Conference & Accommodation Administrator

Magdalen College is one of the oldest and most beautiful of all the Oxford Colleges, set in 100 acres of grounds in the heart of the city.  The historic buildings include medieval dining hall, chapel and cloister as well as seminar rooms and bedrooms added over the centuries in a sympathetic neo-gothic style. In more recent time, we have built a 160-seat Auditorium and modern ensuite accommodation.

With 650 graduate and undergraduate students, and 70 academic staff, supported by a large team of non-academic and domestic staff, Magdalen is also one of the largest of the Colleges of the University of Oxford.  We provide accommodation for 500 of our students, mostly located on the main college site or very close by. 

In term-time there is a busy calendar of college committee meetings, seminars, lectures, outreach and choir events which make use of our many teaching and function rooms.  Students, staff and visitors are catered for in our Hall, Old Kitchen Bar and other private dining rooms, for regular meals, receptions and formal dinners.

Conferences, functions and events have come to play a major role in the business of the College with held throughout the year and short residential conferences and summer schools in the vacations; alongside Alumni events organized though the College Development Office, in both term-time and vacations.  We also offer facilities for private dinners and alumni wedding receptions.

The work of the Conference & Accommodation Office has expanded as business has developed. We are now looking for a proactive and organized person, demonstrating excellent customer focus and who enjoys a busy and varied work environment,  to become a supportive member of the  Team; which currently comprises Conference Accommodation Manager and two part-time Conference & Accommodation Administrators.

The Conference & Accommodation Administrator is employed by the President and Fellows of Magdalen College and is responsible under them to the Home Bursar.  For the performance of their duties, the Conference & Accommodation Administrator will report to the Conference & Accommodation Manager.

Job Duties and Responsibilities

The Conference & Accommodation Administrator assists the Conference & Accommodation Manager in the following duties:

• Maintaining the events diary and communicating to College departments the requirements of functions taking place, using event management software.
• Responding to enquiries made by telephone, email and in person.

• Allocation of function rooms, teaching rooms and lecture rooms in term time as required, and for summer schools, conferences and College events throughout the year.
• Logging all additional requirements for catering, audio-visual, maintenance and housekeeping.
• Preparation of contracts for functions, conferences and events where applicable.
• Working with both internal and external conference and event clients to ensure that their requirements are met and information in place by the contracted deadlines.

• Acting as a point of contact when visitors are on site.
• Recording costs agreed for events and preparing summaries for invoicing.
• Maintaining the database of single rooms and partnered flats allocated to undergraduates and graduates, using appropriate software.
• Handling enquiries from students before and during residence.
• Administration of the room selection process (Ballot) and student vacation residence arrangements.
• Communicating with students as necessary as regards room moves.
• Preparation and issue of Licences to Occupy to all resident students.
• Optimising the occupancy of student accommodation by the letting of any spare student rooms to visitors and non-Magdalen students.

The list of duties and responsibilities is not exhaustive and you may be required to carry out alternative tasks as instructed by your supervisor to ensure the Home Bursary can operate an efficient service at all times. 

Person Specification

The Conference and Accommodation Administrator should be a proactive and organised person demonstrating excellent customer focus and the ability to work as part of a team.

Essential

• Excellent communication skills gained in an administrative position and a good standard of personal presentation.
• Proven experience of the ability to interact confidently and sensitively with clients, professional colleagues, students and senior members of the College.
• Demonstrate excellent administrative skills including knowledge and experience of Microsoft Office applications.
• The ability to prioritise workload and manage time effectively within the workplace
• A supportive attitude to work colleagues.
• Demonstrate good attention to detail (for example the ability to convert a verbal enquiry into a well-structured brief of requirements)
• Educated to A level or equivalent qualification

Desirable

• Previous experience of working in an administrative role gained in a customer focused office environment.
• Knowledge and experience of the University of Oxford calendar.
• Knowledge and experience of using an event booking database.
• A flexible approach to working; occasional evenings and weekends may be required.

Applications are particularly welcome from women and from Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic candidates.

Salary

Grade 5 of the University Pay Scale £28,131 - £36,333.

Location of Work

This role is based at Magdalen College, Oxford, OX1 4AU.  Hours of work are 37.5 per week Monday to Friday.

Holiday

The holiday entitlement is 38 days per annum including bank holidays. Some bank holidays are regarded as normal working days and may need to be taken at a later date.  Some set days’ holiday must be taken when the College is closed.

Other Benefits

• Membership of contributory pension scheme

• Free lunch will be provided (when Magdalen College kitchens are open)
• Use of sports facilities
• Optional contributory Healthcare Scheme
• Bus pass purchase scheme
• Cycle to work scheme
• Car parking may be available

The College provides for maternity leave on a basis that exceeds the statutory provisions. This is a day one entitlement and there is no qualifying period, women are eligible for 26 weeks’ maternity leave on full pay, followed by 13 weeks of leave on Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) and 13 weeks of unpaid maternity leave. Arrangements are available for Adoption Leave, Shared Parental Leave, and Paternity Leave. Magdalen College has a priority claim on places in the University nurseries.

Applications

Please complete the College application form and send it, together with the recruitment monitoring form, to either human.resources@magd.ox.ac.uk or Human Resources, Magdalen College, Oxford, OX1 4AU.  If you do not wish the College to contact your referees at this stage please make this clear in your application.  The closing date for receipt of applications is 12 noon on Monday 12 June 2023.

Late or incomplete applications will not be accepted. 

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 2018 and the College’s Data Protection Policy, which can be found at https://www.magd.ox.ac.uk/other-policies/data-protection/.