Portering, Cleaning, Grounds, Security, Maintenance and Hospitality

The University's physical environment is crucial for creating a welcoming and functional learning and working space. Our estates and facilities staff are the unsung heroes who ensure our campus is safe, clean, and well-maintained. From keeping our buildings running smoothly to creating beautiful green spaces, their work is essential to the university's success. They're the people who make a real difference to the daily lives of our students, staff, and visitors.

What do University Estates and Facilities Staff do?

Roles span across diverse areas, including:

• Day-to-day building management: Facilities Assistants provide essential support services, ensuring smooth operations within buildings. Typical duties include, greeting visitors and generally supporting all building users, moving equipment, delivering mail, setting up rooms..
• Cleaning: Maintaining cleanliness and hygiene in buildings and facilities.
• Grounds maintenance: Our landscape team cultivates and cares for our outdoor spaces, creating beautiful and sustainable landscapes. Typical duties include landscaping, gardening, and maintaining outdoor spaces.
• Security: Safety and Security staff ensure the safety, security and wellbeing of our campus community. Their duties include patrolling campus, monitoring CCTV, and responding to incidents.
• Building/infrastructure maintenance: Maintenance teams keep our buildings and infrastructure running, repairing and maintaining buildings, equipment, and infrastructure.
• Hospitality: Hospitality staff provide catering, event support, and run our onsite cafes and bars. 
• Logistics: Our drivers and logistics teams help to ensure that equipment, catering and other supplies, get to the right place at the right time. This could include supporting office moves, delivering equipment for an event or delivering catering to a meeting.   

These roles contribute to a safe, comfortable, and functional campus environment, supporting the university's academic and administrative activities.

What skills and experience do I need to be a University Estates and Facilities Staff Member?

The required skills vary depending on the specific role.  You can find the specific skills needed for each role outlined in all of our job descriptions. Common skills and qualities include:

• Practical Skills: Hands-on experience in relevant trades or tasks. For example, catering, maintenance, gardening.
• Reliability and Punctuality: Consistent attendance and timely completion of tasks.
• Attention to Detail: Ensuring high standards of cleanliness, maintenance, or security.
• Teamwork: Ability to work effectively with colleagues across the University.
• Communication: Clear communication with staff, students, and visitors.
• Problem-Solving: Ability to identify and resolve issues effectively.
• Customer Service: Providing a friendly and helpful service to all campus users.
• Relevant Certifications: Qualifications in relevant trades or areas. For example, security licenses.

What opportunities for training and development are available to Estates and Facilities staff?

The University is committed to supporting the development of our staff. You’ll benefit from a structured induction to ensure you settle into your role. You will also have access to comprehensive training to ensure you can work safely and effectively in your new role.

• On-the-job training and skills development.
• Health and safety training.
• Specialised training in relevant trades or areas.
• Access to internal and external training courses.

Our annual appraisal scheme provides an opportunity to meet with your manager to reflect on your previous 12 months, explore development opportunities and agree objectives for the coming year ahead. We are committed to supporting your professional growth and development within our estates and facilities teams.