Accommodation & Commercial Services

Grade 5: - £23,487-£26,341 per annum (pro-rata)
Open-Ended/Permanent - Part Time
Contracted Hours per Week: 17.5
Closing Date: 29-Jun-2022, 6:59:00 AM

Job Family: Community, Participation and Engagement Services

Department: Estates and Facilities, Accommodation and Commercial Services
Responsible to: Assistant Event Durham Manager
Grade: Grade 5
Salary range: £23,487-£26,341 (pro-rata)
Contract type: Permanent
Working arrangements: Part-time (17.5 hours)
Interview date: (if known)

Reward and Benefits

To support the delivery of the University's People Strategy to attract, retain and reward the very best, we offer a fantastic range of rewards and benefits to our staff, including:

• 27 days annual leave, plus 4 customary days and 8 bank holidays (pro-rata for part-time) and the option to purchase additional leave
• Automatic enrolment into a pension scheme
• Corporate and local discounts
• Wellbeing resources and discounted health benefits
• Health discounts on sports and activities at Maiden Castle Health and Activity Centre
• Reward and Recognition Schemes
• Personal and career development
• And SO much more, with further information available here.

Working Arrangements

At Durham, we recognise that our staff and students are our greatest asset and we want to support the health and wellbeing of all. Hybrid working supports this ethos and provides many benefits to our colleagues, including empowering people, where their role allows, to work in a manner which is more suitable for them, whilst encouraging our commitment to environmental sustainability.

Depending on the needs of the business and the job role, Durham University is piloting hybrid working for all Professional Services colleagues in the academic year 2021/22, which may include the opportunity to work both on and off campus and flex working hours. If appointed to the post, your line-manager will discuss the specific arrangements with you. Any hybrid arrangements are non-contractual and may change within the pilot and when the pilot ends.

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;
• procuring and managing utilities and services;
• providing postal, delivery and security arrangements and advice to the University;
• delivering a wide-range of customer-facing services, including Contract Management; Continuous Improvement; Housekeeping and Cleaning, Business Resilience, Event Management; Reception Helpdesk; 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.

Recruiting to this post

In order to be considered for the role, candidates must be able to evidence, in the CV, covering letter, application questions, or interview, each of the essential criteria required for the role in the person specification (including those listed in the section ‘Realising Your Potential Approach’).

In some cases, the recruiting panel may also consider the desirable criteria, so we recommend you evidence all criteria in your application.

Please note that some criteria will only be considered at interview stage.

How to apply

We prefer to receive applications online.

Please note that in submitting your application Durham University will be processing your data. We would ask you to consider the relevant University Privacy Statement https://www.dur.ac.uk/ig/dp/privacy/pnjobapplicants/ which provides information on the collation, storing and use of data.

What you are required to submit

1. A CV.
2. A covering letter, to include how you achieve the Realising Your Potential Approach criteria.
3. The question matrix as part of the application process.

Please ensure that you submit the documentation listed above or your application will not be considered.

Contact details

For further information please contact Judith Williams, judith.williams@durham.ac.uk, or Sarah Harrington sarah.harrington@durham.ac.uk.

At Durham University, our aim is to create an open and inclusive environment where everyone can reach their full potential and believe our staff should reflect the diversity of the global community in which we work. We welcome and encourage applications from members of groups who are under-represented in our work force, including people with disabilities, women and black, Asian and minority ethnic communities.

We will notify you on the status of your application at various points throughout the selection process, via automated emails from our e-recruitment system. Please check your spam/junk folder periodically to ensure you receive all emails.

Person specification - skills, knowledge, qualifications and experience required

Essential Criteria

1. Excellent oral and written communication skills and the ability to develop effective working relationships, both internally and externally.
2. Proven IT skills, including use of Microsoft Office/Office 365.
3. Five GCSEs at least Grade C or level four (or equivalent) including English Language and Mathematics (or equivalent experience).
4. Post-16 qualification or equivalent experience.
5. Relevant experience in a similar role/customer services environment.
6. Demonstrable ability to proactively work with team members to ensure the delivery of high-quality services.
7. Ability to solve problems as part of a team and resolve issues, plan solutions and make pragmatic decisions.
8. Ability to contribute to planning at operational level.
9. Relevant sales and coordination experience within a relevant, comparable market.
10. Relevant knowledge of meetings and event management industry standards and processes.
11. Demonstrable strong customer account development and customer relationship management skills.
12. Demonstrable understanding of knowledge of conference and events management.
13. Excellent attention to detail.
14. Experience of managing multiple projects.

Desirable Criteria

1. Relevant industry and professional recognition, and certification of achievement of skills and knowledge. 
2. Evidence of personal development to maintain skills. 
3. Ability to effectively network and exchange advice and information for development purposes.
4. Knowledge of Kx event management and residential system, or similar conference booking system.
5. Relevant knowledge of menu planning, food presentation, banquet and service operations.
6. Proven track record of sales achievement.

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 everyday interactions, in order to drive up service standards and to enhance their experience.

1. Seeing things from your customers’ viewpoint.
2. Tailoring communication to meet students’, customers’ and stakeholders’ needs.
3. Delivering consistent service standards

Embracing Change: adjusting to unfamiliar situations, demands and changing roles. Seeing change as an opportunity and being receptive to new ideas.

1. Encouraging experimentation and new ways of working.
2. Adapting approach to respond to changes outside University.
3. Communicating change in a positive manner through influencing and persuasion.

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.

1. Sharing learning and experience to facilitate others’ decision making.
2. Seeking input from others to develop team solutions.

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

1. Co-operating willingly to support the achievement of team goals.
2. Communicating effectively by sharing relevant information and keeping others informed.
3. Proposing and negotiating win-win solutions.

DBS Requirement: Not Applicable.