LINCOLN COLLEGE, OXFORD
FURTHER PARTICULARS: CONFERENCE AND EVENTS OFFICER
Job Title: / Conference and Events Officer (full-time, 12 months fixed term)Department: / Domestic Bursary
Responsible to: / The Domestic Bursar
Job Purpose: / To administer the College’s conference and events activities, from initial enquiries through to liaison with relevant departments in college, and preparation of invoices for the Accounts department.
Lincoln College invites applications for the full-time, 12 months fixed-term, post of Conference and Events Officer, available from 21 September 2015 or as soon as possible thereafter. The post-holder will administer most aspects of conference and events activity, and assist in the marketing of the College facilities. He or she will be responsible for many of the day-to-day contacts with potential conference and events clients, as well as for public room bookings and events for College Fellows, staff, and students. The post-holder will also have responsibility for issuing security fobs to residential conference delegates, summer schools, and new Fellows, staff, and students.
The Conference and Events Officer will be located in the Domestic Bursary, in a small, friendly and busy team of four who handle the College’s accommodation, catering, and conference operations.
Background information on the College and Domestic Bursary
Lincoln College was founded in 1427 in the University of Oxford and is a self-governing institution in which the ultimate authority for all decisions rests with the Rector and Fellows. Lincoln has 600 students in residence, of which approximately 300 are graduates. It enjoys an excellent reputation for its undergraduate education and has been among the top third of colleges academically for the past several years. The College is also a popular choice for graduate applicants to the University. Lincoln College is located on an attractive historic site in the centre of Oxford, with excellent access to university libraries and the university’s departments and faculty buildings. More information on the College can be found on its website, www.lincoln.ox.ac.uk.
The Domestic Bursary has responsibility for the provision of all domestic services in College, including catering, accommodation, conference and external business, and maintenance and refurbishment projects. The office is situated in the heart of the college, and consists of the Domestic Bursar a part-time Assistant to the Domestic Bursar, a full-time Conference and Events Officer (duties outlined below), a full-time Accommodation Manager and a part-time Domestic Bursary Assistant.
The Domestic Bursary works closely with all departments across the College, and the Conference and Events Officer will in particular be required to liaise frequently with the Bursary and Accounts team, the Development Office (responsible for alumni relations and fund-raising), the Senior Tutor’s Office (responsible for academic policy and activities such as schools liaison and access events), Housekeeping, the Kitchen, the Buttery, the Lodge staff, and the Bar Manager. The role will also involve day-to-day contact with academic Fellows and students of the College. The development of good working relationships both within the College and with outside clients and Conference Oxford will be essential.
The Domestic Bursary reports to the Domestic Committee and to the Governing Body of the College via the Domestic Bursar and the Bursar.
Job Description: Conference and Events Officer
Duties and Accountabilities
§ To manage the College’s conference, summer school, and events activity, including responding to initial queries concerning availability, preparing and issuing contracts and invoices, and collecting deposits.
§ To respond to enquiries received from Conference Oxford and other clients in a timely manner.
§ To show facilities to potential clients, and build a database for marketing purposes.
§ To maintain all records in an accurate manner, and to ensure that all confirmed bookings are entered onto the College’s online room booking system.
§ To issue booking contracts and quotes to customers, and to ensure timely return of signed contracts and initial and (where appropriate) second deposits.
§ To liaise with the conference and events organizers to ensure that the College has up-to-date and accurate information about the needs of the conference. To liaise with appropriate members of the College staff team (e.g. Lodge, Housekeeping, Kitchen, Buttery) to ensure that the conference’s requirements are met.
§ To liaise with the Domestic Bursar in the allocation of accommodation to residential conferences and to College activities such as Open Days.
§ To meet conference organizers when they arrive at the College, and ensure they have copies of all relevant paperwork.
§ To assist and deal with any queries raised by conference delegates, such as accommodation problems.
§ To allocate rooms and collect payment for bed-and-breakfast bookings through the vacations, liaising with College staff (e.g. Lodge, Housekeeping, Accounts) as necessary.
§ To be responsible for all room bookings in College, including teaching space for Fellows and lecturers, and bookings for students, clubs / societies, events, etc. To plan room allocations in such a way as to ensure no double-bookings occur.
§ To issue invoices where appropriate to those clubs / societies / individuals who wish to book rooms.
§ To liaise with the College maintenance team regarding provision of chairs, tables, flip charts, etc, in public rooms, and to identify the IT requirements of those using College rooms and to liaise with the IT manager to ensure that the correct equipment is supplied.
