Summary
Overview
Work history
Education
Skills
Languages
References
Timeline
Generic

Sara Hamza

Solihull,Birmingham

Summary

Accomplished professional with extensive expertise in academic administration and recruitment processes within the education sector. Demonstrates a deep understanding of education policies, educational legislation, and safeguarding best practices. Proven track record in staff training facilitation, school inspections, and event coordination, complemented by proficiency in educational software and spreadsheet management. Skilled in financial oversight, budget forecasting, and procurement negotiation, ensuring operational efficiency and strategic planning. Strong communicator with effective public speaking and stakeholder communication abilities, adept at fostering cross-functional collaboration and cultural sensitivity. Committed to driving change leadership and policy development, with a focus on enhancing educational outcomes and operational excellence.

Overview

27
27
years of professional experience
4
4
years of post-secondary education

Work history

Section/Research Manager

Imperial College London
London
07.2017 - 11.2023
  • Responsible for the administration of finance and HR processes for research groups being the primary point of contact handling a wide range of administrative and operational duties and queries.
  • Supporting new research grant applications, assisting with costings and supporting submissions via online funder systems, and post-award administration.
  • Diligent financial oversight, including monitoring grant expenditure, meeting with academics regularly to review grants and advising on the use of non-research funds.
  • Completing HR processes such as contractual changes and consultations.
  • Facilitating and initiating recruitment and onboarding.
  • Reviewing new grant opportunities and their corresponding documentation.
  • Disseminating college information, procedures, and policies in a constructive manner to staff and teams.
  • Acting as a liaison between the department, research services, contracts management teams and other stakeholders for awarded grants/projects.

Research Consultancy & Education Coordinator

University College of London
London
02.2017 - 07.2017
  • Providing administrative and financial support for funded enterprise projects, consultancy work and knowledge transfer activities whilst taking responsibility for associated activities for three academic departments.
  • Project management covering contractual and financial administration as well as liaison work with funding bodies, research collaborators and other external organisations.
  • Advising Academics, Researchers, Project Directors and Heads of Departments through the preparation of business proposals and costings of projects and ensuring operational requirements set by external funding bodies are adhered to as well as ensuring project compliance with UCL-IOE standards and policies.
  • Developing and writing a Standard Operating Procedures Manual for all staff working within the newly formed Enterprise Services Department.

School Business Manager

King’s College
London
09.2016 - 12.2016
  • Responsible for managing the School’s business functions and supporting the Head of School and the Head of School Administration in achieving the School’s strategic and operational aims as well managing the School’s risk assessment and business continuity processes together with human resources, space issues and health and safety procedures.
  • Managing the School’s financial resources in compliance with policy and long-term objectives, providing advice to the Head of School, Head of School Administration and Heads of Department.
  • Managing non-pay budgets in compliance with the college’s financial policies and regulations whilst monitoring the use of account codes and advising account holders on their usage including reporting on their income and expenditures.
  • Monitoring performance against targets and key performance indicators producing reports and monthly budget monitoring exercises.
  • Overseeing the School’s financial processing including purchasing, invoicing, expense claims and management of assets.
  • Worked across the School to ensure compliance with HR regulations and policies such as monitoring staff on visas, overseeing recruitment processes, employment of bought-in staff, managing fixed-term contract expiry dates, occupational health matters, etc.
  • Oversaw recruitment processes including preparation of business cases, obtaining approvals for teaching, research and support staff posts and then preparing job packs, arranging advertising, interviews and induction and liaising with key school staff and the Human Resources Department.
  • Line managing and advising the department’s administrative staff and teams.
  • Oversaw the management of, and planning in relation to, the School’s space and estates portfolio providing analysis and reports to inform decision making and ensuring that the School and department space was used effectively and in accordance with Faculty and College policy.
  • Reported on local space and infrastructure matters re the allocation of space and resource requirements, minor estates works, obtained estimates and advised on long-term space needs and relocations.

