General Assistant

1. PREAMBLE

Mary Immaculate College is an autonomous, university-level, Catholic College of Education and the Liberal Arts. Founded in 1898, and linked academically with the University of Limerick, MIC is the oldest higher education institution in Limerick. Significant expansion in recent decades has seen the College’s offerings expand across two modern campuses, one based in Limerick City and one in Thurles, Co. Tipperary. The student community consists of more than 5,000 learners, participating in fifteen undergraduate degree programmes and several postgraduate programmes extending to PhD/Doctoral level. Academic staff engage in a wide range of academic research areas, and research underpins all teaching and learning at MIC.

MIC seeks to prepare its students for professional excellence and to nurture their capacity to lead flourishing lives.

2. CANDIDATE PROFILE AND SCOPE OF THE POSITION

Mary Immaculate College wishes to appoint a suitable candidate to the position of General Assistant, Courtbrack Accommodation on a permanent basis.

This is an important service role within the College. The successful candidate will be responsible for duties in Courtbrack Accommodation, working under the supervision of the Manager in Courtbrack Accommodation.

Essential Experience, Qualifications and Skills:

Experience of working in a front-line customer service environment;

Excellent administration skills with a strong attention to detail;

Excellent organisational and prioritisation skills with a proven ability to manage multiple, competing priorities and successfully meet established deadlines;

Excellent interpersonal skills and communication skills, both written and oral;

Proven ability to work effectively within an established team environment and on own initiative;

Demonstratable ability to solve problems under pressure;

High levels of motivation, proactivity, adaptability and flexibility in work practice arrangements.

It is desirable that candidates will also have:

A current full, clean driver’s licence;

Relevant experience and a good working knowledge of a student accommodation/hospitality environment;

Basic IT knowledge and skills, to include the ability to use e-mail, basic Microsoft Excel data entry, and download bookings from accommodation websites.

Cuirfear fáilte roimh iarratais ó dhaoine go bhfuil dearcadh dearfach acu i leith na Gaeilge.

Applications are welcome from people who have a positive outlook to Irish.

3. JOB DESCRIPTION

The appointee is required to carry out the duties attached to the post, under the general direction of the Manager of Courtbrack Accommodation, to whom they report to, and to whom they are responsible to for the performance of these duties in the first instance. The appointee will also have a reporting relationship to the Director of Estates and Sustainability.

The appointee will report through the Manager of Courtbrack Accommodation to the College President and/or to such other College Officers as the President may designate from time to time. The appointee will work with members of College Management, and liaise with the Deans of Faculties, Heads of Departments, Course Leaders and other College personnel and with relevant College bodies in carrying out the duties attaching to the post. The reporting relationship is subject to review and may be altered from time to time, in line with service needs and developments in the College.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Take calls related to accommodation queries as they come in and offer any assistance available.

• Reply to accommodation related emails as they come in from Irish and international students.

• Processing and confirming each booking in writing or by email. Process forms/deposit payments as they arrive by post, email or into the college accommodation bank account.

• Check the maintenance book for any maintenance issues. Process request for overnight visitors in the visitor’s book and issue a visitor pass if available.

• Internal Security patrols every 60 mins, or whenever required, each floor in all three blocks.

• External Security patrols every 2/3 hour, or whenever required.

• Maintain visitor sign in sheet for Non-residents (make sure maximum visitors not more than 10 and also non-residents off premises by 10pm).

• Maintain record of spare key cards.

• Let resident into own rooms if resident locked out.

• Make sure not too loud music, shouting or loud conversation.

• Clean up the TV room, clearing bottles into recycle bags, clear all glasses, delph and cutlery into the kitchen.

• Change bin bags when full.

• Make sure all fire exits are properly closed and alarm is armed.

• Report to the Accommodation Manager daily keeping notes in the Passover book.

Night Shift Duties

• Internal Patrols check every 60 mins, each floor in all three blocks.

• External Patrols check every 2/3 hour or whenever it’s required. Walk around the entire complex using the torch.

• During internal patrols ensure that the fire exits are clear.

• Cookers switch off at 12.00.

• Clean up the TV Room, clearing bottles into recycle bags. Clear all glasses, delph and cutlery into the Kitchen and they should be disposed of. Wipe down and polish the tables.

• Clean Kitchen collecting dirty clothes for washing and drying in the laundry room. Clear all glasses, delph and cutlery from the tables stacking them tidy for disposal. Wipe down and polish the tables.

• Mop kitchen & TV room floor.

• Change bin bags.

• Clean Male & Female Toilets, make sure there are toilet rolls in each toilet.

• At 6am each morning check that the timers for all the emersions are correct and that the water is hot, if water is not hot put the boost on checking that an hour later.

• At 7am switch on the cookers.

• Hoover reception area, office and area at the front door. Clean the windows at reception when required.

• Sweep outside the front door and remove any visible cigarette litter.

• Report to the Accommodation Manager daily keeping notes in the Handover book.

General Duties

• To assist with the end of term clean up in May after the students leave and the clean-up in August when preparing for the new students.

• To work during the summer months May to August and to work on a shift-rostered, seven-day week basis, from Saturday to Friday.

• To cover reception duties with shifts usually from either 8am–4pm or 4pm–12 midnight (these shift start times can vary in response to service needs).

• Duties include taking and recording accommodation bookings, booking customers in, keeping account of the cash on daily cash sheets, balancing the cash at shift end, lodging the money in the safe, accounting for discrepancies should they arise and communicating and dealing with any customer enquiries. Also the preparation of a daily housekeeping sheet.

• To work the housekeeping shift, this is usually from 9.30am to 5.30pm. Duties include the daily cleaning of the bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchen, common room and computer room. It also involves the changing of bed linen after customers have stayed.

• To work the night shift (12am–8am) for at least five nights each fortnight, on this shift to be responsible for the general safety of the building and of customers. The night shift duties also include the cleaning of all communal areas, the setting up of the breakfast buffet and checking in late arrivals.

• To carry out maintenance duties as instructed by the Manager – Courtbrack Accommodation and/or by College Management. These duties will include painting, changing bulbs and any other light maintenance tasks should they occur.

The work is broadly defined and the list of the entire range of duties is not exhaustive. The performance of the entire range of duties is not necessarily confined to any one individual, as the work requires that the staff function in a flexible manner, and work together as a team. The College retains the right to assign new duties and/or to re-assign staff to other areas of the College, in response to service needs.