Counsellor Applications

Applications are invited for the post of PROMYS Europe Counsellor

 

Counsellor Job Description and Selection Criteria

Job title	PROMYS Europe Counsellor
Location	Wadham College and the Mathematical Institute, University of Oxford
Stipend	£3290 gross
Hours	Full-time
Contract duration	8 July 2023 - 19 August 2023
Reporting to	Dr Vicky Neale
Application deadline	5 February 2023
Interviews	Week commencing 27 February 2023 (online)
Decisions advised by	8 March 2023

PROMYS Europe is a partnership of PROMYS, Wadham College and the Mathematical Institute at the University of Oxford, and the Clay Mathematics Institute. It is a summer programme designed to encourage mathematically ambitious secondary school students to explore in depth the creative world of mathematics in a supportive community of peers, counsellors and faculty. Competitively selected pre-university students from around Europe will gather at the University of Oxford, for six weeks of rigorous mathematical activity.

PROMYS Europe is closely modelled on the very successful PROMYS program at Boston University. Professor Glenn Stevens, who founded the Boston program in 1989, is also the founding Director of PROMYS Europe. Counsellors will work under the direction of Dr Vicky Neale of the University of Oxford, who is the Executive Director of PROMYS Europe.

The successful candidates will be required to work full time from Saturday 8 July 2023 to Saturday 19 August 2023, during which time they will stay at Wadham College and be expected to be in Oxford. They will also need to spend some time beforehand, helping with the preparation and undertaking necessary training, and afterwards to help with wrapping up the programme; this will be done flexibly, and counsellors will not need to be in Oxford at the time. When working with young people, it is important to note that we have a duty of care towards them. As such, safeguarding is an absolute priority of the programme and candidates will be provided with full training beforehand.

The pay will be £3290 gross (before any deductions for tax and national insurance). One or more of the counsellors will be selected to act as Head Counsellor or Deputy Head Counsellor, with additional responsibilities, and pay of £3450 gross. In addition, counsellors will be provided with full board at Wadham College.

PROMYS Europe seeks to attract applications from undergraduate mathematicians of the highest quality and potential, regardless of background. Counsellor hiring decisions will be based solely on individual merit.  The Mathematical Institute proudly holds a Race Equality Charter Bronze Award and a departmental Athena SWAN Silver Award, which guide our progress towards advancing racial and gender equality. As part of the department’s commitment to openness, inclusivity and transparency, we would particularly welcome applications from women and black and minority ethnic candidates, who are currently under-represented in positions of this type at Oxford.

 

Responsibilities

The successful candidates will be expected

• to be positive mathematical role models for the young people at PROMYS Europe and to play a full role as members of the PROMYS Europe community;
• to encourage, support and advise the PROMYS Europe students as they work on the problem sets;
• to mark the daily work of a small group of PROMYS Europe students and to meet each student individually to give feedback afterwards;
• to work with a small group of students on an exploration project and/or research project;
• to be present in the common room regularly during the day and evenings as required (there will be a rota to ensure that there are always counsellors available to work with students);
• with the support of an experienced Head Counsellor, to work as part of a team of counsellors and to foster a culture of collaboration and mentoring within the team;
• to work with PROMYS Europe faculty and administrators to ensure students’ academic and pastoral wellbeing;
• to help organise weekly non-mathematical social activities and appropriate weekend activities for the group;
• to undertake their own individual programme of mathematical study during the programme;
• to contribute to the counsellors’ programme of study on a topic mutually selected by the counsellors;
• to help develop and grow the programme through innovation and collaboration.
• to undertake other tasks as may reasonably be requested by the PROMYS Europe faculty and administrative team.

It is important that there are enough counsellors on site at all times with the students, for safety reasons.  It will be possible for each counsellor to take reasonable time off during the programme, but only by prior negotiation and arrangement with the Head Counsellor so that there are always enough counsellors still on duty. Counsellors will normally be expected to be at Wadham overnight. Counsellors will have some free time to themselves during the day and evenings, when they are not required for specific activities, but they will need to liaise with the Head Counsellor so that there are enough counsellors on duty at any given time and so that the responsibilities of counsellors are shared fairly amongst the group. Working at PROMYS Europe will be intensive and demanding, the hours include weekends and evenings, and the rate of remuneration reflects these expectations.

This job description is intended as a guideline and the exact nature of the work may vary from time to time according to the needs of the programme.

