Accommodation Booking Assistant

About the role

Are you passionate about providing outstanding customer service and helping students feel at home? Join our dynamic team as an Accommodation Assistant and play a vital role in delivering a seamless, student-focused accommodation experience.

The University manages over 1700 bedrooms on the Plymouth campus, mostly occupied by 1st year undergraduate students as well as supporting small cohorts of health students alongside our NHS partners in Torbay, Taunton and Truro. Working closely with the Senior Accommodation Administrator, you’ll be an integral part of a team dedicated to offering efficient, cost-effective, and friendly support. You’ll be the first point of contact for public-facing queries, whether by phone or email, offering clear and accurate responses while quickly escalating more complex issues. You'll use our bespoke accommodation software, StarRez, to manage bookings, track occupancy, allocate parking spaces and keep records of all interactions. Many enquiries come from parents or families; therefore, you may occasionally need to handle sensitive or upsetting information, following protocols such as confidentiality and GDPR.

This is a role where no two days are the same. You will work flexibly, attending key events such as Open Days, Applicant Days, Student Arrivals, and University Clearing—interacting directly with prospective students, families, and supporters, and helping them navigate the journey to university life.

If you're ready to make a positive impact and be part of a fun, supportive team, we want to hear from you.

Your Qualifications and Experience

To excel in this role, you should possess:

• Strong numeracy and literacy skills (secondary education level or equivalent experience)
• Basic understanding of data entry and proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook)
• Experience of varied office administration
• The ability to work as part of a team with changing priorities
• Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written
• Strong organisational skills with the ability to update colleagues on progress and hand over tasks as necessary.

Special Conditions

Due to the nature of Accommodation Services, annual leave may be restricted from mid-August to mid-September during Clearing and student induction. Team members will be required to work outside office hours, including weekends, with time off in lieu. The team shares rota responsibilities to balance service needs and personal time. Accommodation staff also attend occasional Open and Applicant Days on Saturdays, with leave given in lieu. While the role is office-based in Plymouth, occasional travel to South-West sites may be required to support students on placement.

There is an essential requirement within this role that you will be required to travel to and work at different University sites and/or other business locations that may not be easily accessible by public transport. Please refer to the job description for further information.

This is a part-time position working 18.5 hours per week on a permanent basis.

We regret that there is no opportunity to work from home in this position.

For an informal discussion to find out more about the role then please contact Rebecca Finn: by email at rebecca.finn@plymouth.ac.uk

Application Process

Please apply online, demonstrating how you meet the essential criteria outlined in the knowledge, qualifications, training, and experience elements of the job description in your supporting statement.

Closing date:  12 midnight, Monday 27 January 2025

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