Night Lodge Receptionist (Weekends) - Maternity Cover

Brasenose College, University of Oxford; Oxford; On-site; GBP 24,000 - 25,000; Part time

Job summary

Brasenose College, University of Oxford is hiring a Night Lodge Receptionist (Weekends) on a fixed-term, part-time basis. The role supports Lodge operations, welcoming guests and providing a professional, friendly service during Friday to Sunday night shifts from 21:00 to 07:00.

This maternity cover runs for one year (30 October 2026 – 1 October 2027). The post holder reports to the Head Porter and will handle switchboard calls, incident reporting, security, and general duties to maintain a

Qualifications

• Previous experience in customer service or front desk roles.
• Excellent written and spoken communication.
• IT literate and able to use MS Office.
• Ability to prioritise tasks and handle confidential information.
• Able to work weekends and night shifts.
• Experience in hospitality or college setting is desirable.

Responsibilities

• Provide a warm, professional welcome to guests in the Lodge.
• Handle main switchboard calls and messages.
• Support safety and security procedures and report incidents.
• Maintain Lodge area clean, tidy and well presented.
• Assist with luggage, parcels and general operational tasks.

Skills

Customer service

Communication skills

IT literacy

MS Office

Tools

MS Office

Job description

Night Lodge Receptionist (Weekends) - Maternity Cover

Department: Lodge

Employment Type: Fixed Term - Part Time

Location: Professional & Support Staff

Compensation: £23,737 - £24,520 / year

Description

Key information

• This role is 30 hours per week, worked over Friday/Saturday/Sunday.
• Shifts worked will be 21:00pm - 07:00am.
• This will be a fixed term contract of 1-year from 30th October 2026 - 1st October 2027.
• We reserve the right to close this vacancy at any time, we will review candidates as they apply so early application is encouraged.

The Lodge is the first point of contact for all guests and visitors to the College making this a key public-facing role providing a professional yet friendly welcome. The delivery of exemplary customer service is paramount to creating a positive impression and to the successful operation of an efficient and effective lodge reception. The Lodge is open round the clock, 365 days a year.

The Night Lodge Receptionist will be responsible for the day-to-day operation of the Lodge at weekends, and fulfilling the daily tasks as per departmental procedures, reporting to the Head Porter in the first instance and Security and Safety Manager in their absence.

Key Responsibilities

The Night Lodge Receptionist role will include, but is not limited to, the following tasks and responsibilities:

Customer service

• Provide a warm, friendly and professional welcome to the College, ensuring visitors are acknowledged quickly and helped in a timely fashion.
• Be sympathetic to the support and welfare needs of the student body; providing a friendly, approachable and safe environment for students to get information or signposting to the appropriate support resources.
• Dealing with a wide and varied flow of people at different levels. Professionalism, tact, diplomacy, discretion and a friendly approach are always required, as well as an awareness of the need for confidentiality where circumstances dictate.
• To act as a point of information for college members during term time, to conference and events guests during vacation and to visitors throughout the year. Able to quickly provide, or know where to find information, and to be knowledgeable about the College history, the local area and tourism attractions.
• Handling telephone calls to the main switchboard, displaying a warm and professional welcome by phone and able to competently handle enquiries, deal with any requests yourself, where possible or, if unable to assist, then to probe for further information and direct the caller to the appropriate person. Taking and communicating messages where required.
• Ability to work proactively, to foresee any potential issues and to think about how the activities and interactions of a busy College operation relate to the Lodge operation.
• To deal with any unforeseen situations calmly and be able to use your own initiative to resolve minor issues confidently but be aware of limitations and know when to elevate. To effectively communicate to the guest, in the first instance, and to relevant departments as required.
• To be confident in handling complaints. Able to remain calm and composed to resolve the guest complaints quickly and to ensure all relevant departments are made aware of both the issue and the action taken to resolve it.