 

Selection criteria

Essential

Successful candidates will be expected to demonstrate

• that they will be aged at least 18 at the start of the programme and have the right to work in the UK;
• that they are undertaking an undergraduate or integrated masters degree programme in Mathematics or with a very significant mathematical component (undergraduates in their final year may still apply; however students undertaking a masters programme for which they will be a full time student over the summer are NOT eligible);
• an exceptional academic record in mathematics;
• engagement in mathematical activity beyond the requirements of their school and university courses;
• proficiency in English at the level required to give talks, read student work, and work with students;
• teamwork skills to enable effective collaboration with students, other counsellors, faculty and staff;
• ability to take initiative and make well-judged decisions;
• ability to innovate and be open to new ideas;
• ability to cope with the challenges and pressures of a residential programme.

Desirable

It would be helpful for successful candidates to demonstrate some or all of these

• a particular interest in pure mathematics, and especially in number theory and related branches of mathematics;
• previous experience of working effectively with young people;
• an understanding of and commitment to the aims of PROMYS Europe;
• previous experience of organising or facilitating residential or online group activities.

 

Application process

Please note that by clicking either of the links below, you will open a new tab containing the online application form on the University of Oxford Mathematical Institute website.

Online application form. Please complete the form, paying particular attention to demonstrating how you fulfil the selection criteria. You will also be asked to upload a copy of your curriculum vitae (CV) and a copy of your university transcript (unofficial copies are acceptable).

Online referee recommendation form. Please ask two individuals who are familiar with your background in university-level mathematics to complete the form. Please be aware that you are responsible for requesting the references yourself and that they should be submitted before the deadline for applications. You should show this job description and your application material to your referees to inform what they write. You should ask your referees to comment on the following, to the extent that they are able:

1. your mathematical aptitude, level of experience, and potential for future work in mathematics;
2. your performance in your undergraduate course, particularly in pure mathematics;
3. your communication skills and ability to work as part of a team — including comments about your command of English (is it good enough to give mathematical talks in English, and to read and assess other students’ work?);
4. any reservations they might have about your suitability to work with young people.
5. Since PROMYS Europe is a 6-week programme, which will require participants to be organised and engaged in a sustained way over the course of 6 weeks, we would like to know the referees’ impressions of your self-motivation.

There is an optional form for monitoring equality and diversity which will be sent to you once you have submitted your application. This form is completely anonymised and will not affect your application or the selection process.

The deadline for applications is Sunday 5 February 2023. Online interviews with shortlisted candidates will be carried out during the week commencing 27 February 2023, and all candidates will be notified by Wednesday 8 March 2023, at the latest.

 

Important Information for Candidates

Pre-employment screening

Counsellors for PROMYS Europe are employed by the Mathematical Institute at the University of Oxford. Please note that the appointment of the successful candidates will be subject to some standard pre-­employment checks. These will include:

• proof of their entitlement to work in the UK. Before starting work, British and Irish nationals will need to show a valid passport; counsellors who are EU/EEA citizens will need to show that they have Pre-Settled or Settled status, Indefinite Leave to Remain, or an appropriate UK visa to evidence they have the right to work in the UK. Note that the position of counsellor is not sponsorable, which means that the University would not be able to obtain a visa for candidates for this position; therefore if candidates cannot demonstrate that they have the right to work or will be able to obtain this themselves, before commencing employment, then we would not be able to employ them.
• criminal record check - this position involves working with young people under the age of 18, so successful candidates will be required to make an enhanced criminal record disclosure through the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) in the UK or through Horus Security Screening for overseas candidates. This will check for any previous criminal convictions, cautions, reprimands or warnings, and where applicable, the appropriate ‘barring’ list that prohibits work with vulnerable groups. Any offer of employment will be conditional on the production of a satisfactory disclosure certificate from the DBS or from Horus. Successful candidates will be given the appropriate forms to complete.

Criminal record checks are processed via the University of Oxford, which complies fully with the DBS Code of Practice. Disclosures are handled in the strictest of confidence and only by staff who have been designated and trained in handling such information.

Please note that you will need to provide original documents and where any documents are not in English a certified translation will be required. Do not include these documents with your application. You will be sent a request for the relevant information once a conditional offer of employment has been made.

If you have any questions or need further information, please contact the PROMYS Europe office at [email protected] .

 

Disability

If you wish to make us aware of a disability for which you may need support, then you may do so by writing to [email protected] either when you submit your application or when you receive an offer. Successful applicants with a disability will be given the opportunity to discuss their needs, and we will make reasonable adjustments to accommodate the needs of disabled participants and applicants.