers in collaboration with the University of Warwick.  Our cohort have the rare opportunity to blend study and ‘on the job’ learning working alongside some of the best engineers and scientists in the world.

Accountabilities

• Build our brand as a small and personal university through early engagement with our new undergraduates both during their assessment centres and prior to arriving into the Dyson Institute of Technology.
• Coach and support the undergraduates in their personal and professional development; working in partnership with our Dyson talent development team to deliver tailored and high quality development solutions. These interventions will embody Dyson learning principles of being self-directed, leader led development, diverse and disruptive experiences, high accountability ‘missions’, support and challenge.
• Curate a climate of wellbeing and support for our undergraduates; troubleshoot undergraduate experience issues and engage other members of the Dyson Institute team or wider Dyson business as required to ensure a consistent and positive experience.

Skills

• The Dyson Institute of Engineering and Technology is new, highly visible and complex.
• You must be able to build strong working relationships and work effectively in a rapidly changing matrix environment, and with key external bodies, to deliver your goals. An ability to operate with ambiguity and set a clear direction, demonstrating creativity and pragmatism, is essential.
• You will be passionate about young people’s education, with high levels of emotional intelligence. You will have had exposure to the education sector (school leavers, apprenticeships, universities) and may come from a leadership development or education background.
• You will be a natural coach, teacher, trainer with a track record of designing learning interventions and development solutions for young people.

Benefits Overview

Dyson monitors the market to ensure competitive salaries and pension contributions. Beyond that, you’ll also enjoy a profit-related bonus, generous leave and life insurance. But financial benefits are only the start of a Dyson career. Rapid professional growth, leadership development and new opportunities abound, driven by regular reviews and dynamic workshops. And with a vibrant culture and a relaxed dress code reflecting our engineering spirit, it’s an exciting team environment geared to creativity, innovation and ambition.