Residence Life Assistant

Key Duties & Responsibilities

• Student Welfare and Support:
• Be a friendly and approachable first point of contact for students.
• Provide advice, support, and signposting to appropriate University services.
• Work closely with Wellbeing, Safeguarding, Accommodation, Estates, and other campus teams to support students.
• Help foster a welcoming, inclusive, and supportive residential community.
• Student Enquiries and Residential Support:
• Assist students with accommodation-related queries, concerns, and maintenance issues.
• Support arrivals, departures, and day-to-day residence operations.
• Deliver excellent customer service through in-person, telephone, and email support.
• Student Conduct & Community Standards:
• Promote positive behaviour and encourage residents to adhere to University and accommodation expectations.
• Respond and manage disciplinary incidents accordingly.
• Support conflict resolution and, including issuing disciplinary penalties where appropriate.
• Teamwork and Collaboration:
• Work collaboratively with colleagues across the wider University.
• Build positive working relationships with campus partners, including Hospitality, Wellbeing, and Safeguarding team.
• Contribute to shared responsibilities during key periods such as Welcome Week and end-of-term departures.
• Student Engagement:
• Plan, promote, and deliver events and activities that enhance the student experience.
• Encourage community engagement and resident participation.
• Support social media, noticeboards, and other communication channels.
• Identify opportunities for improvement based on student feedback.
• Administration and Operational Support:
• Support the day-to-day operation of the Residence Life Hub.
• Maintain accurate records and complete administrative tasks as required.
• Complete regular documented health and safety inspections the residential estate to ensure compliance with all relevant policies and procedures, including mid-term inspections.
• Participate in training, team development, and the staff rota.
• Undertake additional duties (including holiday cover and midnight shifts during busy period) as reasonably requested by the Residence Life Manager or Head of Student Service Centre..
• Essential & Desirable Criteria
• Essential
• Experience of delivering high quality customer service.
• A good understanding of the diverse range of needs/issues of a multicultural community
• Proven ability to deal with difficult situations.
• Demonstrable ability to work quickly, flexibly, and accurately in a dynamic, changing and pressured environment.
• Proven ability to work flexibly and positively as part of a team.
• Proven ability to use Microsoft Office and other relevant IT systems, including data entry skills.
• Attention to detail.
• Desirable
• Experience of working within a similar environment, especially someone who has worked in higher education sector.
• How to Apply
• Applications can be submitted up to 11:55pm (UK time) on Thursday 5th November 2026
• Please submit your CV & covering letter via the Heriot-Watt on-line recruitment.
• We may close this vacancy early if we receive a high volume of applications. We therefore encourage you to submit your application promptly.
• We welcome and will consider flexible working patterns e.g., part-time working and job share options.
• Heriot-Watt University is committed to securing equality of opportunity in employment and to the creation of an environment in which individuals are selected, trained, promoted, appraised, and otherwise treated on the sole basis of their relevant merits and abilities. Equality and diversity are all about maximising potential and creating a culture of inclusion for all.
• We recognise that many candidates use AI tools during the application process and are comfortable with AI being used as a supporting aid. However, we want to hear from you, not AI. Your application should be an authentic representation of your skills, experience and achievements. Applications that appear to have been fully generated by AI may not accurately reflect your suitability for the role and are therefore discouraged. At interview, candidates will be expected to discuss and provide evidence of the experience, skills and examples included in their application.
• Heriot-Watt University values diversity across our university community and welcomes applications from all sectors of society, particularly from underrepresented groups. For more information, please see our website https://www.hw.ac.uk/uk/services/equality-diversity.htm and also our award-winning work in Disability Inclusive Science Careers https://disc.hw.ac.uk/.
• Use our total rewards calculator: https://www.hw.ac.uk/about/work/total-rewards-calculator.htm to see the value of benefits provided by Heriot-Watt University.

About the Team

About Heriot-Watt University