Job Description

The role

This is a multifaceted and influential role within our College encompassing team management, strategic planning and budgeting.

You are responsible for our team of approximately 30 Housekeeping staff, as well as student room allocation and licencing agreements, maintenance of College furnishings and health and safety and compliance in line with ANUK guidelines.

You will have previous experience of managing accommodation services using room booking and management systems, good planning and analytical skills and knowledge of health and safety best practice. You will be competent in managing your own and others workload, with the ability to deal efficiently with demands and a good communicator. Financial literacy and experience with external contractors are also essential.

The salary for this role is from £40,000 per annum, depending on experience.

Key responsibilities of the role are:

Team management:

• Lead and manage all aspects of the Housekeeping and Accommodation department, delegating where appropriate, and ensuring the highest standards of housekeeping, cleanliness and presentation of bedrooms, public areas, offices, meeting rooms throughout the College and the Presidents Lodge, aiming for continuous improvement in tenant satisfaction.
• Oversee the effective line management of the Housekeeping Manager, Housekeeping Supervisors, Housekeeping Assistants, House Porter Supervisor and House Porters as well as casual staff when required
• Support the Housekeeping Manager with the administration of staff holidays, sickness, performance review, probation reviews, annual appraisals, staff rotas and training as appropriate in accordance with the staff handbook
• With support from the Housekeeping Manager, ensure that the appropriate management of recruitment, training and tasks allocation for all members of the department including COSHH
• Ensure that there is a focus on sustainability in the department, engaging with both staff and students to promote recycling and energy savings
• Attend committees as agreed by Council, providing input and assistance as requested
• To enlist appropriate contractors for the replacement of furniture, soft furnishings and electrical goods
• Liaise and implement in partnership with the Events department and Business Development Manager the annual commercial accommodation charges
• Act as a key point of contact in the College for Housekeeping and Accommodation related queries and problems
• Train and support the Housekeeping Manager and the Housekeeping/Porter Supervisors on RMS and KX residential
• Host monthly team briefings to keep staff informed and up to date on the business and the performance of the department

Planning, Management and Communication:

• Liaise with the Dean, Senior Tutor, Tutorial Office, Admissions, and student accounts as required, to facilitate the delivery of accommodation requirements for the College
• To communicate to residents (students and Fellows) as required for the smooth operation of Accommodation services
• Produce and distribute the Home from Home guide for First year undergraduates and Postgraduates, ensuring the information is relevant to the group and accurate
• Provide relevant and up to date information on the stock of rooms available in each year`s room ballot, updating the room ballot guide
• To Liaise with Tutorial and the JCR, setting times for the management of the Student Room Ballot for the Lent term each year
• To allocate and manage the College accommodation for students and Fellows including the Fellows Guest Rooms. Optimise the stocks utilisation out of term to maximise the Events contribution to the College whilst allowing for maintenance, upkeep and redecoration on a planned basis.
• To Liaise with Tutorial on specific requests from students that relate to financial, medical and welfare aspects, which directly impact on their accommodation needs
• Mange out of licence accommodation requests from students and external vacation rent requests, inform all relevant departments
• To update relevant accommodation information on the College website, including the accommodation charges
• Liaise with Events regarding room availability in vacations and the summer
• Send relevant information of student charges each term to Student accounts
• Manage the Annual Student Room ballot with the support of Tutorial, JCR, Finance and Senior Tutor, including updates to the “Home from Home” documentation, policy changes as and where required
• Manage and update the Room License agreements
• Manage and update the room inventories
• Manage the annual room inspections of Fellows properties
• Maximise commercial income from the Colleges accommodation stock, by managing lettings outside of term periods to both visitors and academic colleagues
• Update RMS with student allocations, agreements and accommodation charges

Finance:

• To prepare, monitor and control the Accommodation Budget
• To deploy labour and resources in a manner that is cost effective but allows for the adequate provision of the workload and supplies
• To ensure that purchasing and stock holding procedures are followed and that resource and equipment is distributed and applied in adequately and correctly
• Select and manage regular contracts for the delivery of services including laundry supplies, laundrette services, sanitary waste, refuse, accommodation and public areas pest control, window cleaning and any other services that might be required
• To rent or rent out accommodation as required to meet the needs of the College`s students and Fellows
• Collaborate with the Finance Team, regarding any matters arising or relating to Student charges or invoicing related to accommodation

Maintenance:

• To ensure the upkeep of College furnishings, their replacement and repair and to record this so future work can be planned and delivered
• To identify and report repair and maintenance issues
• To liaise with maintenance to allow for programmed and reactive maintenance of accommodation
• To co-ordinate the delivery and installation of soft furnishings and electrical fittings on maintenance and refurbishment programs

Health and Safety/Compliance:

• To ensure that all work carried out in Accommodation Department areas and facilities complies with the Health and Safety at work act
• Ensure that risk assessments are carried out and actions applied and that the Accommodation department is represented on the Health and Safety Committee
• To ensure that the office, laundry and storage areas are kept in a clean and safe condition and all equipment is in proper working order
• Ensure College accommodation meets local authority and ANUK guidelines

About you

You will have:

• Previous experiencing of managing accommodation services
• Effective managerial skills to support, develop and lead the team to deliver high standards
• Experience of recruiting, appraising and carrying out day-to-day line management of staff Strong organisational, interpersonal and communication skills
• Good analytical skills, including financial literacy and experience of evaluating 3rd party tenders and contracts
• Competent user of booking systems for student and conference accommodation.
• Knowledge of Fire, COSHH and Health and safety best practice
• Experience of working within the standards required by ANUK
• Ability to manage own and other workloads with minimal supervision
• Ability to prioritise workloads against competing demands
• Ability to deal calmly and efficiently with the many demands of students and others, dealing sensitively with student privacy issues.
• Good communication skills and an ability to deal confidently with a diverse range of people
• The ability to prioritise work, delegating where necessary and to make appropriate management decisions in a timely manner

What we offer you in return

• A friendly, welcoming team!
• 25 days annual leave plus public holidays, increasing with length of service
• contributory pension scheme
• life assurance benefit
• discretionary annual bonus scheme
• free gym facilities
• cycle-to-work scheme
• on-site parking
• lunch, provided every day that the kitchens are open.

Flexibility and hours

• This is a full-time position of 37.5 hours per week, Monday-Friday, with some evening and weekend work necessary from time to time.
• College operates a hybrid working scheme of up to two days per week from home for eligible roles.

About Murray Edwards College

We exist proudly as a women’s college which empowers students to be confident, successful and happy human beings.

We offer outstanding young women from all backgrounds an academically excellent Cambridge University education in a stimulating and supportive environment.

We actively seek students from diverse backgrounds, particularly those from underrepresented groups.

Murray Edwards College is one of the 31 Colleges in the University of Cambridge and is a self-governing academic community, comprising some 650 undergraduates, postgraduates and academics, supported by 120 staff. It has exceptional facilities and listed modern buildings with award-winning gardens.

Please note this is being run as a rolling recruitment process. We will be assessing applications, shortlisting and offering interviews as the applications are received. The job will close once a candidate has been appointed.

Murray Edwards College is an equal opportunities employer and abides by the privacy rules as set out in the Data Protection Act 1998 and subsequent General Data Protection Regulation. You can view our Privacy Statement for Job Applicants on our website: https://www.murrayedwards.cam.ac.uk/about/policies-and-procedures/college-policies-and-procedures/data-protection-job-applicants

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: From £40,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• Discounted or free food
• On-site gym
• On-site parking

Work Location: In person