Housing Services Manager Candidate Information Pack
Queen Mary University of London is one of the UK’s leading research-focused higher education institutions. With over 25,000 students, 4,500 staff and an annual turnover of £462m, we are one of the largest University of London colleges.
Contents
• Welcome to Queen Mary University of London • Estates and Facilities • Our Strategy 2030 • Job Description • Person Specification • Further Information and How to Apply
Welcome to Queen Mary University of London
Queen Mary University of London teach and research across a wide range of subjects in the humanities, social sciences, law, medicine and dentistry, and science and engineering.
Based in a creative and culturally diverse area of east London, the main site in Mile End is one of the largest self-contained residential campuses in the capital.
Our research excellence
Queen Mary has made a strategic commitment to the highest quality of research. The University has invested in this principle by systematically recruiting the best academics in their disciplines from around the world.
The results of the most recent national assessment of research – the Research Excellence Framework (REF 2014) – have confirmed its place in the very top group of research-led universities in the UK.
Overall it was ranked 9th in the UK among multi-faculty universities and 5th in the UK for the percentage of our 3* and 4* research outputs.
Russell Group institution
Queen Mary is one of 24 leading UK universities represented by the Russell Group, that are committed to maintaining the very best research, an outstanding teaching and learning experience, excellent graduate employability and unrivalled links with business and the public sector.
High-quality learning experience
Queen Mary offers outstanding students a stimulating, supportive and high-quality learning experience, with teaching inspired by our world-leading research.
Queen Mary ranked first in London for student satisfaction in 2018 for the third year running.
QMUL have invested in new facilities over the past five years to offer its students an exceptional learning environment. Recent developments include the £39m Graduate Centre, providing 7,000 square metres of learning and teaching space, and a new medical school and anatomy centre on our Malta campus. Projects nearing completion include the £32m phased internal refurbishment of the Engineering Building, and the £18m Mathematics Building redevelopment which is due for completion in the summer of 2019. Future developments include the £62m new School of Business and Management on the Mile End campus.
Estates and Facilities
“Our mission is to ensure that the campus buildings, environment, and facilities achieve the highest standard of design, sustainability, and presentation. This is to reflect the ambition of Queen Mary, enhance the student experience and promote QMUL as a world class academic institution.”
Our Main Focus:
• Preparing and helping to sustain the QMUL’s working and learning environments for students, staff and guests by ensuring facilities meet the aspirations of the University
• Providing a home for 2,500 QMUL students in halls of residence, encouraging a spirit of community and cooperation
• Providing catering & hospitality to support the Queen Mary community in its work and social interaction, and an events hospitality service
• Outside the teaching timetable and during the summer vacation, attracting external use of the QMUL’s facilities by organisations and individuals
• Providing and developing professional services that enhance student well-being, enabling students to engage effectively with their academic progress and achievement, and prepare for their lives beyond Queen Mary University of London
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Our Strategy 2030
In 2019, Queen Mary University of London launched a bold new Strategy with the vision to open the doors of opportunity. By 2030, we will be the most inclusive university of its kind, anywhere. We are doing this by building on our existing cultural diversity to create a truly inclusive environment, where students and staff flourish, reach their full potential and are proud to be part of the University. Con- tinuing our long tradition of commitment to public good, we will generate new knowledge, challenge existing knowledge, and engage locally, nationally and internationally to create a better world.
We have five core values that will help us to reach this goal:
We are inclusive, supporting talented students and staff regardless of their background, and engaging with our local and global communities.
We are proud of the difference we can all make when we work collectively.
We are ambitious, fostering innovation and creativity, disrupting conventional thought, and responding with imagination to new opportunities.
We are collegial, promoting a strong community through openness, listening, understanding, co-oper- ation and co-creation.
We are ethical, acting with the highest standards, and with integrity, in all that we do.
To enable our staff to flourish and to reach their full potential throughout their employment at Queen Mary, we offer a range of benefits:
Staff benefits
•
Annual leave – the full-time annual leave annual entitlement is 30 working days (not including bank holidays).
