£12.38 per hour + £1.49 holiday pay
Advertising End Date
03 Nov 2025

Role & Department Overview

Our degree ceremonies are high-profile occasions and as representatives of the University, Graduation Assistants play a key role in the successful delivery of these events.

 This winter’s graduation ceremonies will take place on Wednesday 10th and Thursday 11th December, and will celebrate the achievements of our Postgraduate Students.

Over 1200 graduating students and their guests will attend across the two days of graduation, and your role will ensure that they have the best possible experience.

The December 2025 timetable of ceremonies can be viewed here:

Winter Graduation Timetable 2025 - Lancaster University

Pay Rate: £12.38 per hour plus £1.49 holiday pay

Start Date: 8th December 2025

End Date: 12th December 2025

Interview Date: 14th November 2025

Location: On campus

Working Pattern: Varied

Job Description

During graduation there are three ceremonies that take place each day at 10:30am, 1:45pm and 4:30pm.  Each ceremony lasts around 75 minutes and Graduation Assistants will support the team directly pre and post event.  For specific hours relating to each role, please see the role descriptions below.

Welcome and Information Guide (x2) per shift

Either 4 or 7.5 hours per day. 08:30am-12:30pm, 12:30pm-4:30pm, or 08:30am-4:30pm. If working over 6 hours, there will be a 30 minute unpaid break.

 In this role you will often be the first member of staff which graduands and guests encounter when they arrive on campus. Your duties include:

  • Welcoming graduands and guests onto campus.
  • Supporting guests with directional information / wayfinding.
  • Providing key information about graduation / campus.
  • Supporting and signposting those with access requirements.
  • This role will be based outside, and you should be confident in approaching people to assist and direct them to key venues.
 Live Broadcast Assistants (x2)  per shift

Either 5.25 or 4.5 hours per day, 8:30am – 1:45pm or 1:30pm – 6pm

We provide a live stream of ceremonies for additional guests. Your role will support the live stream venue and guests within it. Your duties include:

  • Acting as Front of House for the live broadcast venue – welcoming and assisting guests.
  • Dealing with queries and supplying information about graduation / live broadcast provision.
  • Providing support and direction to guests with access requirements / additional needs.
  • Supervising the venue whilst in use, ensuring safety of audience.
  • Alerting the Graduation Team to any technical issues that may occur.
  • There will be members of the Extended Graduation Team also on hand each ceremony to assist and supervise.

Great Hall Assistants (x3) per shift

Either 4, 4.25 or  8.75 hours per.  08:30am-12:30pm, 12:30pm-5.45pm or 08:30am-5.45pm.   If working over 6 hours, there will be a 30 minute unpaid break.

 You will support the Core Graduation Team in pre-ceremony preparations and also work with the Guest Management Team in the Great Hall. Your duties include:

  • Welcoming guests into The Great Hall.
  • Setting up The Great Hall prior to the start of each ceremony.
  • Assisting with ceremony turnaround – venue setup and checks.
  • Confidently dealing with guest queries and signposting to relevant team members.
  • Managing people flow within venue.
  • Undertaking any tasks required during the day to support the Core Graduation Team.

Cloakroom Assistant (x2) per shift

5 or 5.5 hours per day.  8.30am-1:30pm or 1:30pm-7pm.

Based in the Roundhouse this role will provide a friendly and efficient service to students and their guests. Your duties include:

  • Supervising cloakroom facility.
  • Greeting guests and graduands, maintaining a calm focused attitude, even during busy periods
  • Supporting guests with directional information / wayfinding. 
  • Managing storage and access to belongings.

All roles are interchangeable and require flexibility to support one another as required.

Person Specification

  • Experience of working with the public, ideally in a customer-facing role.
  • A good knowledge of the university campus.
  • Enthusiastic and approachable – confident in approaching guests to provide. support / direction.
  • Ability to remain calm under pressure.
  • Problem-solving skills – ability to use initiative.
  • Excellent team working skills.

Hours of work

Whilst the exact hours of work will vary depending on which role you are undertaking, you must be available to work the entire shift for your role on each day. 

Staff briefings will take place on Monday 8th December in the Nuffield Theatre, which you must be able to attend. Unfortunately, there is no online briefing available.  

11:00-12:00 - Cloakroom Assistants, Live Broadcast Assistants, and Welcome and Information Guides.
12:15-13:15 - Great Hall Assistants Only.
 

Working in this role will help develop the following skills and experience:

  • Self Motivation
  • Resilience
  • Problem Solving
  • Organisation
  • Multi-Tasking
  • Flexibility

You are required to submit a cover letter to support your application. Applications without a cover letter will not be considered.

Please note: Unless specified otherwise in the advert wording, this role is only open to individuals living in the UK.

Under the terms of this work, we endeavour to provide the advertised number of hours however, hours are not guaranteed and that work may cease if there is a fall in demand. 

Adverts that display a closing date should be treated as a guide. We reserve the right to close the vacancy once we have received sufficient applications, so we advise you to submit your application as early as possible to prevent disappointment.

Help and advice on making applications can be found on the Lancaster University Careers pages. Visit www.lancaster.ac.uk/careers.