Job title:Accommodation Officer

Post:CA5151

Reports to:Accommodation Coordinator/Accommodation Manager

Department:Accommodation & Hospitality Services

Location:Eastbourne

Grade:4

Purpose of the role

To act as a key point of contact for matters relating to student accommodation providing an excellent customer service to both personal callers, telephone and email enquirers in a busy environment

To carry out the accurate and professional daily administration of the accommodation office in Eastbourne ensuring that agreed standards and deadlines are met.

To assist with the service’s accommodation visiting and inspection role as and when required and to carry out any related follow up action and administration.

Line management responsibility for: post holder will have no line management responsibility.

Main areas of responsibility:

  • To be the main point of contact for all customers of the accommodation service in Eastbourne including students, colleagues, parents, and owners/landlords, advising on all aspects of accommodation in private sector, halls of residence and university managed housing.
  • To answer telephones and emails on behalf of the accommodation service and deal with personal enquiries from students, staff and other customers.
  • To respond and to and deal with complaints that are received in line with departmental procedures referring more complex complaints to the Accommodation Coordinator
  • To participate in open days and other events or activities that support the recruitment of new students and existing students.
  • To carry out the allocation and re-allocation of student rooms in halls of residence and university managed accommodation using the university’s online booking system
  • To maintain and update the university’s online booking system and accommodation website for students who are searching for accommodation
  • To contribute to reviewing and updating publications, web material, social media, and other information tools used by the accommodation service
  • To view potential properties to add to the university’s accommodation portfolio, maximise opportunities to recruit new owners/landlords to provide student accommodation
  • To carry out property inspection visits to halls, university managed properties and accommodation registered with the university as required compiling accurate records/reports of visits and ensuring that any follow up action is taken and completed.
  • To ensure that end of tenancy procedures are followed and that the accommodation is ready for the new intake of students
  • To maintain accurate records of property visits and maintenance
  • To assist with projects and reviews within the service by researching and collating information as required

General responsibilities

These are standard to all University of Brighton job descriptions.

  • To undertake other duties appropriate to the grade and character of work as may be reasonably required, including specific duties of a similar or lesser grade.
  • To adhere to the University’s Equality and Diversity Policy in all activities, and to actively promote equality of opportunity wherever possible
  • To be responsible for your own health and safety and that of your colleagues, in accordance with the Health and Safety at Work Act.
  • To work in accordance with the Data Protection Act

The person specification focuses on the knowledge, qualifications, experience and skills (both general and technical) required to undertake the role effectively. Please ensure that your application demonstrates how you meet the essential criteria. You will be assessed by your completed application form (A), at interview (I) and in some instances through an exercise (E).

Essential criteria / A, I, E
Knowledge /
  • Understanding of welfare issues facing students in Higher Education, knowledge of the issues affecting students looking for accommodation
  • Basic knowledge of common property maintenance issues
  • Knowledge of relevant legislation including Housing, Health and Safety, Equality and Diversity, and Data Protection regulations
  • Understanding of excellent customer service
  • Effective written and verbal communication skills with an ability to communicate with a range of customers
  • Possess an ability to negotiate and mediate
  • Demonstrates a good understanding of equality and diversity. Listens well, understands the needs of others; ability to deal with confidential matters in a discrete manner
  • Understands principles of Data Protection
  • Flexible, co-operative and collaborative, appreciates own strengths and weaknesses and demonstrates ability to work with others to achieve objectives
  • Works systematically and with attention to detail, uses time efficiently
  • Effectively manages priorities and workload
  • Extensive administrative skills to be able to plan and prioritise work effectively and maintain accurate records.
/ A, I
A, I
A, I
A, I
A, I
A, I
A, I
A, I
A, I
A, I
A, I
Qualifications /
  • No specific qualifications are required.

Experience /
  • Experience of having worked in a similar environment within the public or private sector
/ A,I
Technical/work based skills /
  • Ability to extensively use Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook).
  • Competency in using social media tools – for example, Facebook, twitter, and webpages
/ A, I
A, I
General requirements /
  • Willing to work some weekendsduring August and September, and be available to attend Open Days at other times
/ I
  • Any appointment is generally made at the bottom of the salary range for the grade dependent upon experience and previous salary.
  • This is a full-time post and is fixed term for approximately one year to cover maternity leave.
  • The University of Brighton welcomes job sharers. Job sharing is a way of working where two people share one full-time job, dividing the work, responsibilities, pay, holidays and other benefits between them proportionate to the hours each works, thereby increasing access to a wide range of jobs on a part-time basis. The advert for the post for which you are applying will indicate whether applications from job sharers can be considered (this may not be possible for a post that is already part time for example) and further information can be found on the ‘Balancing Working Life’ section here Benefits and facilities.
  • Annual leave entitlements are shown in the table below and increase after 5 years’ service. In addition, to the eight Bank Holidays, there are university discretionary days between Christmas and New Year. All leave, including bank holidays and discretionary days, is pro-rated for part time employees.

Grades / Basic entitlement per year / Grades / After 5 years’ service
1-3 / 23 days / 1-3 / 28 days
4-7 / 25 days / 4-7 / 30 days
8-9 / 27 days / 8-9 / 30 days
  • More information about the department can be found here Professional Services Departments
  • Read the University’s 2016 - 2021 Strategy
  • The University has an attractive range of benefits and you can find more information about them on our website.

Date: April 2018