• • • •
Season ticket loan scheme
Pension scheme
Reward and recognition schemes
Staff Networks
• • • • • •
Cycle to work scheme
Qmotion sport fitness centre Employee Assistance Programme
Family friendly policies Flexible working practices
On-site day nursery
University of Surrey
7
Duties and Responsibilities
Job Description
Job Title:
Housing Services Manager
School/Dept/Institute & Centre:
Estates and Facilities (Housing Services)
Reports to:
Head of Housing Services
Grade:
5, Full Time, (From £38,655 to £45,479)
Appointment period:
Permanent
Current Location:
Based at the Mile End Campus
Job Context
Housing Services exist to provide essential support and advice to all Queen Mary students and staff on mat- ters relating to the seeking, acquiring and occupation of residential property of all kinds.
In addition to the administration of more than 3,000 of our own direct or nominated lets, the Service annu- ally provides specific legal and administrative support to a further 4,000 students and staff entering the pri- vate rental market as part of their move to London to study or work at Queen Mary. Given the competition to recruit and retain the best students and staff the value of the service is key to the strategic development of Queen Mary. The letting of Queen Mary’s own housing stock generates an income stream of over £17.5M per annum, which is coupled with the mitigation of £5M worth of financial risk related to our current nomination agree- ments.
Job Purpose
The post holder will provide effective line management of the Housing Services and Residences Finance team, prioritising workloads to meet agreed Queen Mary strategic targets. The post holder will be dedicated to promoting and maximising the lettings potential and therefore mitigate the financial risk in relation to all nomination and leasing arrangements with external providers, worth circa £5M per annum. The role will also be responsible for the key IT systems that support the Housing Services (and broader teams). The post holder will be required to support and deputise for the Head of Housing Services in managing and delivering a customer focused service providing advice and guidance encompassing the broad range of housing options available to students and staff. The range of this role is not limited to the Queen Mary halls of residence, but includes nominated private providers, private housing as well as homestay or short stay options.
Main Duties & Responsibilities
• To lead on the day-to-day operational activities to manage, organise, delegate to and prioritise the work of a team of 4 housing advisors, 2 credit controllers and a housing administrator to meet set deadlines in the yearly cycle. • To manage, deliver and support the training and development needs of the team, including the delivery of training to staff in the key IT systems (Kinetics and Agresso) used by Residential Services and wider key operational within the directorate. • To manage the application, configuration, and problem solving of the key IT systems used by the Hous- ing Services Team (including the Kx Student, Financial and Configuration modules). • To be responsible for the design, development, and implementation of Agresso custom reports to pro- vide effective management reporting into the Head of Housing Services and Assistant Director (Commer-
cial Services). • To ensure maximum occupancy within the residential portfolio (both owned and leased) to achieve the £17.5M commercial target, including overseeing the timely and accurate invoicing for QMUL’s student residential fees. • To ensure prompt collection and control of the residential fee income, as well as the reconciliation and processing of accounts by the Residences Finance team in line with UUK Code timelines. • To oversee the residential debtor files and compile the annual debt ‘write offs’ file to the Head of Hous- ing Services and Head of Finance. • To manage and deliver the training to external partner providers to ensure efficiency and consistency of customer service levels for all nomination and referral agreements, aligned with Queen Mary’s residential management and values. • To represent and/or deputise for the Head of Housing Services at all relevant operational and strategic meetings, both within Estates and Facilities and the wider Queen Mary community, to develop effective relationships. • To prepare management reports to support effective reporting to senior managers, as required, to assist decision making in both Residential Strategic and Housing policy. • To communicate and liaise effectively both internally and externally with organisations such as Study Abroad agencies, debt collection agencies and local accommodation providers. • To oversee the provision and promotion of the private lettings service to students and staff of QMUL, including the liaison and relationships with residential lettings agents and landlords. • To assist the Head of Housing Services to ensure compliance with the UUK Code of Practice and main- tain an awareness of statutory guidance changes. • To assist the Head of Housing Services in the development of all online and offline marketing materials and imagery, including monitoring and updating the Accommodation website. • To represent Housing Services at all QMUL internal and external events, and assist with managing the Move In Weekend and Open Days. • To be flexible at key times within the university calendar to support the delivery of services that will be outside normal business hours, which will include working in the evenings and at weekends. • To comply with all Queen Mary and Directorate policies and procedures. • To demonstrate commitment to the Directorate purpose statement and values. • To implement recognised good practice in communication and cohesion, to promote the culture and behavioural change programme that has been embarked upon by the Directorate. The above list of responsibilities is not exhaustive and the jobholder may be required to undertake other duties commensurate with the level of the role, as reasonably requested by their line manager. This job description accurately reflects the duties and responsibilities of the role at the time the job descrip- tion was written. These duties and responsibilities may change over time without significantly impacting on the character of the role, the overall level of responsibility, or its grade. Depending on strategic or operational needs, the jobholder may in the future be required to work for an- other existing or new organisational unit and/or at a different site within Queen Mary. This may be on a temporary or indefinite basis and may involve a change in line management and / or regularly working at more than one site.
