Harris Manchester College

Porter Further Particulars

Job Title Porter

Department The Bursary (Lodge)

Salary £26,038 - £28,081+ £1,468.80 per annum Oxford Weighting Payment

Hours An average of 36 hours per week

Shift Pattern Weekdays 19:00 – 07:00

Weekends: 07:00 – 19:00 | 19:00 – 07:00

These hours will operate on a shift system, with a rota provided in advance

Contract Type Permanent

Reporting to Bursary (Lodge) Manager

Liaison with Students, Staff, Fellows, Visitors, Guests and Conference Delegates

Harris Manchester College (HMC)

Harris Manchester is a college of the University of Oxford, with a radical tradition which it continues in the present day. Originally founded in 1786 in Manchester as a dissenting academy, it came to Oxford in 1889, and became a college of the University in 1996, changing its name from Manchester College to Harris Manchester College at that time. From the start, the College was distinctive in offering higher education to those who were excluded from the established English universities (at that time restricted to Anglicans) or other dissenting academies (often restricted to members of a particular denomination). Women were admitted from 1876, with the result that it was uniquely coeducational on its arrival in Oxford.

The College continues its tradition of radical inclusion today through a unique mission: it is the only college in the University of Oxford dedicated exclusively to admitting and supporting mature students (aged 21 years or over) at both undergraduate and postgraduate level.

The College is committed to breaking down the barrier of age in higher education. It provides a friendly, welcoming atmosphere and inclusive ethos, and pursues the highest standard of academic teaching, learning, and research in an environment which is fully supportive of Fellows, staff and students.

There are approximately 250 undergraduate and postgraduate students altogether, studying a wide range of subjects in the Humanities, Social Sciences, Engineering and Medical Sciences.

For further information on Harris Manchester, please visit the College website at http://www.hmc.ox.ac.uk.

Overview of the role

The Lodge is operational every day of the week, 24 hours a day, with staff providing reception and security services for the College. You will be expected to support the smooth and effective operation of the College Lodge, delivering exceptional service to all customers (fellows, students, alumni, staff, and conference guests) while fostering a professional and positive image of the College to everyone who interacts with the Lodge.

This role involves collaborating across teams to ensure smooth operations and contribute to the overall efficiency of the workplace. Additionally, it provides flexibility in addressing urgent or unexpected needs from different departments, fostering a team-oriented environment.

Key Responsibilities and Duties

General Lodge / Reception Duties:

Ensuring a welcoming, efficient, and informative reception for all visitors to the College, including students, staff, conference guests, members of the public, and contractors/suppliers.

Handling incoming telephone calls to the Lodge switchboard promptly, efficiently, and with a friendly approach.

Providing an appropriate response to contingencies, including emergencies, within and around the College, ensuring clear and effective communication with all relevant parties.

Assisting with the coordination of arrivals and departures for room bookings through the Accurate Solutions booking system and promptly liaising with the Conference Office on any room changes or issues.

Collaborating with fellow Lodge staff, particularly during shift changes, to ensure a thorough exchange of information.

Efficiently handling incoming and outgoing mail, ensuring that sorting of mail and parcels is done promptly and in an organised manner.

Maintaining the Lodge and entrance area as a professional and presentable front office for the College.

Assisting the lodge team with room set ups when able to.

Safeguarding and accurately accounting for all monies received at the Lodge.

Assisting other departments, when possible, by providing support with various tasks, such as moving furniture, setting up equipment, and helping to organize or rearrange office spaces.

Security

Ensuring the day-to-day security of buildings, property, and individuals on the College premises, including the effective management of keys and the monitoring of fire alarms, CCTV, intruder alarms, and access control systems.0

Logging key sign-outs and performing regular checks to ensure all keys are returned as scheduled, following up on any unreturned keys via email.

Monitoring fire alarm display panels and responding quickly to any alarms, addressing and reporting any system faults promptly.

Being fully familiar with the College's Emergency procedures and Evacuation Plan and knowing how to implement them when necessary.

Monitoring CCTV and responding to incidents as required.

Welfare Support

Be attentive to the support and welfare needs of the student body, creating a friendly, approachable, and safe environment where students can access information or be directed to appropriate support resources.

Ensure that any information regarding staff or student welfare is communicated promptly, accurately, and confidentially to Lodge Manager, Domestic Bursar and College Dean.

Selection Criteria

The College Porters should be friendly and approachable, good at communicating both in person and on the phone, patient and polite, and able to take charge when needed with students. They should also be quick to offer help and stay alert to what's going on.

Essential:

Effective written and verbal communication skills.

Sound judgement and decision-making skills to assess problems and identify best course of action.

Work with tact and diplomacy and be adaptable.

The ability to work as part of a team and demonstrate a positive and flexible approach to work.

IT skills- including ability Word, Excel and Outlook.

• Must be prepared to undergo further training if required.

Desirable:

Knowledge of front-of-house operations and visitor management within a College Lodge Team.

Solid understanding of working as part of a security team.

Knowledge of emergency procedures and First Aid.

Strong knowledge of operations in a college, hotel reception or similar customer service environment.

Personal Attributes:

Consistently maintains a professional appearance and grooming.

Demonstrates cultural awareness and sensitivity to diverse languages and backgrounds.

Exhibits personal resilience, with the ability to manage challenging situations calmly and diplomatically.

Adaptable and flexible in various circumstances.

Maintains composure and exercises sound judgment, even under pressure or in emergency situations.

• Shows empathy, compassion, and an ability to consider various perspectives.

The ability to provide cover and assistance at short notice, where feasible.

Appointment Procedure

To apply, please submit a CV (maximum 3 sides of A4) and a covering letter which details how your skills, experience, and qualifications meet the criteria for the post. Please also include the details of two referees.

The above should be submitted by email to hr@hmc.ox.ac.uk by 12:00 pm on the application deadline of 11 May 2026.

Benefits and conditions

• Free lunches in the College’s dining hall when working onsite and when the kitchen is open

Pension: You will have the option of joining a contributory staff pension scheme

Annual leave entitlement of 30 days plus bank holidays

Funding to purchase a Bicycle and associated gear up to the value of £300

Membership of the University sports club

Retail discounts

Professional Development Support provided by the University

Staff Social Events/Activities.

Important Information for Candidates

Data Privacy

Please note that any personal data submitted to the College as part of the job application process will be processed in accordance with the GDPR and related UK data protection legislation. For further information, please see the College’s data protection policy here.

Equal Opportunity

Harris Manchester College is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Conduct against fellow employees and College members which is offensive, or detrimental to them on grounds of age, colour, disability, gender reassignment, ethnic origin, marital status, nationality, national origin, parental status, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation will not be tolerated.

The College exists to promote excellence in education and research and is actively committed to the principle of equality of opportunity for all suitably qualified candidates.

Right to work in the UK

The appointment will be subject to the satisfactory completion of proof of the right to work in the UK.