Description Grade and Salary: Grade 4 (£23,581 - £26,038, pro rata for part time) FTE and working pattern: Part time (0.8FTE - 28 hours per week) Role Description The role of Residence Life Assistant is integral to the provision of professional and effective support to Heriot-Watt University students living on campus. The role holder will deal with a wide variety of issues as they arise and will often be the first point of contact for advice and support, responsible for processing maintenance requests, assisting in maintaining discipline and referring students to a wide range of other services. The Residence Life Assistant will work closely with Residence Life Manager, Residence Life Assistants and Residence Life Wardens to ensure effective systems and processes for reporting maintenance issues and providing a supportive service for students. They will also work on a shift pattern, including evening, weekends and building closed days, and work closely with other services on campus. The role is very active as it involves significant amount of walking, as the team is required to assist students in their residences across campus. The role is subject to Disclosure Scotland check and this will be organised and paid for by HWU. Hours of Work Residence Life Service operates from 08:00 to 23:00, and the team is operating in shifts. Residence Life Assistant shifts are 08:00 – 16:00 and 12:00 – 20:00, Monday to Sunday. During busy periods such as Fresher’s week and end of term everyone is expected to work longer hours to assist and support the students on campus. During this time the Residence Life Service operates until 03:00. Residence Life Assistants are expected to patrol on regular basis so there is a fair bit of walking required at times. The period from late August to October is the busiest period for the Residence Life team and annual leave is not normally taken during this period. Key Duties and Responsibilities Student Welfare Support Act as the first point of contact for student welfare on campus, offering support, advice, and guidance. Be approachable and available to all students, referring them to relevant services when needed. Liaise with Residence Life Wardens, Wellbeing colleagues, Accommodation Services, and Estates staff to address welfare, maintenance, and accommodation issues Residential Life Support Support students during their stay in the halls of residence by addressing enquiries and concerns. Contribute to operational aspects of residential lettings, including managing student arrivals and departures, handling complaints, resolving maintenance issues, and coordinating with other campus services. Provide excellent customer service through various communication methods (in person, email, phone, etc.) Disciplinary Support Assist in communicating expected standards of behaviour to students and addressing behaviour-related incidents Review behaviour and disciplinary incident, determine appropriate actions, and escalate cases to relevant teams when necessary. Team Collaboration Participate in fire drills, respond to maintenance requests, and be vigilant of Health and Safety issues. Actively contribute to teamwork and teambuilding with colleagues across the campus Play an active part in building strong and positive relationships with students, alongside other departments and teams such as the Wellbeing Services, SafeGuarding services, the Accommodation team, Student Union and Sports Union Student Engagement Activities Coordinate and deliver events to enhance student engagement and foster sense of community within our Halls of Residence Help identify new initiatives and areas of improvement to Residential Life from student feedback, survey results and benchmarking Use innovative methods, including social media platforms, to promote student experience and community living Additional Responsibilities Undertake appropriate training for the role and contribute to team development Provide administrative support to the Residence Life Hub, including tasks such as data entry, report preparation, and statistical analysis. To complete scheduled health and safety inspections to ensure compliance with University policies Assist the Residence Life Manager with day-to-day operations and provide cover when necessary. Provide cover when required Undertake any additional duties as requested by the Residence Life Manager and the Manager of the Student Service Centre. Education, Qualifications & Experience: Essential A good understanding of the diverse range of needs/issues of a multicultural community Proven ability to deal with difficult situations Demonstrable ability to work quickly, flexibly and accurately in a dynamic, changing and pressured environment Proven ability to work flexibly and positively as part of a team Proven ability to use Microsoft Office and other relevant IT systems, including data entry skills Demonstrable provision of excellent customer service Attention to detail Desirable Experience working in a similar environment, especially within student accommodation settings. This job description is intended as a flexible framework which outlines the key general areas of activity in your position. Other activities may be required which are not outlined above but which are appropriate to the position and grade. Your personal objectives (Forward Job Plan) will also set out specific tasks and objectives for you to achieve, including objectives to help your career development. About our team The Residence Life Team is part of the Student Life Division responsible for the policies and procedures of services to staff and students throughout the student lifecycle. The Residence Life Team is integral to the provision of a professional and effective support to the 2000 Heriot-Watt University students living on campus. The Team works closely with Campus Services, SafeGuarding Services, Student Wellbeing Service and Accommodation Services to ensure effective systems and processes are in place to deliver a high-quality customer service experience. How to Apply Applications with FULL CV (and Cover letter) can be submitted up to midnight (UK time) on Wednesday, 11th December 2024. Interviews are anticipated w/c 16th December. At Heriot-Watt we are passionate about our values and look to them to connect our people globally and to help us collaborate and celebrate our success through working together. Our research programmes can deliver real world impact which is achieved through the diversity of our international community and the recognition of creative talent that connects our global team. Our flourishing community will give you the freedom to challenge and to bring your enterprising mind and to help our partners with solutions that can be applied now and in the future. Join us and Heriot Watt will provide you with a platform to thrive and work in a way that also helps you live your life in balance with well-being and inclusiveness at the heart of our global community. Heriot-Watt University is committed to securing equality of opportunity in employment and to the creation of an environment in which individuals are selected, trained, promoted, appraised and otherwise treated on the sole basis of their relevant merits and abilities. Equality and diversity are all about maximising potential and creating a culture of inclusion for all. Heriot-Watt University values diversity across our University community and welcomes applications from all sectors of society, particularly from underrepresented groups. For more information, please see our website https://www.hw.ac.uk/uk/services/equality-diversity.htm and also our award-winning work in Disability Inclusive Science Careers https://disc.hw.ac.uk/ We welcome and will consider flexible working patterns e.g. part-time working and job share options.