Background to the post

St. Clare's, Oxford is an independent, non profit-making educational charity. Our mission is to advance international education and understanding.

Main purpose of the role

To be a member of the team that handles all aspects of the sales and registrations process for the full range of summer courses for juniors and teenagers at St. Clare's which take place during June, July and August.

Main responsibilities and duties

1. Handles sales enquiries efficiently, advising on the full range of summer programmes, via telephone, e-mail, fax etc.
2. Liaises between client, Sales Manager, Accommodation Officer, Director of Studies or Short Courses Administrator over the availability of courses.
3. Enters student registrations into the college database (Streamline) with due attention to detail.
4. Sends confirmation letters, invoices and joining documents, transfer details to clients (both agents and ‘direct' customers), maintaining a separate file for each individual booking.
5. Collects deposits from direct clients to secure the booking and final payments 3-weeks prior to the arrival-date. It is the Sales and Registration Co-ordinators' job to ensure all fees are collected for direct bookings. The Bursary will be responsible for collecting fees for bookings linked to agents.
6. Liaises with colleagues (in the Bursary, Student Services, Sales Manager and Director of Studies) and informs of any changes to bookings.
7. Liaises with preferred taxi and coach companies, and couriers as appropriate, providing signage and clear instructions regarding client expectations in preparation for travel days.
8. Produces weekly reports of bookings, courses, availability etc.
9. Produces arrivals lists for each intake weekend and circulates to colleagues, as appropriate.
10. Assists personally with the arrivals on a minimum of three Sundays during the season.
11. Supports colleagues and covers as required.
12. Performs other related duties as required.

Additional Information

The successful candidates will be expected to adapt to the differing requirements of the role as the summer season approaches.

• Each member of the team will take primary responsibility for a number of agents and direct clients. Such ownership of the booking process, from initial enquiry to arrangement of transfers, ensures that clients feel the benefits of a personalised service.
• Team members must be willing to acquire the ‘product knowledge' for the full range of summer courses – English Language and International Baccalaureate – so that they can advise clients with confidence.
• There should be a free exchange of information in the open plan office. Roles are largely interchangeable and each member of the team will cover for colleagues in the interests of the client.
• Pressure in the sales office builds as the courses become full and alternative start-dates are offered. Flexible working is also required from late June to early August when the role includes arranging transfers for students to and from the airports; welcoming students in person on Sundays according to an agreed rota; collecting final payments etc.

Terms and Conditions

Three posts are available of varying duration:

1. from early February to mid-July
2. from mid-March to mid-July
3. from mid-March to mid-August

Basic office hours are 09.00 - 17.00 with one hour for lunch (provided free in the College dining hall on working days when courses are in session) five days a week; normally Monday to Friday but with some weekend shift work/flexibility of hours at certain peak times. Work may also include some bank holiday days for which time in lieu may be taken.

Payment

£287 per week, including statutory holiday entitlement. Some holiday may be taken during this period with prior agreement of the Director of English Language Courses; the remainder to be taken at the end of contract. A bonus will also be awarded on successful completion of contract.

All payments are credited automatically to each staff member's bank, in arrears, on the 26th of each month.

References & checks

All offers of employment and contracts are issued subject to satisfactory references and satisfactory outcomes on completion of all necessary checks, including establishing the right to work in the UK. In some cases some or all of these checks will have been undertaken before an offer is made. In most cases, taking up employment will be subject to the satisfactory completion of all necessary procedures.

Under the National Minimum Standards for Boarding Schools, we are required to undertake additional checks on all employees working with our residential students who are under 18:

Full written references, and phone references on quoted referees, including current employer, may be obtained before or after interview. You should indicate specifically if you wish St. Clare's to refrain from contacting your current employer.

Police checks / Criminal Records Bureau checks must also be undertaken, for which employees / prospective employees are required to provide information and consent. A Certificate of Good Conduct is acceptable if you are returning from abroad.

Contact with all previous employers where the employee has worked with children or vulnerable adults is also required. This is to establish the reason for leaving the position. On occasions, further information and a reference may be sought in writing, by phone or by other means. By providing details of previous employment, it is assumed that the employee/prospective employee has given consent for this contact, and no specific consent of the employee / prospective employee will be sought.

The College reserves the right to contact any previous employer and to make any additional enquiries it considers necessary in order to meet its responsibilities in relation to employment of people working with students who are under the age of 18.

Statutory deductions

Tax and National Insurance will be deducted from salaries in accordance with UK employment regulations. St. Clare's, Oxford will require P45s (if available) and National Insurance numbers before commencement of employment.

Please apply with short covering letter and current C.V., including two referees, one of which should be your current or most recent employer either by mail or by email to:

The Director of English Language Courses
St. Clare's, Oxford
139 Banbury Road
Oxford OX2 7AL

Email: charlotte.thompson@stclares.ac.uk
Telephone: 01865 517349

Closing date for applications: 17.00 Monday 5 January 2009
Appointments will be subject to enhanced CRB check and satisfactory references.