§ To process the paperwork and issue invoices for bookings of the College sports ground, pavilion, and Boat House.
§ To produce menus, seating plans, and name places for both College and conference dinners.
§ To assist the Domestic Bursar in preparing forecasts and reports for review and budgeting purposes.
§ To assist the Domestic Bursar in the preparation of promotional material and web-based information related to conference activities.
§ To code and issue security fobs to all residential conference delegates, summer schools, staff, new Fellows and lecturers, and new students.
§ To provide general support to the Domestic Bursar and the Domestic Bursar’s Assistant when the needs of the College require it.
§ To undertake any other duties, consistent with the purpose of the job, as may be assigned from time to time by the Domestic Bursar
Person specification
The successful candidate will be able to demonstrate that they have:
§ Excellent written and oral communication skills ideally to A-level standard or equivalent, and a good level of numeracy.
§ A confident and friendly approach, and the ability to build relationships with people at all levels, both internally (Fellows, staff and students) and externally (prospective clients, Conference Oxford, conference and events organizers).
§ An ability to work calmly under pressure, to manage several projects at any one time, to prioritise work and meet tight deadlines.
§ Strong organizational skills and scrupulous attention to detail.
§ Excellent IT skills appropriate to a Windows-based office, including word-processing, manipulating spreadsheets, handling databases, and preparedness to learn new applications as required.
§ The ability to work independently and flexibly as a member of a small team.
The following criteria are also desirable:
§ Experience in organizing conferences and events
§ Familiarity with Oxford colleges
Applicants will be expected to demonstrate how their experience equips them to meet these requirements.
Terms and Conditions
Appointment: / This is a fixed –term post for 12 months. The appointment will be conditional on verification of the successful candidate’s availability for employment in this country. The initial period of appointment is probationary, for six two months.Salary: / Equivalent to Grade 5of the Oxford University Pay Scale, in the range £24,057 to £28,695, depending on experience.
Pension rights: / Oxford Staff Pension Scheme (OSPS)
Meals: / Free lunch is provided in College when on duty
Hours of working: / Full time. Standard office hours are 8.45am to 5:00 pm each day (36.25 hour week)
Annual leave entitlement: / The post-holder will be entitled to six weeks’ paid leave in each year on the basis of one week at Christmas and the remainder to be taken at such time or times as shall be mutually convenient, and agreed in advance with the Domestic Bursar. There are specific periods during the year when the presence of the Conference & Events Officer is essential, notably during the early part of the summer. In addition there may be occasions when the post-holder will be required to work on weekends and evenings to cover events, for which days in lieu will be given.
Notice period: / During the initial probationary period, notice will be one week on either side. Subsequent to satisfactory review and confirmation in the post the notice period will be one month on either side.
Application process
Prospective candidates should send the following items to the College:
1. A completed application form (available at www.lincoln.ox.ac.uk/vacancies)
2. A thoughtfully-written covering letter of no more than 300 words stating how their skills, experiences, and interests equip them to undertake this role
3. This post is subject to recruitment monitoring to ensure that the selection process is consistent with the law and the College’s Equal Opportunity Policy and Code of Practice. To this end, applicants are asked to complete a Recruitment Monitoring Form, this too is available on the website. This should be returned with your application, but should be placed in a separate sealed envelope addressed to the Human Resources Manager. The information supplied on the form will play no part in the selection process, and will not be seen by any member of the selection panel.
This material should be sent to:
The Bursar’s Secretary
Lincoln College
Turl Street
Oxford
OX1 3DR
Applications may be sent by e-mail to:
Closing date for applications is 12.00 noon on Monday 14 September.
Interviews will be held at Lincoln College on Tuesday 22 September 2015. The selection process will consist of a practical test and an interview.
Data Protection. All data supplied by applicants will be used only for the purposes of determining their suitability for the post and will be held in accordance with the principles of the Data Protection Act 1998.
Other Information
The successful candidate will be required to complete a confidential medical questionnaire which will be forwarded to our Occupational Health Department who will assess their fitness to perform this role
Lincoln College is an Equal Opportunities Employer. Conduct against fellow employees and College members which is offensive or detrimental to them on grounds of age, colour, disability, ethnic origin, marital status, nationality, national origin, parental status, race, religion or belief, gender, or sexual orientation will not be tolerated.
Any enquiries related to these Further Particulars should be directed in the first instance to the Domestic Bursar, Mr Jim Mirabal:
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