Domestic Bursar’s Office Administrator and PA

Domestic Bursar’s Office Administrator and PA

Salary: £15-£16 per hour, Grade 4 on the College’s pay scale

Contract type: Temporary (approximately 6 months)

Location: Balliol College, Oxford

Reports to: the Domestic Bursar

Hours: This is a part‑time post, anticipated at approximately 0.6 FTE, though exact hours may vary depending on operational requirements. Normal working days are Monday to Friday, though there is flexibility to work over 4 or 5 days.

Purpose of the Post
The College seeks to appoint an Administrator for the Domestic Bursary. This role is being recruited on a temporary basis to support the interim Domestic Bursar. It is a varied administrative role with the dual purpose of providing PA support to the Domestic Bursar, in addition to the general organisation of activities that facilitate the smooth running of the office, which includes supporting the Accommodation Officer, Conference Manager, and Front of House Manager.
Essential to the job will be quick and accurate working, strong IT skills, ability to multitask, courteous and timely handling of enquiries, and a willingness to take on tasks to accommodate the fluctuating workloads of the office. This is a rewarding post for someone who has excellent communication and organisational skills, and who is looking for diverse and responsible work in a close‑knit college environment.

Main Duties

• Providing a professional and welcoming first point of contact for all enquiries relating to any of the office operations in person, by telephone or email
• Providing PA support to the Domestic Bursar
• Organising Committee meetings, including issuing agendas and minute taking
• Providing administrative support to the Domestic Bursar, Accommodation Officer, Conference Manager, and Front of House Manager, as necessary
• Supporting office colleagues during absences, holidays and busy periods
• Conference Office admin – logging dietary requirements and developing seating plans and place cards
• Managing College Guest room bookings, including compilation of the weekly Guest Journal
• Producing Proof of Residency and Accommodation Reference statements
• Ensuring room occupancy data is accurate within the room booking system (Star Rez) including checking check‑in/out statuses
• Reconciling the monthly credit card statement and collating receipts
• Dealing efficiently with all reasonable administrative requests made by students

Other responsibilities

• Managing the office stationery account and maintaining stock levels
• Maintaining Business Safe online – the College’s health & safety software
• Overseeing and collating the College’s accident reports, including reporting any RIDDORS
• Maintaining filing systems and spreadsheets held in the office

The postholder will also be expected to carry out other reasonable duties to ensure the smooth running of the office.

Person Specification – skills and experience

Qualifications, skills and experience

• Good standard of education
• Proven experience in an administrative, office‑support or customer‑facing role
• Experience of providing diary, meeting and administrative support
• Experience of organising meetings and taking accurate minutes
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal
• Strong customer service skills, providing a professional and welcoming first point of contact
• A high level of organisation and accuracy with good attention to detail
• Excellent IT skills (Microsoft Office applications, including Word, Excel, Outlook and Teams)
• Willingness to train in new IT systems
• The ability to prioritise and manage own workload
• Work effectively independently and as part of a team
• The ability to multi‑task and respond to enquiries courteously and in a timely fashion
• Maintain confidential information and exercise discretion

Personal Attributes

• Professional and approachable
• Flexible and willing to support colleagues and accommodate fluctuating workloads
• Reliable and proactive with a positive attitude
• Able to manage a varied workload and remain calm under pressure
• Experience of working in a College or higher‑education environment
• Accommodation or Events and Hospitality experience

Employee Benefits

• A free two‑course lunch is available in the Hall, when the kitchens are open.
• Oxford…