Establishing a vacancy and vacancy approval

A vacancy may arise for a number of reasons, such as staff resignation, retirement or a new post (either temporary or permanent) may be required due to taking on new projects or responsibilities.

Before requesting to recruit to a new or existing role, it is important to review information about the nature of the role and requirements. There may also be an opportunity to review the need for the role (or particular elements of it) in line with current or planned changes within the department. The information from this analysis can be used to form the basis of the job description and person specification for the role. Key considerations should be:

• the content of the role (for example specific tasks to be undertaken)
• the outputs required by the role holder
• the skills and attributes required to perform the role effectively
• how the role fits with the departmental and/or faculty structure
• is the function currently being provided by another area in the University?
• could other staff in the department absorb some of the duties?
• could the work be structured/organised in a different and improved way?
• what are the budget/financial implications of recruiting?
• establish the level/grade of the role (view information about job grading)

If it is decided that the role is required, a Post Approval Form (PAF) must be submitted and approved before any recruitment can commence. View information and step by step guidance on submitting a PAF.