School Business/Operational Manager

Hotham Primary School
Putney
12.2015 - 09.2016
  • In compliance with legal policies and guidelines particularly in relation to those as set out by the Department for Education (DfE) and the school’s local authority, ensured that as School Business Manager, the following areas were managed: finances; human resources; ICT; property, space and facility management; health and safety; safeguarding and data protection.
  • Managing and monitoring financial budgets which included preparing income and expenditure reports; budget monitoring exercises for governors; overseeing procurement and credit control; management of school bank accounts; preparing statutory returns such as VAT returns; authorising payments to suppliers; preparing financial contracts, accounts and reports for government auditors and inspections; and finally, in conjunction with the Head and School Governors, prepared and updated the Business Continuity Plans.
  • Ensured personnel records for all employees were up to date and secure.
  • Managed and identified sickness management issues and staff leave requests.
  • Ensured all teaching, support and management staff had a clear understanding of HR policies and procedures and the importance of putting them into practice for example, disciplinary, grievance, maternity protocols, etc.
  • Managed school-wide staff recruitment and performance management ensuring that the school complied with all legal and statutory obligations as well as making occupational health referrals; preparing staff employment contracts; dealing with monthly payroll issues; checking new employee qualifications and references; making enhanced disclosure and barring (DBS) checks for new employees and monitoring DBS checks and confidential declarations for all existing staff and governors.
  • Prepared employee and office re-structuring expansion proposals for management to consider including justifications, writing job descriptions and person specifications and recruitment advertisements.
  • Directly line managed all administrative support staff and the premises team being directly responsible for their appraisals, development and training.
  • Managed all ICT and software resources including its development and usage and monitored technical problems and updates whilst ensuring all resources such as photocopiers, security cameras; AV equipment etc. were in good working order.
  • Managed the use of the school premises and its teaching areas and rooms including the hiring of the premises by external users.
  • Advised the Head and Governors on space issues and new developments needed and then being responsible for overseeing refurbishments or making planning applications.
  • Being the principal manager responsible for the safeguarding and health and safety of all staff and students and users of the school premises. This also involved ensuring the school had adequate first aiders and fire marshals and that proper procedures were in place and strictly adhered to and that risk assessments were regularly carried out whilst producing monthly reports and action plans.

Principal

The Sudanese International Academy
Khartoum
09.2013 - 10.2015
  • Company Overview: (Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
  • Provided management, leadership, monitoring and evaluation together with strategic planning in order to ensure the academy (which had over 1,000 students) and 200 employees successfully developed with the main focus being to ensure that a carefully structured, thorough and robust educational programme was in place to ensure that every student achieved their academic and personal potential.
  • Managing and developing policies and administering school routines and activities throughout all sectors of the academy which included the kindergarten, primary and secondary schools together with the administrative departments, e.g. the finance, transportation, catering, procurement, security, IT and estate management offices.
  • Determining the staffing structure of the academy and making recommendations to the chairman and governing board as and when needed.
  • Maintaining and managing high standards of student and staff discipline and codes of conduct.
  • Continually evaluating existing policies and practices along with curriculum development and content as well as the evaluation of teaching and departmental work through results and classroom performance.
  • Maintaining effective communication and reporting means in order to keep the chairman and board of governors, staff, students and parents together with external authorities, properly informed re developments and activities within the academy.
  • Affecting and recommending changes which led to improved administration, supervision and opportunities for both student and staff development.
  • Ensuring that international examination standards were met according to Cambridge International Examinations (CIE) and that the academy’s international accreditation was renewed and maintained yearly during its international reviews and inspections.
  • Monitoring student progress and development through the analysis of exams, reports and scrutiny of work to ensure there was a continuity of learning and of progression for all students.
  • Ensuring all staff underwent termly and yearly appraisals so that best working practices were shared and developed including the identification of areas in which they would benefit from further training and ensuring continued professional development took place for all staff.
  • Ensuring that teaching and examination timetables and academic calendars were produced in a timely fashion and that cover was provided for absent staff and that work was shared as equitably as possible.
  • Ensured that all health and safety and safeguarding procedures were upheld and that all students and staff enjoyed working in a clean, safe and healthy environment.
  • (Ministry of Foreign Affairs)

