UCL - Director of Accommodation Services

UCL - Director of Accommodation Services

LONDON’S GLOBAL UNIVERSITY

DIRECTOR OF ACCOMMODATION SERVICES CANDIDATE INFORMATION PACK

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CONTENTS

Introduction

About UCL

Transforming UCL

The Role

Job Description

Person Specification

Working at UCL

Application Process

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Introduction

UCL’s estate is unique, rich in history, at the heart of London and diverse in use. UCL comprises over 250 buildings valued at over £2 Billion, more than four million square feet of academic space, and approaching 4,500 student bedrooms. The scale, variety and complexity of the estate is unparalleled within the sector. UCL Campus Experience and Infrastructure is responsible for managing the delivery of a Campus Experience Strategy, working with the Estates Development team to support an investment programme in excess of £1bn over the next ten years. UCL is committed to providing the best possible Campus Experience, ensuring that its experience and infrastructure is sector leading. The role of Director of Accommodation will be an integral part of the overall Campus Experience team and will assist in steering the overall Campus Experience strategy, working with a range of teams, including Campus Infrastructure and Estates Development. UCL is London’s leading multidisciplinary university, with more than 14,000 staff and 48,000 students from 150 different countries. Founded in 1826 in the heart of London, UCL was the first university in England to welcome students of any class, religion, and the first to welcome women on equal terms with men.

As part of our continued investment in the experience that we offer to students, staff visitors and partners, we are seeking to appoint to the pos of Director of Accommodation.

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About UCL

UCL is a diverse global community of world-class academics, students, industry links, external partners, and alumni. Our powerful collective of individuals and institutions work together to explore new possibilities. Since 1826, we have championed independent thought by attracting and nurturing the world’s best minds .

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As set out in UCL 2034 , UCL’s strategy is based on the following principal themes: Academic leadership grounded in intellectual EXCELLENCE A global leader in the integration of research and education, underpinning an inspirational student EXPERIENCE Addressing global challenges through our disciplinary excellence and distinctive CROSS-DISCIPLINARY APPROACH An accessible, publicly engaged organisation that fosters a LIFELONG COMMUNITY London’s Global University: IN LONDON, OF LONDON AND FOR LONDON Delivering global impact through a network of INNOVATIVE international activities, collaborations and partnerships.

UCL is taking on some of the biggest challenges of our time, and making vital contributions to the public good.

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Transforming UCL

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We are transforming our spaces into innovative buildings and world-class facilities – empowering our staff and students to discover more about our world and solve global problems. UCL’s extensive building and refurbishment programme - Transforming UCL – is well under way. This is about creating amazing, inspiring, sustainable spaces that meet UCL’s world-class aspirations and commitment to academic excellence, collaborative learning and innovation. With our students at our heart, we are creating spaces to push the boundaries of our aspirations, ideas, research and innovations. Our central London estate is unparalleled in the sector in its size, scope and architectural heritage. Our development opportunity at UCL East secures our campus of the future, again, unrivalled in its vision for collaborative, multi-platform living and learning spaces for the next century and beyond. With this comes challenge and opportunity in equal measure. We are: • Transforming UCL into a world leading campus • Optimising and progressing our buildings and spaces • Working with our community to design our campus of the future • Delivering sustainability and inclusion to future-proof our estate

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The Role of Director of Accommodation Services

Developing and delivering the UCL Residential Strategy. Meeting UCL student guarantee policy through operating and planning UCL owned student residential estate, 3rd party nominations including business development and strategy. Leading the delivery of innovative and integrated accommodation services that ensure that students enjoy an exceptional experience across all the University’s residential estate. This role reflects the scale and importance of leading and managing the provision, development, planning, administration and operation of UCL student accommodation in, an asset with a current value of over £0.8bn, delivering over £40m income per annum and managing a team of sixty in house staff. The residential portfolio consists of 4,500 owned and managed bedrooms and a further 3,500 rooms provided through external nominations. UCL’s residential accommodation is central to delivering UCL’s ambitions for a high quality end to end student experience and critical to meeting guarantees of student accommodation.

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Job Description

TITLE

Director of Accommodation Services

DIVISION

UCL Estates

REPORTS TO

Director of Campus Experience and Commercial Services

Responsible for : The residential strategy

THE ROLE • Developing policy, strategy and practice in relation to student accommodation and staff accommodation including advising on affordability and accommodation bursary provision. • Leading the negotiation, acquisition and management of 3rd party and private student residences and housing. • Leading the commercial strategy for the accommodation including developing policy, strategy and practice in relation to UCL accommodation. • Leading the negotiation, acquisition and management of 3rd party and private student residences and housing. • Integrating all aspects of service delivery to ensure seamless, excellent customer service with an exceptional student experience. • Membership of and full participation in the campus experience leadership Team.

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PRINCIPLE ACCOUNTABILITIES • Lead the delivery of high quality customer service and student experience and instil a customer oriented culture across the team. • Drive the commercial performance of the team and setting final performance objectives delivering value for money and cost efficiency. • Lead the development of the UCL Residences Strategy across the student and staff accommodation. • Lead procurement and contract management of residences held via nominations agreements. • Lead the development and implementation of customer service and student experience initiatives. • Establish, develop and regularly review strategy, policy, business plans and forecasts relating to all aspects of the role. • Establish and deliver performance targets (financial and non-financial) targets against agreed service standards. • Continuously monitor and review services; identify and implement service, operational and financial improvements. • Contribute as member of the Estates Leadership Team in the delivery of the Estates Vision and Strategic Operating Plan.

