Student Casual – Estates Services Support Operative – Student Accommodation – Grade 2 – 905863 Full Time

Post title

Estates Services Support Operative

College/Division

Campus Services & Estates

School/Department

Student Accommodation

Full time/Part time

Part time

Duration of the Post

08/06/2026

Grade

2

Hourly rate

£13.45 per hour plus holiday entitlement

Number of positions available

10

Closing Date

21/05/2026 at 23:55

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

At the University of Birmingham, Worklink is the dedicated student employment service which helps students to find flexible, well paid part-time roles that fit around your studies. Each year, the University invests more than £2.5 million to employ 3,000 of our own students in a wide range of roles, supporting our student community into part-time work. Roles available via Worklink include a range of positions, including administrative roles, support staff such as cleaners or baristas, research roles and many more.

Jobs through Worklink help you to gain work experience, develop skills relevant for your future career, and improve your soft and hard skills in a professional setting. Enhance your CV and get valuable experience ready for graduate roles and feel connected to your university and local community.

Our jobs are flexible and can be scheduled around your academic commitments, so you can focus on your studies first. Our team are passionate about supporting students into work. Worklink are based in a central location on campus which is easily accessible for students and can also be contacted online.

Find out more about working through Worklink here or via the student intranet .

Job context

This is an important opportunity to support the Estates Team in preparing student accommodation for summer conferencing activity and the forthcoming academic year. The role will involve assisting with accommodation audits across both The Vale Village and Selly Oak Village to help identify maintenance requirements, repairs and presentation standards ahead of new student arrivals.

Job Summary

Summer is an exciting and busy period within Student Accommodation, and this role plays a key part in ensuring our accommodation is fully prepared to a high standard for conference guests and students.

Working as part of the Estates Team, you will assist in carrying out detailed accommodation room audits to identify maintenance issues, repairs and presentation concerns across the estate. You will be expected to take a proactive and organised approach to your work to ensure all audits are completed accurately and within required timescales.

The role requires excellent attention to detail, strong communication skills and the ability to maintain accurate records using digital devices. Successful candidates will be reliable, self-motivated and committed to delivering an excellent customer experience during a demanding operational period.

Main duties

• Assist the Estates Team in auditing accommodation areas to identify maintenance issues, repairs and other defects.
• Carry out accommodation surveys in a timely and detailed manner and upload findings on a daily basis using tablets.
• Record and report outstanding repairs accurately and consistently.
• Support the Customer Service Team with end-of-contract and vacation activity, including rubbish removal and preparation of accommodation prior to cleaning, refurbishment or redecoration works.
• Maintain regular communication with reception and operational teams throughout shifts to provide updates on progress and completed work.
• Ensure full compliance with all Health and Safety and Security procedures at all times.
• Work flexibly across different accommodation sites and operational areas as required.
• Undertake any other reasonable duties requested by the Estates or Customer Service Teams to support the successful delivery of accommodation operations and ensure an excellent arrival experience for residents and conference guests.
• Attend all team/briefs/training and department meetings as required and to contribute constructively.
• You will need to be flexible in terms of working patterns as some overtime and weekends will be required.
• You will be expected to treat everyone with dignity and respect, support equality and value diversity.

Required Knowledge, Skills, Qualifications & Experience

Previous experience is not essential as full training will be provided. However, experience of basic DIY tasks or manual work would be advantageous.

Applicants should demonstrate:

• Strong attention to detail and the ability to maintain accurate records.
• Confidence in engaging with residents in a professional and approachable manner.
• Comfort working within occupied student accommodation.
• A positive attitude and strong commitment to delivering excellent customer service.
• Good interpersonal skills with the ability to communicate effectively.
• You must be able to work well under pressure, with a proven ability to adjust to changes in work schedules and environment.
• The ability to work effectively both independently and as part of a team.

Dimensions

• This role does not directly manage others
• This role does not own a budget

Planning and organising

• You will need to maintain an awareness of how your work links with others, and ensure all assigned activities are completed within a shift.

Problem solving and decision making

• You will demonstrate an enthusiasm and willingness to engage with team members to meet challenging and competing demands.
• When required, you will be expected to be flexible and use your initiative, prioritising and managing your work in accordance to the needs of the University.This may mean weekend work, early mornings and evenings on occasion.

Internal and external relationships

• You will be in contact with departments and individuals throughout the day; a customer focus approach to problems and queries is expected.

For any informal queries, please contact John Heffernan and Kris Sheldon ( j.a.heffernan@bham.ac.uk and k.l.sheldon@bham.ac.uk )

The University of Birmingham restricts all students to working up to 20 hours per week during term time for a maximum of 13 consecutive weeks. 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.

Regarding the use of AI in applications, we review hundreds of applications and shortlist candidates based on their unique perspective, motivations and potential. Cover letters generated through, or edited by, AI tools (e.g. ChatGPT or CoPilot) are easy to identify. They produce generic answers and will not score highly enough to progress. You may use AI tools for research, but all written content in your application must be your own work. Authenticity and originality are key to standing out in this process.

Due to the high volume of applications we receive, we’re unable to contact all applicants individually. You can check the progress of your application by logging into the Worklink jobs portal using the same email address you used to apply. If you haven’t heard back within six weeks of the closing date, please assume your application has been unsuccessful.