MBBS Academic Coordinator/ Manager

University College London
London
08.2009 - 09.2013
  • Liaising with module leads, clinicians and educational supervisors to ensure uniformity of teaching and student experience throughout all campus sites and district general hospitals as well as community practices.
  • New curriculum development and management.
  • Overall coordination and management of module teaching, timetabling, production of teaching materials/learning resources and handbooks.
  • Line managing and appraising MBBS Teaching Administrators and IBSc Programme Administrators as well as coordinating the work of numerous MBBS staff members across the campus sites.
  • Overall coordination and rigorous management of the module assessments - written and the objective structured clinical examinations (OSCEs).
  • Producing and circulating examination statistics.
  • Responsible for creating and maintaining a centralised bank of written and OSCE questions.
  • Oversight of quality assurance - monitoring and responding to feedback from the student body, teaching consultants and clinical teaching fellows.
  • Development and maintenance of the e-learning sites for students.
  • Servicing the CFHD Module Management Group and Panel of Examiners Meeting as well as various other undergraduate teaching committees.
  • Frequently participating in a wide range of networks across the university, Medical School and associated sites, a key requirement in helping coordinate the activities of the module and for being the central point of contact.

Assistant Registrar/ MBBS Academic Coordinator

St George’s Medical School, University of London
London
12.2006 - 08.2009
  • Making an active contribution to strategy, policy and development to meet the changing needs of St George’s Hospital, University of London (SGUL), especially with regards to its increase in student numbers and the implementation of the new MBBS curriculum.
  • Communicating all new developments to other SGUL and Hospital Trust colleagues whenever necessary.
  • Seeking up to date information about clinical firms to which student doctors could be allocated by corresponding with clinicians and undergraduate administrators at the various hospital attachment sites while ensuring they received an appropriate range of clinical attachments in a variety of settings.
  • Recruitment - interviewing and selecting candidates onto the 5 Year MBBS degree as a member of the ‘School’s Interview Selection Panel’ for prospective students.
  • Line managing administrative assistants working within the clinical years of Registry and being involved in the recruitment of staff, their appraisal, and career progression within the Division of Medicine.
  • Representing the Medical School and student body on the St George’s NHS Hospital Trust Healthcare Equality and Diversity Committee Working Group, ensuring school/student issues were addressed and acted upon whenever necessary.
  • Drafting and publishing term and module handbooks then liaising with Academic Services to ensure timely printing and distribution.
  • Corresponding with students, either individually or as a cohort, regarding pastoral, academic and administrative matters and dealing with any queries they may have had regarding these.
  • Ensuring students adhered to school policies and compliance regulations, initiating disciplinary hearings especially with regards to ‘fitness to practise’ issues.
  • Scheduling and servicing of committee meetings.
  • Designing and implementing a new system re the collation of student feedback and ensuring that a robust system was in place for the collection, analysis and reporting of feedback to relevant School Committees.
  • Updating the School’s intranet web pages and online teaching sites for students.
  • Assisting Government Auditors during university inspections.

Executive Officer

School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London
London
08.2005 - 12.2006
  • Managing and marketing three research centres for the School of Oriental and African Studies, namely, the Japan Research Centre; the Centre of Chinese Studies; and the Centre of Korean Studies.
  • Events management – being involved in initial discussions then planning, sourcing information on research seminars and conferences, workshops, AGM’s and lectures both domestic and international which entailed liaising with institutions and universities across the world.
  • Liaison also with outside bodies concerning funding and all details from registration to collection and initial editing of conference papers for publication and distribution.
  • Receiving visitors and students (mainly international) to the centres especially and mainly, Research Associates, Professorial Research Associates, and Post-Doctoral Associates.
  • Arranging and organising the following for them: meetings with other research members, professors and departments; assisting in the allocation of their supervisors and affiliated departments; maintaining correspondence with them in all pastoral, administrative, academic and research matters.
  • Marketing the research centres via preparation and publication of newsletters/journals for each research centre including commissioning of specific pieces, writing of several articles per edition, editing, design and lay-out and preparing publicity leaflets and literature on the centres for external distribution.
  • Organising a range of activities and events for students and staff and contributing to the School’s external relations via collaborative links with government bodies, the media, business and legal constituencies and international partnerships.
  • Being up to date with the research and publication of academic centre members and maintaining an informed awareness of centre studies in the UK as a whole and internationally, for example who is doing research on what and where.
  • Monitoring the various financial accounts of the research centres for example the monitoring of income and expenditure on all research grant accounts and implementing financial control procedures to ensure accountability.
  • Researching and obtaining relevant information and materials on funding opportunities and grants and completing funding applications for various research projects.
  • Assisting with the development and monitoring of research projects and keeping all relevant personnel and departments up-to-date with research developments and deadlines.
  • Maintaining large centre databases and email distribution lists.
  • Issuing and following up divisional and departmental directives where appropriate.
  • Supervising and appraising clerical posts and volunteers where appropriate.
  • Act as secretary for the centre’s committees (and for the Vice Principle of the School) including drafting agendas, papers, and minutes with the committee chairmen.
  • Co-ordinate any subcommittees and working groups.
  • General development work - representation of SOAS and the research centres at educational fairs and receptions which sometimes involved making presentations.
  • Developing and maintaining research centre web pages.
  • Establishing new and collaborative links with internal and external departments and research centres to enhance working practices.

