Hospitality Coordinator

Note: Applications will be accepted until 11:59 PM on the Posting End Date.

Job End Date

At UBC, we believe that attracting and sustaining a diverse workforce is key to the successful pursuit of excellence in research, innovation, and learning for all faculty, staff, and students. Our commitment to employment equity helps achieve inclusion and fairness, brings rich diversity to UBC as a workplace, and creates the necessary conditions for a rewarding career.

Job Summary

Green College is an interdisciplinary residential college that promotes cross-disciplinary dialogue, creativity, and belonging. We offer free public lectures and performances, with the opportunity to extend the conversation over good food in our beautiful heritage setting. Around 100 resident members – comprised of UBC graduate students and postdoctoral scholars – live at the college year-round. This group of residents is regularly joined by visiting scholars, artists, and innovators who briefly call the college home, and together they create a unique and vibrant academic community at UBC. The college offers approximately 70 public events each year, and also hosts workshops and private events planned by UBC faculty and Green College members.

The hospitality coordinator acts as the first point of contact for Green College, receiving visitors and members alike. In this role, they are responsible for cultivating an atmosphere of welcome and warmth, while simultaneously responding to or referring general inquiries to the college. They are responsible for coordinating and executing complex hospitality services for visitors, as well as addressing the day-to-day support needs for the residents of the College (including coordinating most facility services; making and tracking maintenance requests; coordinating mail and package deliveries; enabling access to college spaces; and communicating all relevant updates to the Green College team). Additionally, they perform executive support duties for the principal (including managing official correspondence; engaging in complex scheduling of the principal’s calendar; and welcoming and hosting important visitors to the college). The hospitality coordinator is required to exercise tact and discretion as well as sound judgment when performing administrative and executive support duties. Because this role administers the front desk of the college, it is not eligible for work-from-home accommodations.

Organizational Status

Reports to the manager, administration and finance, with a dotted line to the assistant principal, programs. Provides essential support to the principal, and also supports the events and content lead as needed. On occasion, works with the development and society member lead. Interacts widely with the general public, current and prospective college residents, faculty, guests, and members of the campus community.

Work Performed

Administrative support to the principal 15%

Maintains online calendars; schedules appointments and meetings for the principal;

Adapts appropriately to changing requirements and needs in regard to scheduling details;

Maintains regular communication with the principal to ensure their calendar is up to date and that they are aware of all items;

Coordinates the principal’s electronic calendar and requests for appointments;

Deals with a high volume of requests, exercises tact and discretion in prioritizing requests for appointments;

Gathers agenda and meeting materials for scheduled meetings, appointments, and information dockets for public events;

Books rooms, virtual meeting facilities, and arranges catering for meetings as required;

Ensures the principal’s correspondence requesting information or meetings is tracked and followed up on;

Ensures communications between various high-level parties are handled with discretion. Declines or redirects requests diplomatically and persuasively in complex and sensitive situations;

Prepares and verifies a variety of forms, letters, and other types of correspondence that require the review and signature of the principal.

Hospitality coordination 70%

Welcomes and provides the first point of contact for visitors and members. An essential point of contact for community member support at the college. Responds to telephone and in-person; provides timely, professional, and tactful responses to email enquiries; enables access to college spaces (including processing and maintaining key sign-outs); routes mail and provides communications about packages for the community; and provides general assistance and referrals for members, guests, and visitors within a wide scope;

Coordinates room reservations and maintenance (including booking custodial services). Ensures room reservations and key assignments are accurate by maintaining a rigorous system of daily review. Ensures that information given and published online regarding hospitality is current and accurate;

Resolves a variety of complex issues such as troubleshooting room bookings; addressing issues related to visitor rooms and stays; supporting events; ensuring the appropriate appearance of the facilities; reporting maintenance requirements; and initiating emergency procedures. Suggests and executes appropriate adjustments as needed; assists in the development of new procedures to ensure a positive experience for all college members and guests;

Addresses complaints by consulting with members and visitors, and offering resolutions in consultation with their supervisor as appropriate;

Recruits, trains, schedules, and supervises up to five part-time student employees who assist with after-hour check-ins and lockouts. Maintains communications within and about this team to the college community;

Cultivates a sense of community by providing a welcoming and inclusive atmosphere for all members and visitors to the college;

Coordinates a range of demands (e.g., in-person and email queries; coordinating custodial services; preparing college spaces for events; etc.) effectively and with composure;

This role is an essential and fast-paced hub in support of essential college operations, and as such the incumbent will also regularly provide timely communications about updates and changes associated with their role and the day-to-day activities of the college to the larger Green College team.

Event and General Support 15%

Participates in the creation and execution of marketing campaigns, and the collection and analysis of service performance data; prepares and maintains distribution lists;

Supports the events lead, particularly in the organization of college galas and large, complex community events;

As needed, helps with postering, and space set-up and take-down for events.

Provides general coverage and holiday relief where possible for other Green College staff;

Performs other duties as assigned.

Consequence of Error/Judgement

This position requires judgment, tact, discretion and initiative to an outstanding degree. A high degree of public relations skills is required, in order to ensure that guests and residents are professionally managed, even when challenges arise. Inability to exercise organizational skills, patience, tact, and discretion may result in significant reputational and financial harms. As this position serve as the hub for college operations, it requires excellence in teamwork and team communications. Written communication in response to enquiries must be timely, accurate, polished and very tactful.  Errors in service coordination could result in damaged reputation with current and potential guests, residents, donors, and institutional partners, resulting in lost relationships and revenues.

Supervision Received

Works independently with minimal supervision in the performance of daily tasks. Work is performed in accordance with broadly established procedures and practices requiring the initiative to plan and complete recurring assignments independently, and judgment to determine which of many methods are applicable in any given situation. The nature of the work is often very fast-paced and so will require excellent judgment and time management skills by the incumbent. Receives guidance from and reports primarily to the assistant principal, programs. Will also receive direction from the assistant principal, operations, and the principal of the college. Will also regularly receive direction from the events lead, and more occasionally from the development and society member lead.

Supervision Given

Supervises up to five part-time student assistants.

Minimum Qualifications

-High school graduation, plus one year of post-secondary education, plus four years of related experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience;

- Willingness to respect diverse perspectives, including perspectives in conflict with one’s own;

- Demonstrates a commitment to enhancing one’s own awareness, knowledge, and skills related to equity, diversity, and inclusion.

Preferred Qualifications

Hotel and event management experience is an asset. Experience in a culturally diverse environment is an asset. Ability to use word processing, spreadsheet, and database applications at an intermediate level. Exceptional oral and written communication skills. Excellent organizational and scheduling skills. Excellence in teamwork. Ability to provide quality service to customers in a courteous, patient manner. Ability to exercise tact and discretion when handling confidential or culturally sensitive matters. Ability to effectively and calmly deal with difficult people. Ability to perform word processing at 50 words per minute. Ability to prioritize work, multitask, work under pressure, and meet deadlines. Ability to maintain accuracy and attention to detail. Ability to work effectively independently and in a team environment.