Position: Residential Assistant
Salary: £23,865 to £24,213 per annum pro rata (For exceptional performers, there is scope for further progression up to £27,859 per annum, pro rata)
Job Type: Full-time, Part-time
Work location: Hampton Court, England
FULL JOB DESCRIPTION
This role will be based on site, primarily in the named location.
About the University
We have one simple promise – to make a positive impact. Through our ground-breaking research, teaching excellence and commitment to sustainable living, we are changing lives for the better.
The University of Derby is a modern university with a modern outlook. Everything we do is driven by delivering excellence and opportunities for our students, our staff and our region.
We have some of the best university facilities in the UK and achieve outstanding results for our teaching and research and have been awarded Gold in the prestigious Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) 2023 – making it one of the top universities in the country recognised for its outstanding student experience and student outcomes.
Financially strong and seriously ambitious we offer our employees an inclusive culture that centres itself around staff wellbeing, where you can be confident you will receive all the help and encouragement you need to build a rewarding career with lots of opportunities to enhance your skills.
About the College/Department
Our Campus Life and Student Living department is responsible for essential services that significantly impact the student experience.
Campus Life is all about the various services that enhance the overall student experience, including sports, recreational facilities and community engagement.
Whereas our Student Living teams ensure the safety, comfort and compliance of the University’s residential estates.
Whichever team you become a part of; student experience is our focus!
About the role
THIS OPPORTUNITY IS AVAILABLE FOR UNIVERSITY OF DERBY STUDENTS ONLY
As a friendly and approachable point of contact for our student residents, you will provide excellent customer service to our residents to ensure the smooth and effective running of the halls accommodation.
The role is varied and will involve general administration duties along with organisation of events. There may also be an element of looking after the wellbeing of our students and referring them for support if needed. You will be managed by a hall manager and there will be a set shift pattern; you will work 25 hours over a 3 week period on rolling rota. This is for 25 hours active duty hours and be on call at weekends, with opportunity for overtime if desired.
This is a fixed term contract until Sunday 5th July 2026. You will be eligible for discounted accommodation. This role will be based at Agard Court.
If your experience looks a little different from what we’ve identified and you think you can bring value to the role, we’d love to learn more about you!
PLEASE BE AWARE THAT THE ADVERTISED JOB WILL REQUIRE YOU TO LIVE IN AGARD COURT
About You
We are seeking a highly organised and customer-focused individual with experience in customer service and administration. The ideal candidate will demonstrate a solid understanding of general administrative tasks and report writing, ensuring efficiency and accuracy in all aspects of their work.
The successful candidate will have a clear understanding of what good customer service entails, with the ability to engage positively with a range of stakeholders. Strong IT literacy and proficiency with basic software applications are essential for this role, along with excellent written and oral communication skills to convey information clearly and professionally.
A key requirement is the ability to maintain confidentiality when handling personal data, ensuring compliance with data protection standards. The candidate will also thrive in a small team environment, contributing positively while managing tasks independently where required.
Please note that students on a Student Visa will not be eligible to apply for this role due to the on call element of the role and the working restrictions attached to Student Visas.
Principal accountabilities
- To be the first point of contact during working hours. To liaise with site personnel whilst on duty, complete handovers with the Hall Manager, Caretaker or Community Supervisor both prior to and following a shift. To deliver excellent customer service at all times enhancing the student experience.
- Adhere to all Campus Life & University of Derby (UOD) policies and procedures as detailed in the operations manual whilst carrying out duties including, but not limited to office cover, issuing post/parcels to residents, issuing and receiving keys, parking fobs and door entry tokens, report writing, entering flats, attending to lock outs and other duties deemed within the remit of the post.
- To assist in the management of critical/welfare/other incidents and student related issues whilst maintaining confidentiality at all times, this includes assisting site staff during the on-call hours of the shift.
- Carry out general administration including maintenance logging, incident reporting, check in/out of students using the Residential Management System RMS, distributing notices/posters across the site including pre-arrival literature, contacting students by phone/in person and filing of student related information.
- Carry out Health and Safety duties including fire alarm evacuation, legionella prevention tasks, fire extinguisher checks, emergency call outs to contractors as and when required, administering first aid treatment and completion of associated reports.
- To assist and support site visits/open days and to work the student intake weekend and student outtake weekend.
- To engage with students and gather feedback relating to specific topics as detailed by Derbyshire Student Residences Ltd (Campus Life) staff and the other support mechanisms.