Part-Time Project Officer

Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) and Children’s Rights Officers & Advocates (CROA)
London
08.2003 - 08.2005

Senior Secretary/PA

London
06.1996 - 11.2001
  • Through Spring Personnel, worked on short and long-term temping assignments for managing directors in London. Companies included: Frank Russell (US Investment Management Company), SW1; NASDAQ Stock Market, Chiswell Street, EC1; ICG Plc (Investment Company for European Mezzanine Markets) EC2.

Education

MSc (Honours, Merit) - African Politics

School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London
01.2004 - 01.2005

BA (Honours, 2.1) - Development & African Studies

School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London
01.2001 - 01.2004

Skills

  • Academic administration expertise
  • Recruitment process execution
  • Education sector understanding
  • Education policy insight
  • Human resources procedures
  • Knowledge of education policies
  • Educational legislation understanding
  • Staff training facilitation
  • Educational software utilisation
  • Contractual understanding
  • Procurement negotiation
  • Safeguarding best practices
  • Spreadsheet proficiency
  • Experience with school inspections
  • School event coordination
  • Building security protocols
  • Financial reporting
  • Change leadership
  • Payroll processing
  • Budget forecasting
  • Facilities management
  • Operational efficiency
  • Financial oversight
  • Policy development
  • Technology integration
  • Stakeholder communication
  • Office management
  • Staff supervision
  • Change implementation
  • Corporate governance understanding
  • Effective public speaking
  • Health and Safety Compliance
  • Customer Service
  • Cultural awareness
  • Interpersonal communication
  • Team Leadership
  • Strategic planning
  • Resourcefulness
  • Conflict Resolution
  • Project Management
  • Inventory management
  • Quality Assurance
  • Budget management
  • Operations management
  • Financial leadership
  • Effective communication
  • Contract negotiation
  • Persuasive communication
  • Cultural sensitivity
  • Cross functional collaboration
  • Data analysis
  • Executive communication
  • Initiative taking
  • Parent-Teacher liaison
  • Excellent networking

Languages

English
Native
Arabic
Elementary

References

References available upon request.

Timeline

Section/Research Manager

Imperial College London
07.2017 - 11.2023

Research Consultancy & Education Coordinator

University College of London
02.2017 - 07.2017

School Business Manager

King’s College
09.2016 - 12.2016

School Business/Operational Manager

Hotham Primary School
12.2015 - 09.2016

Principal

The Sudanese International Academy
09.2013 - 10.2015

MBBS Academic Coordinator/ Manager

University College London
08.2009 - 09.2013

Assistant Registrar/ MBBS Academic Coordinator

St George’s Medical School, University of London
12.2006 - 08.2009

Executive Officer

School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London
08.2005 - 12.2006

MSc (Honours, Merit) - African Politics

School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London
01.2004 - 01.2005

Part-Time Project Officer

Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) and Children’s Rights Officers & Advocates (CROA)
08.2003 - 08.2005

BA (Honours, 2.1) - Development & African Studies

School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London
01.2001 - 01.2004

Senior Secretary/PA

06.1996 - 11.2001

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Sara Hamza