Commonwealth House was set up in 1965 by local Christian churches to provide accommodation in a welcoming, friendly community for international visitors to Oxford. The staff and management committee are all members of nearby churches. We welcome residents from all over the world and from many different cultures and faiths. "CommonwealthHouse is a home away from home for academics and international students from all over the world, in the vibrant city of Oxford. Comprising of seven adjacent houses in Pembroke Street, it is located directly opposite Christ Church College, in one of the most prestigious places of the city.
Founded fifty years ago, Commonwealth House aims to be a community of internationals sharing a chapter of their academic journey. We celebrate the diversity of all the cultures and languages represented by the residents in the house as a powerful statement of peace.”
Matthias Ogi
Warden of Commonwealth House
PURPOSE OF THE ROLE
For the Hospitality Outreach Assistant role, we are looking for a hands-on and multi skilled person, with a practical servant heart and a desire to serve God and witness of their faith amongst international students and visiting academics. As this role is not only practical but also service focused it’s important that the person in this role shows high levels of flexibility and enjoys meeting with people from different cultures. You must have excellent communication skills and a helpful and can-do attitude.
KEY TASKS AND RESPONSIBILITES:
Commonwealth House Ministry
· Active participation in the missional purposes of Commonwealth House, through prayer, Bible Study and personal witness.
· Being a Christian presence in the hostel, available to deal with problems as they arise.
· Welcoming duties – including early or late arrivals and weekends.
· Organizing social events.
· Fulfilling practical hospitality and facility duties as given by the warden, such as breakfast. washing up, fire alarm testing tasks amongst others.
· Regularly participating in Bible Studies and similar activities.
· Befriending or pastoral support for residents.
Ensuring high standards throughout Commonwealth House
· Distributing post to residents.
· Respond to emergencies, liaise with tradesman.
· Ad-hoc tidying of the hostel, reporting maintenance tasks and broken or missing equipment.
· Washing bathmats, check lint trap.
· Yearly inventory.
Support for the Warden
· Out of hours cover – typically two weekends per month and 2-night Mon-Fri.
· Safety responsibilities including fire Marshall and alarm tests.
· Liaising with residents prior to departure to ensure that rooms are left in a good condition.
Community Breakfast
· Organising the daily communal breakfasts (Monday-Friday)
· Checking stock and buying food and other provisions.
· Food preparation of breakfast, e.g. setting up, preparing porridge and clearing away and washing up.
· Ensuring compliance with food safety regulations for preparation and storage of food.
PERSON SPECIFICATION:
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE
· Experience of Christian outreach.
· Experience of working in a multicultural context essential (previous experience in an international missionary context would be an advantage)
· Level 2 Food Hygiene Certificate would be an advantage. If without certificate, it’s essential to complete the training in the first two weeks of being in the job.
· Competent in standard office software packages. (email, MS Office)
SKILLS AND ABILITIES
· Excellent communication skills.
· High level of flexibility and adaptability.
· A hospitable, friendly personality, able to put new residents at ease.
· A practical person, ready to engage with facility tasks e.g. change a light bulb, respond to emergency's etc.
· Highly reliable, with good attention to detail.
· Self-motivated.
· Excellent spoken and written English.
OTHER ASPECTS OF THE ROLE
· There is a Genuine Occupational Requirement that the post holder is a practising Christian.
. This is a residential position and required to live on site, room is provided.
· An enhanced DBS check will be required.
The post holder is expected to make St Aldates their church and to become part of St Aldates’ missional activity. St Aldates is a charismatic evangelical church. For more information, please seewww.staldates.org.uk
Employer: Commonwealth House Limited
Remuneration: £12.49 per hour
Accommodation: Free accommodation for the applicant
Pension: NEST Corporation pension scheme, 3% EC, 5% employee
Hours Part-time: 22 per week
Annual leave: 28 days including bank holidays prorated.
Place of work: 4-8 and 11 Pembroke Street, Oxford, OX1 1BP, UK
Deadline for application is Monday 10.6.2024.
Please email the warden Matthias Ogi for a application pack or any enquires commonwealthhouse@gmail.com