- To work in accordance with the pre-defined rota including assistance in covering of absence for site-based staff and other sites as the need arises and volunteering to cover holiday periods at Christmas, Easter and the Summer vacation.
- To attend all meetings arranged by the Hall Manager including welcome meetings, site team meetings and resident flat meetings/mediation sessions.
- To attend and fully engage in all training provided by Campus Life prior to commencement of the post and on-going as requested by Campus Life.
- To welcome all visitors to site in a warm and friendly manner, this will include students, short stay guests, conference delegates and any other third-party visitors. This may include preparing for conferencing activity including makeup and break down.
- To engage in Campus Life activities promoting and delivering social events, which will include weekly distribution of posters and flyers.
- Whilst carrying out duties it is a requirement that you hold the site mobile and radio at all times.
Any other duties deemed relevant to this post.
Person specification
Experience
- General administration and report writing
Skills, knowledge & abilities
- Understanding of what good customer service looks like
- IT literate with a good understanding of basic software
- Good communication skills both written and oral
- Ability to maintain confidentiality of personal data
Business Requirements
- Enrolled as a University of Derby student for the academic year
- Living in University of Derby accommodation for the academic year
- Completed DBS check
Qualifications
- First aid trained
Experience
- Working with young people in either a voluntary or paid capacity
- General awareness of health and safety in a residential environment
Benefits
- Generous annual leave entitlement of 38 days inclusive of bank holidays and concessionary days (pro rata)
- Local Government Pension Scheme
- Suite of holistic wellbeing benefits and support including family-friendly policies, generous sick pay provision and comprehensive Employee Assistance Programme
- Access to a variety of staff discounts at high street retailers
- Discounted onsite gym
- Cycle to Work scheme
- A flexible working environment
- A commitment to personal and professional development
Find out more about rewards and benefitsFind out more about rewards and benefits
Key contact
For further information and informal enquiries regarding the role, please contact Jo Lewis, Hall Manager via j.lewis@derby.ac.uk
For enquiries regarding your application and for sponsorship eligibility, please contact the recruitment team via recruitment@derby.ac.uk.
Important information
Visa Sponsorship Eligibility
The University is unable to sponsor the employment of international workers under the Skilled Worker route for this role; however, applications are welcome from candidates who are able to demonstrate an alternative right to work in the UK.
Please visit visit our website for more information.
DBS check
If you are successful, you will be required to undertake a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.
Any information you provide will be treated in confidence and only used when considering your suitability for the post.
To enable us to process your DBS check please ensure you are able to supply the documentation listed on the DBS website at interview stage.
Equity, diversity and inclusion
The University of Derby is committed to promoting equity, diversity and inclusion, regardless of age, disability, trans status, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief (or none), sex and sexual orientation.
We are Disability Confident Employers, demonstrating our commitment to disability inclusion, and invite applicants to highlight adjustments they may require to ensure equitable participation in our recruitment processes.
Further, we are committed to ensuring an environment which is trans and non-binary-inclusive for all our staff, students, partners, and visitors, and continuously review our policies, guidance and training.
When applying to join the University, you can choose your preferred title, including the gender-neutral title ‘Mx’. We also ask our candidates if they would like to share their preferred pronouns. This is voluntary but demonstrates our commitment to inclusivity for trans and non-binary candidates. Once employed, you can add pronouns and preferred names onto our system.
The University of Derby undertakes anonymised shortlisting during the staff recruitment process. This means that, when shortlisting, panel members will not be able to see an applicant’s name and will see an applicant number instead. This demonstrates the practical steps we are taking to remove barriers to recruitment by minimising the possible impact of our unconscious bias.
However you identify, we actively celebrate the knowledge, experience and talents each person brings. Our students come from a wide range of backgrounds; therefore we are particularly interested to hear from applicants who will help our leaders and teams be more reflective of our student population.
For more information on equity, diversity and inclusion at the University of Derby, please visit our website.
A university that celebrates you
Environmental Sustainability
At the University of Derby, we are passionate about embedding sustainability into everything that we do. We aim to bring environmental sustainability into all aspects of the University, including teaching, research and operational activities. In line with the University’s strategic framework, we expect all our staff to embed sustainability into their working practices and support the University’s objective to reach net zero carbon by 2050.
Environment and sustainability
Be part of something extraordinary, apply now.
Application Process
If you’re interested in this role, check out more information on the Official website and apply now!