Duties and Responsibilities
Person Specification
This table lists the essential and desirable requirements needed in order to perform the job effectively. Candidates will be shortlisted based on the extent to which they meet these requirements.
Requirements
Essential / Desirable
Qualifications Chartered Institute of Housing qualification or relevant professional qualifica- tion
E
Educated to degree level or relevant experience
E
Management qualification or equivalent professional experience
D
Experience/ Knowledge
Significant experience working within an HEI or privately built student residen- tial environment Significant experience working in a customer service environment providing exceptional customer service
E
E
Significant experience in report writing at strategic level
E
Significant team management experience with the ability to provide good leadership and promote team working
E
Experience managing conflicts and resolving complaints
D
Experienced in the use of the Kinetics Student, Configuration and Financial modules or similar accommodation technology packages Experienced in the use of a student finance systems, preferably Agresso and WPM Knowledge and understanding of HEI Admissions systems, key dates and SITS student record system Computer literate with a good knowledge of Microsoft Office software, particularly Excel Self -aware, able to exercise and apply sound judgement not only in decision making but when to involve others Able to plan, manage and monitor a variety of commitments, balancing work- loads to meet service demands for self and others in the team
E
E
D
Skills/ Abilities
E
E
E
Excellent attention to detail and a systematic approach to work Experience in the profiling and reconciliation of budgets
E
D D
Ability to mentor colleagues and transfer skills and knowledge effectively Flexible attitude and willing to learn, develop and improve both individually or as part of a team Friendly, approachable, diplomatic and able to relate to people Able to deal with personal, private and confidential issues with appropriate discretion (Data Protection Act) Able to identify resolutions to problems and utilise analytical skills Able to manage in line with customer expectation of Equality and Diversity Policy
Other
E
E E
E E
* The University has a legal responsibility to ensure that all potential employees can provide documentary evidence of their legal right to work in the UK prior to commencing employment. Candidates shortlisted for interview will be ask to bring their passport or another acceptable form of evidence to verify their right to work.
Further Information and How to Apply A wide range of benefits are available, this includes 30 days annual leave (plus University closure days and public holidays), a pension scheme and also an interest-free season ticket loan.
For further details of the benefits of working at QMUL please visit http://www.hr.qmul.ac.uk/workqm/index.html
Applications should consist of a CV and covering statement outlining key matching experience and rationale for applying for the post. Applications should be sent to; hayley.mintern@mrgpeople.co.uk or hannah.searle@mrgpeople.co.uk.
For a confidential and informal discussion, please contact the Universities appointed recruitment partner Hayley Mintern at The Management Recruitment Group.
Hannah Searle 079 6682 7413 | hannah.searle@mrgpeople.co.uk
Anna Kacprzak 07513 721 970 | anna.kacprzak@mrgpeople.co.uk
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