Accommodation & Commercial Services
Grade 5: - £22,417 - £25,941
Fixed Term - Full Time
Contract Duration: 9 months - Maternity Cover
Contracted Hours per Week: 35
Closing Date: 03-Mar-2020, 7:59:00 AM 

The Department and role purpose  

The Estates and Facilities Directorate provides a number of essential services to Durham University and is responsible for managing, maintaining and developing the infrastructure and building fabric of the various campuses, including:

• maintaining and regularly reviewing a maintenance programme which takes account of short, medium and long term needs of all buildings and University grounds;
• implementing the works identified and funded within the various maintenance programmes and operating a system for dealing with day-to day requirements, including the provision of an out-of-hours emergency service;
• providing a professional, technical service to the University for the design, construction and procurement of new buildings and adaptation works to existing buildings;
• identifying and recording the use of space and advising on ways of increasing space utilisation;
• property and asset management;
• acquisition and disposal of built environment related assets;
• procuring and managing utilities and services;
• providing postal, delivery and security arrangements and advice to the University; and
• the delivery of a wide-range of customer-facing services, including: contract management; estates and facilities relationships management; housekeeping and cleaning, business resilience, event management; reception helpdesk; university retail; business support; health and safety; and management information.

Event Durham is the University’s Conference and Tourism team, responsible for delivering a wide range of services, including but not limited to: residential conferences, conference and meetings, weddings, B&B accommodation, etc.

The Event Durham Coordinator (Sales) will effectively present and sell conference and banqueting products to meet customer needs and expectations; maximising revenue through increased bookings across all colleges, where possible.  The post-holder will provide an efficient and effective process to quickly handle customer enquiries within pre-defined parameters and will communicate booking information to colleagues, as appropriate.

Core responsibilities:

• Act as more knowledgeable team member without responsibility for team members.
• Plan and organise own workload with or without involvement with project work streams.
• Resolve queries and requests for information and advice and escalate more specialist and complex queries or issues to more experienced team members.
• Respond to stakeholder needs and enquiries to deliver and shape an excellent stakeholder experience, converting business through proposal, negotiation and contractual agreements.
• Apply theory and practice, from academic and professional development and previous knowledge within a service team.
• Contribute to collaborative decision making within the team with service provision to deliver an excellent stakeholder experience.
• Work collaboratively across the organisation and/or externally with colleagues and stakeholders to deliver a service.
• Provide guidance and advice to resolve problems and queries for a broad range of service users; ensuring all business is booked within agreed parameters.
• Collaborate with team members to implement service alterations.
• Organise and schedule resources, activities and events, using the relevant procedures and systems.
• Identify priorities and monitor processes and activities to ensure success.
• Provide more in-depth independent research and analysis activities within the role.
• Provide demonstrations and instruction to others outside the team.
• Support the capture of business requirements from users and work with colleagues to translate these into recommendations for future service provision.
• Liaise with contacts and participate in networks and communities internally and possibly externally, contributing to effective collaborative working.
• Advise others and make recommendations into work processes and procedures for consideration by senior management to improve services. 

Role responsibilities:

• Deliver support services to ensure the effective and efficient delivery of events that enhance the Durham reputation.
• Monitor feedback and identify service changes to meet service level agreements.
• Collaborate within the service team and across other services to ensure the seamless delivery of events.
• Contribute to service user engagement, promotion and communication activities, events and presentation with or without team members.
• Liaise across the organisation to update and exchange key service information to ensure advice given to users is the most up to date and accurate.
• Implement and update processes and procedures, including related documentation where appropriate.
• Work with internal and external partners and suppliers to deliver cross-functional products and services.
• Accurately record customer meeting/event records in relevant system; capturing feedback and make suggestions for adapting.
• Support the management and coordination of activities, conferences and/or events.
• Prepare written reports for consideration by management, where required.
• Any other reasonable duties.

Specific Role requirements

• May be required to work evenings and weekends, as business demands.
• Provide support to other teams within Event Durham, as required.
• Attend all training and development, as required.
• Will be required to wear a uniform.

What you are required to submit

1. A CV
2. A covering letter which details your experience, strengths and potential in the requirements set out above
3. Completion of the application question section where you should give detailed, evidenced answers of how you meet the criteria.

Please ensure that you submit all documentation listed above or your application cannot proceed to the next stage.
Person specification - skills, knowledge, qualifications and experience required

• Excellent oral and written communication skills and the ability to develop effective working relationships, both internally and externally.
• Proven IT skills, including use of Microsoft Office.
• Five GCSEs at least Grade C or level four (or equivalent) including English Language and Mathematics (or equivalent experience).
• Post-16 qualification or equivalent experience.
• Relevant industry and professional recognition, and certification of achievement of skills and knowledge. 
• Evidence of personal development to maintain skills. 
• Relevant and substantial experience in a similar role/customer services environment.
• Demonstrable ability to proactively work with team members to ensure the delivery of high quality services.
• Ability to solve problems as part of a team and resolve issues, plan solutions and make pragmatic decisions.
• Ability to effectively network and exchange advice and information for development purposes. 
• Ability to contribute to planning at operational level.
• Significant and relevant sales and coordination experience within a relevant, comparable market.
• Knowledge of Kx event management and residential system, or similar conference booking system.
• Relevant and substantial knowledge of meetings and event management industry standards and processes.
• Significant and demonstrable strong customer account development and customer relationship management skills.
• Demonstrable understanding of knowledge of conference and events management.
• Relevant and substantial knowledge of menu planning, food presentation, banquet and service operations.
• Proven track record of sales achievement.
• Excellent attention to detail.

Realising Your Potential Approach

Providing Excellent Student Services and Professional Support:

Providing the best quality service to all our students, customers and stakeholders. Building genuine and long-term relationships, through every day interactions, in order to drive up service standards and to enhance their experience.

Providing Leadership and Direction: 

Seeing the work that you do in the context of the bigger picture and taking a long-term view. Communicating vision clearly and enthusiastically to inspire and motivate others.

Embracing Change:

Adjusting to unfamiliar situations, demands and changing roles. Seeing change as an opportunity and being receptive to new ideas.

Finding Solutions:

Taking a holistic view and working enthusiastically and with creativity to analyse problems and develop innovative and workable solutions. Identifying opportunities for innovation.

Working Together:

Working co-operatively with others in order to achieve objectives. Applying a wide range of interpersonal skills.

Using Resources Effectively:

Making effective use of available resources including people, information, networks and budgets. Being aware of the financial and commercial aspects of the University.

Achieving Results:

Planning and organising workloads to ensure that deadlines are met within resource constraints. Consistently meeting objectives and success criteria.

DBS Requirement: Not Applicable.