Job Description
Position Details:
School or Department: Student Services
Location: University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham UK
Grade/Band: Grade 2
Hourly rate: £13.06 per hour plus holiday entitlement
Casual contract from: 15/09/2025-15/12/2025
Advert closing date: 15/08/2025, 23:55pm
Number of positions available: 24
Please note that this vacancy may be taken down early depending on the number of applications received. We advise you to submit your application promptly.
Our offer to you
People are at the heart of what we are and do.
The University of Birmingham is proud to have been a part of the City of Birmingham and the wider region for over 100 years, and we are equally proud to be recognised as a leading global university. We want to attract talented people from across the city and beyond, support them to succeed, and celebrate their success.
We believe there is no such thing as a typical member of staff and that diversity is a source of strength that underpins the exchange of ideas, innovation, and debate. We warmly welcome people from all backgrounds and are committed to fostering an inclusive environment where diversity is at the heart of who and what we are, and how we work.
The University is situated in leafy Edgbaston and there are excellent transport links to our beautiful campus, including main bus routes and a train station on site. On campus we have a state-of-the-art sports centre with pool, shops, places to eat and drink, our own art gallery, museum and botanical gardens.
Find out more about the benefits of working for the University of Birmingham
Job Summary
To work as a Welcome Assistant, supporting the Student Experience & Partnerships team in delivering key Welcome activity for new and returning students. This will involve providing information and key services to new University students and visitors over the Welcome period from 20 September 2025 to 26 September. Welcome is one of the University’s busiest and most significant periods of the year and it is important that new students and their families have a positive first experience at the University to help them find their feet and settle in. This will be a demanding, but thoroughly rewarding and enjoyable role.
You will be involved in providing front line information, advice, and services to new students from all over the world regarding Welcome and Registration activities and will act as an ambassador for the University in welcoming these new students and their guests to campus. There will be a series of events and other activities that will be organised over this period (e.g., Welcome Events, Campus Tours, Welcome information stands etc.), as well as communication activities that some will help support.
The main areas that you could be assigned to are working with our wellbeing team to support students in our Marquee and other relevant venues and activities. This role will require you to be willing to engage with new students and spend time interacting with them to help reassure them. Other roles involve giving directions around campus, campus tours, supporting University level events, queue management, and taking feedback.
Duration and Working Hours
Arrivals Weekend and Welcome Week: Saturday 20 September to Friday 26 September (up to 35 hours). All Welcome Assistants are required to be available for the duration of Arrivals Weekend and Welcome Week. The hours/days of work may vary but are likely to be in the region of 20-35 hours over the course of Arrivals Weekend and Welcome Week. These hours cannot be guaranteed and will vary depending on business requirements and volume of work. Hours are also subject to continuing satisfactory staff performance.
Welcome Assistants will need to be flexible due to the variety of roles required. Hours will be agreed and discussed with successful candidates by the Student Services as part of planning for Welcome Week.
Expectations
Successful candidates will be expected to dress smartly, adhere to safety protocols and measures, and act in a professional manner at all times .
In addition, successful applicants will be expected to complete relevant (paid) training in advance of starting the role. Training details will be confirmed closer to the time with successful applicants and may involve both online and in-person aspects. Following completion of the training, or at any point during the period of employment, Student Services reserve the right to end the employment without notice. This is to ensure that all staff have a proven aptitude for customer service focused work and maintain professional standards at all times.
The University is adhering to Government guidance on running workplaces and events safely. Work is dependent on the continuation or change to these guidelines; hours of work may change or become unavailable, due to unforeseen circumstances.
Student employees’ health and safety
Our students’ health and safety is our primary concern. You can be assured that we will take all necessary steps to ensure you stay safe whilst undertaking your roles. We also expect that you will abide by any instructions or safety measures you are provided with to help ensure the safe running of venues and events and highlight any issues you become aware of to a relevant staff member.
Main Duties
- Adhere to safety measures and protocols laid out by the University and through training.
- Be friendly, approachable, and proactive in whatever role is required.
- Welcome new students to the University of Birmingham and act as an information point for new students and their families.
- Support the smooth running and operations of key Welcome activities.
- Support venue managers to manage physical events safely, ensuring students are accessing the right services in the right way and that health and safety of all is a key priority.
- Check Teams and other communications for updates.
- Undertake any other duties as necessary and appropriate to the successful delivery of Welcome.
Role dependent duties
Depending on the role(s) you are assigned to, you may:
- Support the Airport Collection service, including travelling to Birmingham airport/Birmingham Coach Station to welcome arriving students and provide directions.
- Deliver campus tours to new students and their families.
- Provide information and answer queries at indoor or outdoor Welcome Information Points.
- Support Welcome events for students, such as fairs, talks and drop-in activities.
- Proactively encourage students to engage with activities such as the Welcome Fair and Student Community Hub Marquee.
- Provide queue management at venues, including directing students to the right service, taking visitor counts, and ensuring students have necessary documents/an appointment.
- Proactively collate student and visitor feedback through various mechanisms.
Person Specification
- Must have the confidence and ability to talk to and communicate with a wide range of people and be proactive in doing so (e.g., watch out for people who might look lost or not know what to do).
- Must have the ability to work on own initiative but also must be able to demonstrate a - good team working ethos.
- Must have the ability to manage time effectively and ensure that timings /working hours are adhered to.
- Must be able to work to deadlines/timescales.
- Must have an understanding of what good customer service is and preferable to have experience of working in a customer focused/facing environment previously (e.g., retail, office, reception, other similar role).
- Must be available to work between Saturday 20 and Friday 26 September 2025.
For any informal queries, please contact the Welcome Team ([email protected] )
View our staff values and behaviours here
Valuing excellence, sustaining investment
We value diversity and inclusion at the University of Birmingham and welcome applications from all sections of the community and are open to discussions around all forms of flexible working.
The University of Birmingham restricts all students to working up to 20 hours per week during term time. If your application is successful and your course does not follow the usual academic term timetable (e.g. PGT, PGR or PhD student), you and your supervisor must formally agree vacation periods if this role exceeds 20 hours per week. In addition to this, please be aware if you are an International student you will be required to apply to the Registry for the appropriate Authorised Absence.
You are only eligible to apply to this role if you are a current University of Birmingham student. If you are not a University of Birmingham student your application will not be considered.
To work you will need to carry out a right to work check. These checks will need to be completed prior to work commencing. 