Safety & Security

• Supporting the Head Porter to ensure a continuous safe and secure environment - highlighting any potential risk and impact on the College to the Head Porter.
• Be first aid trained, proficient in fire prevention and H & S regulations and act as first responder to incidents, and to coordinate with emergency services or University Security where required.
• Lodge staff are required to carry out security patrols and deal with any security or behavioural issues appropriately and professionally. Being always vigilant and able to confidently, but tactfully and politely challenge anyone who appears to need assistance.
• The post holder should be fully conversant with the College Security systems and procedures. Able to deal with any emergencies in a swift and prompt manner following the College Fire and other emergency plans.
• Responsible for providing written incident reports in line with college policy.

General operational duties

• Ensuring the Lodge area is clean, tidy and organised and promotes a professional and welcoming first impression of the college, sorting post, delivering parcels and assisting with luggage.
• To be IT proficient, particularly in the use of MS Office and be able to use the college booking system.
• To act as an information point and communicate relevant information across the appropriate departments, ensuring accurate and detailed handovers between shifts.
• Assisting tour party visitors within the College and ensuring the College is well presented for this purpose.
• The post holder should display a high standard of written and verbal communication, duties will include monitoring the Lodge email account and responding professionally and timely to incoming emails.
• As directed by the Head Porter, assist the Dean, Domestic Bursar and Junior Deans in the enforcement of College Rules, ensuring that noise disruption is kept to a minimum and that procedures for managing noise or behavioural issues are complied with to minimise the impact on residents of the College.
• Ensure the Lodge issue keys/fobs accurately, complying with all procedures.
• To support the Maintenance team in making initial assessments out-of-hours in resolving maintenance problems, referring as necessary.
• To collect, cash-up and accurately record all monies paid by visitors or tour parties.
• To put up and take down flags as instructed.
• To take responsibility for overseeing parking arrangements within Radcliffe Square and Frewin Annexe on a day-to-day basis, as per college procedures.
• To comply with any other reasonable request when required by the Domestic Bursar, Security & Safety Manager or the Head Porter.

General

• The post holder will be required to be familiar with, and work in accordance with, all College’s policies and procedures.
• To participate in training and development required by the College.
• To be willing and prepared to undertake any other duties as directed by the Head Porter or Security & Safety Manager. The job description may be subject to review in consultation with the postholder.
• To be vigilant and take responsibility for ensuring the Lodge and College property and equipment is always kept safe.

Criteria

Essential Criteria

• Previous experience working in a customer service focused role in a hotel or similar environment.
• Good written and verbal communication skills.
• IT literate – able to use Microsoft Office
• Ability to prioritise when dealing with a wide and varied workload
• Able to use initiative to solve day to day problems or to react appropriately in the case of emergencies. Able to remain polite and calm under pressure, be self-motivated and organised.
• Able to demonstrate compassion and support in a high-pressure environment
• Ability to work collaboratively as part of a team, in a flexible, supportive and adaptable manner.
• High level of motivation and initiative and be able to work without direct supervision.

Desirable Criteria

• Previous experience working night/late shifts
• Experience using PMS (electronic booking systems)
• Experience working in an academic setting
• Knowledge of emergency procedures and First Aid
• Awareness of basic maintenance to triage calls into the Lodge

Terms and Conditions of Employment

Appointment

This is a fixed term of 1-year, part-time and there will be an initial probationary period of 3-months. The appointment will be conditional on verification of the successful candidate’s ‘Right to Work’ checks and subject to the receipt of satisfactory references and medical clearance along with a Disclosure and Barring Service check.

Salary

Equivalent to Brasenose College salary scale, Grade 3 £27,704 – £28,607 p/a according to experience. Calculated on a pro-rata basis for 30 hours per week (£23,737 - £24,520). Advancement up the scale is on merit.

Hours of Working

Part time, 30 hours each week depending on shifts. Due to the nature of the role, this shift pattern will fluctuate. Shifts worked will have 21:00pm - 07:00am Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, with flexibility to change to a different night, depending on the needs of the business.

A flexible approach to shift changes is required according to the requirements of the College. On occasion you may be required to work beyond the regular shift times, as the operation demands; lieu time or additional overtime hours will be paid in agreement with the Head Porter. This is to ensure the Lodge has sufficient cover 24 hours each day throughout the whole year.

The post-holder should be willing to cover at short notice in the event of sickness or emergency situations.