• Ensure provision of sufficient accommodation of appropriate quality and location to meet the UCL Guarantee and that supports an excellence student experience. • In conjunction with Student Registry Services, ensure that there is an integrated mix of pastoral and facilities services to support students living in UCL residences. • Lead setting of rental charges for all Halls, working closely with relevant stakeholders. • Develop, manage and control the Campus Services, including Residences, budget and seek to drive continuous financial and service improvement. • Collaboratively work with Director of Sustainability to ensure alignment in all services with the UCL Sustainability strategy.

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Job Description

PRINCIPLE ACCOUNTABILITIES • Ensure the Accommodation Services team has appropriate technical and professional skills and the necessary management competencies in line with UCL Ways of Working framework. • Manage key internal relationships and stakeholders including other Professional Services (PS) Divisions, Student & Registry Services, UCL Union and Academic Faculties and Departments ensuring excellent communications within the team, across the Division and with all customers and stakeholders, ensuring an appropriately high profile for the function across the Institution. • Develop and manage key external relationships. • Ensure compliance with all appropriate standards and accreditations for the management of the services, to include adequate risk management planning. • To represent the University externally, including monitoring and analysing the external market environment to produce reports and recommendations to indicate likely actions, outcomes and impacts. • Prepare and present reports to UCL Committees at all levels as appropriate.

• As a member of the senior team play a full role in the management of the Division and working across disciplines and collaboratively contribute fully to the development and implementation of the Institution’s Estate Strategy, business plans and financial planning. • Promote and demonstrate a personal commitment to Estates’ values. • Comply with UCL’s policies at all times including Equal Opportunities Polices and ensure that duties are carried out in accordance with the relevant Divisional policies and procedures.

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Person Specification

QUALIFICATIONS, EXPERIENCE AND KNOWLEDGE The post requires leadership and commercial understanding to provide strategic advice at a senior level within UCL. You will have ability to identify and implement opportunities for improvement and drive forward innovation. Experience and track record of planning and executing residential strategies across complex multi stakeholder operations. Possessing track record of demonstrating measurable advancement/improvement in operating model, value for money, assurance and compliance and user experience. Experience in an accommodation leadership role across a large-scale property portfolio with significant operational experience of hard services, including a 24/7 operation which focuses on high standards throughout. Experience of leading from the front to build a culture of safety first. Excellent technical expertise and understanding of building systems, legislation and service requirements across a diverse portfolio. Track record of leading complicated accommodation models.

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SKILLS AND ABILITIES High level skills in one-to-one and group communication, persuasion, and diplomacy, in the face of potentially challenging audiences. Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, the capacity to enthuse and inspire, and to influence colleagues at all levels. Possessing a very high level of personal and professional credibility as the lead Campus Infrastructure and Operations professional within the organsiation. Possessing flexible and honed stakeholder management skills that can be successfully applied in a large-scale diverse public organisation. UCL WAYS OF WORKING FOR PROFESSIONAL SERVICES Having a clear commitment to leadership and people, setting a positive and emotionally intelligent example that motivates others to follow. Pro-actively influencing people and ideas to arrive at outcomes that are beneficial to the organisation. Ensuring robust process/project/task review and demonstrate evidence-based action planning.

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Working at UCL

UCL is a dynamic, global university based in one of the most exciting capital cities in the world. Not only does working at UCL offer the opportunity to work with game changers in your field, it also provides competitive terms, conditions and benefits. This role offers an competitive salary level to attract industry leading candidates. UCL offers a compelling benefits proposition to its’ staff members. In addition to 41 days leave (inclusive of public holidays and closure days) and generous pension schemes, UCL provides a number of other staff benefits outlined below. • Excellent provision for professional development • The UCL Cycle scheme • The UCL Eye Care scheme • Voluntary Healthcare schemes • Subsidised access to a range of health and fitness facilities • The offer of an interest-free season ticket loan • Various family friendly benefits and support https://www.ucl.ac.uk/human-resources/pay-and- staff-benefits UCL aims to acknowledge, understand, and tackle structural inequities and unjust social power imbalances that affect our communities across the institution. This means recognising how we got here and what needs to be done to ensure equity, inclusion and belonging for those who are not systemically privileged by our society. You can learn more about our Equity and Inclusion plan at Equity and Inclusion Plan 2020- 21 | Office of the President and Provost (Equality, Diversity & Inclusion) - UCL – University College London

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Application Process

To arrange a confidential conversation to discuss the opportunity in more depth, please contact Hayley Mintern and James Gregory of The Management Recruitment Group on 020 3962 9900. Applications should consist of a comprehensive CV (of not more than 4 pages) and a covering letter (of not more than 2 pages). Applications should be sent to [email protected] clearly quoting the post title of the role to be applied for. Closing date for applications is Sunday 3rd October 2021.

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LONDON’S GLOBAL UNIVERSITY

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