• Student Affairs Division
• HEW level 6
• Fixed-term position through to December 2023, Re-advertised

About This Opportunity

Are you a passionate and enthusiastic social worker or human services professional who is looking for an exciting opportunity to provide direct support to students and shape the culture of the new accommodation precinct at UQ? Do you have experience in assessing needs, developing support plans, and creating workshops and resources?

The primary purpose of this position is to provide students with assistance and support through all aspects of student life. This includes advice on transitioning to university, financial assistance, diversity, disability, inclusion and health and wellbeing related issues.

No two days will look the same, as you meet with residents in individual appointments, attend planning meetings, deliver training and workshops, respond to urgent and time sensitive situations, and help us to design and implement new processes to maximise the student experience.

This role will be part of the team that supports young international students through a guardianship program whilst they are under 18, specifically ensuring their safety, support, and welfare whilst away from their usual support.

The position will work as part of a larger team within Student Services, who will present services across the University’s campuses, and work closely with other key providers including Student Counselling, the Libraries and Faculties.

This is a rewarding role for someone with excellent communication skills, who wants to contribute to our vision to create a truly unique residential environment, with an emphasis on best-practise student care and wellbeing.

This role is a full-time position working across the residential locations in St Lucia and Gatton. We anticipate the role will be split 2 days at Gatton, 3 days at St Lucia each week when semesters are in session. Reasonable travel costs to/from Gatton may be reimbursed for the successful candidate if required.

Responsibilities

Duties and responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Providing support through individual consultations to UQ Residences students on a range of concerns related to transition, wellbeing, study, and adjustment to living independently
• Supporting students with a disability, illness or injury through the delivery of one-to-one appointments, including the creation of appropriate student access plans and examination adjustments
• Identifying the specific needs of UQ Residences students and helping to plan, design, and deliver support programs, including orientation, health promotion activities and related events
• Play an active role in contributing to the regular evaluation of student advisory and support programs to ensure ongoing service improvement
• Provide assistance in crisis situations
• Perform administrative duties such as case-noting, statistical record keeping, correspondence and report writing
• Engage proactively with UQ Residences staff, residential advisers, and University staff to ensure effective delivery of service provision
• Develop and maintain networks or partnerships with other staff of the University, student groups, government departments and other agencies on student support services and issues.
• Work with colleagues across the institution and in the community as required in support of the student needs identified
• Provide support to students registered as part of our U18 International Student Supervision Program and report on adherence to curfews, house rules and legislative requirements.
• Any other duties as reasonably directed by your supervisor

 About UQ Residences & Student Services

UQ Residences has been established as a controlled entity of UQ to operate all accommodation owned by the University, offering best-practice student care and wellbeing that will set a benchmark for university student housing. This role will be based across Kev Carmody House and Walcott St in St Lucia, and the Halls of Residence on our scenic Gatton campus.

With 610 beds, Kev Carmody House is both high quality and competitively priced to encourage the enrolment of a diverse cohort of students, including those from less advantaged backgrounds and from rural and remote areas. Integration with other services on campus will provide a seamless experience for students and will help them to adjust to university life.

This role sits within UQ Student Services and provides direct support to the residents of the premises at Gatton and St Lucia. Student Services is contracted by UQ Residences, under a Service Level Agreement and the position will be employed as part of the wider Student Services team with a specific focus on UQ Residences.

The Student Services Directorate is part of the Student Affairs Division, which also comprises the Health Service and UQ Advantage Office. The objective of Student Services is to provide a range of services and support functions that enhance the student experience and assist in ensuring student success.

The current initiatives run by Student Services fall into a number of areas:

• Advice Teams | The focus is on enabling student success through providing general and specialist support including accommodation, disability and inclusion, general welfare and international student advice.
• Learning Development Team | The focus is on supporting student success through online, group and one to one initiatives to enhance academic and learning skills for students.
• Counselling Team | The focus is on providing an opportunity for enrolled students to access professional counselling so that they may better develop and fulfil their personal, academic and professional potential.
• Student Experience Teams | The focus is on delivering projects that help students make connections and partnerships that enhance their experience at UQ. The work of this team will provide opportunities for students to build a sense of belonging and support within UQ.

Services are delivered across the St Lucia, Gatton and Herston campuses.

Information about the Directorate may be accessed on the Student Services web site at http://www.uq.edu.au/student-services.

About You

Our ideal candidate will be a motivated, independent, human services professional with a passion for supporting students and experience building positive working relationships from the ground up.

You must be able to work hours across the residential locations in St Lucia and Gatton. We anticipate the role will be split 2 days at Gatton, 3 days at St Lucia each week when semesters are in session. Reasonable travel costs to/from Gatton may be reimbursed for the successful candidate if required.

Essential

• A degree in a relevant area (e.g. Social Work, Sociology, Behavioural Science, or Psychology) and at least one year’s subsequent relevant work experience; or an equivalent combination of relevant experience and/or education and training
• A demonstrated high level of communication and negotiation skills
• Experience in establishing, developing, and maintaining relationships with those outside the immediate work unit
• Tact, discretion, and ability to maintain confidentiality
• An ability to coordinate, develop and implement proactive programs in response to the needs of students
• Ability to exercise critical judgment and provide relevant advice to staff at all levels
• A demonstrated ability to understand human relations and behaviour and to assist students in dealing with their concerns
• Proven experience in working with, and understanding, the needs of people from a range of backgrounds, including culturally and linguistically diverse groups, people with a disability, and/or other diverse backgrounds
• Ability to work co-operatively and supportively as a member of a team
• A demonstrated ability to work independently and use initiative, with a positive outlook and solution-focussed approach

Desirable

• Experience working in a student accommodation or residential environment
• A minimum of one years’ experience and demonstrated ability to provide welfare, academic or disability support services, particularly in a tertiary or related environment

What We Can Offer

This is a full-time fixed-term position through to December 2023 at HEW Level 6.

The full-time equivalent base salary will be in the range $82,399 - $88,503 plus super of up to 17%. The total FTE package will be in the range $96,407 - $103,549 per annum.

The following flexible employment options may be available for this role; variable start or finish times; flex-time. 

For further information about UQ’s benefits, please visit Why Work at UQ and review The University of Queensland's Enterprise Bargaining Agreement 2018-2021. 

Questions?

To discuss this role please contact Catherine Fitzgerald, Service Improvement Manager at [email protected] using the subject line: Student Advisers - UQ Residences - St Lucia / Gatton enquiry via EthicalJobs.

For application queries, please contact [email protected] stating the job reference number in the subject line. 

Want to Apply?

To submit an application for this role, click Apply Now.

All applicants must supply the following documents:

• Cover letter addressing the ‘About You’ section
• Resume

 Please note that you will be asked to add all documents into the one upload box during the application form.

To satisfy prerequisite questions and ensure your application can be considered in full, all candidates must apply via the UQ Careers portal by the job closing deadline. Applications received via other channels, including direct email, will not be accepted.

Other Information

Work Rights: You must have unrestricted work rights in Australia for the duration of this appointment to apply. Visa sponsorship is not available for this appointment.

Background Checks: All final applicants for this position may be asked to consent to a criminal record check. Please note that people with criminal records are not automatically barred from applying for this position. Each application will be considered on its merits.

We value diversity and inclusion, and actively encourage applications from those who bring diversity to the University. Our Diversity and Inclusion webpage contains further information if you require additional support. Accessibility requirements and/or adjustments can be directed to [email protected].