£12.71 basic rate + £1.53 holiday pay
Advertising End Date
31 Jul 2026

Role & Department Overview

Undergraduate and Postgraduate Colleges are now looking to appoint College Community Assistants for the 2026/27 academic year. 

The Role: 

All colleges have postgraduate Community Assistants that work together to help deliver the Lancaster experience as part of the wider college team. You can expect to work an average of ten hours per week across the year from mid-September to mid-July. It’s varied work that includes preparing for Arrivals Day, planning and assisting with social events, upholding the rules and ensuring compliance for the benefit of everyone, attending college meetings, engaging with the student population and helping them to get the most out of their time here. 

Requirements: 

Applications are welcomed from current postgraduates and final year undergraduates who are intending to commence full time postgraduate study at Lancaster University in October 2026. There is a requirement for successful candidates to be on campus from 9th September 2026 for a training induction on 10th and 11th September 2026.  

Candidates must be a full time Postgraduate student for the full year they are in post and should not be away from the University on substantial placement during the year. Unfortunately, we are unable to accept applications from students who are on 4-year integrated masters and have an Undergraduate status. 

Hours of work and rewards:  

Hours of work: 10 hours per week paid via ERS timesheets – Start date: 9th September 2026 
(NB: for Tier 4 international students these 10 hours contributes to the 20 hours of work permitted whilst in the UK).  

College Community Assistants are required to reside within campus accommodation. We will provide ensuite rooms at a reduced rate for College Community Assistants.  

Exceptions may be made to room type to accommodate individual requirements. These will be considered on a case-by-case basis; applicants should enquire before applying. 

The hourly rate of pay will be national living wage + holiday pay. 

Applications are through the employment and recruitment service website; you’ll also be able to find the job description and person specification here too. 

For more information, you can talk to your College and Accommodation Managers, or any of the current Community Assistants.  

Alternatively, you can email us here: [email protected]
 
Preferred Start Date: 9th September 2026
Expected End Date: 9th July 2027
Working Pattern: 10 Hours per week average
Location: All Colleges on the Lancaster University Campus
Directly responsible to: College & Accommodation Managers
Other contacts:
  • Internal: Porters/Security, all College SCR/JCR Executive members, Student Education Services, Students’ Union, College members / residents
  •  External: UPP, INTO, emergency services

Job Description

Main Activities / responsibilities: 
  • To work with College Teams delivering inclusive College communities and excellent student experience by – 
  • Assisting with a range of College events throughout the year e.g. Arrivals and Welcome Week, departures/key return & community building social events. 
  • Identifying opportunities for new projects, events and social interaction opportunities. 
  • Devise and deliver events and inclusive social interaction opportunities throughout the academic year to support health, wellbeing, sustainability and College communities. 
  • Support College members to abide by the Student Discipline Regulations and the Terms and Conditions of Residence.
  • This will include checking for breaches such as noise and tampering with safety equipment, rubbish and recycling build up within College and accommodation spaces, in order to help maintain an environment suitable for effective study. 
  • Get to know College community, e.g. visiting accommodation areas and social hubs and supporting/delivering events to engage with students and, through this knowledge, recognising and reporting emerging issues to college staff.  
  • Provide basic advice, support and information to residents; signposting as appropriate to further support networks. 
  • Support students in residence to resolve / de-escalate minor conflict e.g. holding flat meetings, mediating minor disagreements, in line with the requirements of the UUK Code of Practice. 
  • Liaise regularly with college and accommodation staff, attending meetings and being present within college at designated hours/times when required. 
  • Support marketing events such as Offer Holder Days and Open Days 
  • Accurate and timely recording of incidents involving student behaviour and/or welfare. 
  • Assist with in-year and end of year room checking programme. 
  • Assist with educating and supporting residents to live sustainably eg promoting recycling / upcycling and supporting end of year ‘Don’t Ditch it’ project. 
  • Respecting confidentiality and work within Data Protection legislation.
  • Help to ensure the safety and wellbeing of students, residents, staff and visitors to the College/Accommodation e.g. identifying and reporting risks and hazards.
  • Recognise and acknowledge the limits of personal pastoral abilities therefore acting as a listener and mediator rather than as an advisor.
  • Successfully complete mandatory training and actively seek out personal development opportunities pertinent to the role.
  • Abide by the Terms and Conditions of Residence as well as the Student Discipline Regulations at all times. As both employees of the University and students with an extended set of responsibilities, a higher level of discipline and behaviour is essential for College Community Assistants.
  • Any other duties as deemed necessary by College and Accommodation management team.

Person Specification

Essential Criteria

*Covering Letter / Interview
 
  • To convey an appropriate rationale and clear interest in applying for this role
  • Energy and enthusiasm for creating and supporting inclusive social activities contributing to a positive College community
  • Ability and confidence to work with minimal supervision using own initiative
  • Excellent written and oral communication skills
  • Excellent customer /people skills; able to deal with difficult situations
  • Ability to work collaboratively within and across teams, have a flexible approach to work and dedication to duties
  • Enrolled / applying for full time postgraduate study at Lancaster University
  • Willingness to live on campus in designated College Community Assistant accommodation (postgraduates only)
  • Awareness of and an ability to deal sensitively with cross-cultural issues in a diverse student environment
  • Ability to deal with all students, staff and visitors courteously and professionally
  • All financial accounts with the University up to date
  • Ability to remain on campus during term time throughout contract - i.e. not required to attend extended placements off site as part of studies
  • Ability to attend compulsory training course September 2026 (likely to be 10th and 11th September)
 
Working in this role will help develop the following skills and experience:
  • Collaboration
  • Creativity 
  • Decisiveness 
  • Flexibility
  • Integrity 
  • Resilience
  • Self-motivation
  • Teamwork
  • Time Management
  • Verbal communication
  • Written communication

You are required to submit a CV and  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.
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Help and advice on making applications can be found on the Lancaster University Careers pages. Visit www.lancaster.ac.uk/careers.

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