Advisor, Housing Services

University of Waterloo•Waterloo, ON

10d•CA$51,306 - CA$64,133•Onsite

About The Position

The Advisor, Housing Services is the welcoming and compassionate face for all Campus Housing customer service interactions. Advisors appropriately solve issues related to housing or refer customers to the right resources. Solving customer issues often includes assisting students with finding appropriate resources from on-campus residences and off-campus services, and/or advising them to attend workshops or other support services. The incumbent also handles administrative matters including: some office operations, workshops and presentations, and other projects as assigned to ensure all customers are supported appropriately.

Requirements

Undergraduate University degree and/or College Diploma in Office Administration, or business or social service related studies
Customer service experience required, preferably in hospitality or accommodations services
Demonstrated critical thinking and problem solving skills
Superior interpersonal and effective communication experience with a diverse range of people required
Must possess a high degree of maturity, patience and judgment
Self-motivated to take initiative, resolve problems and escalate more complex issues
Excellent written and oral communication skills with strong attention to detail
Collaborative work ethic
Compassionate and considerate customer service ability

Nice To Haves

Experience and understanding of university-based housing initiatives preferred
Understanding of tenancy related policies and guidelines an asset

Responsibilities

Acknowledges and responds to customer inquiries regarding the status of their residence applications, eligibility requirements and procedures
Problem solves one-of-a-kind scenarios and tailors communication to diverse audiences
Exercises sound judgement and discretion with regard to the confidentiality of student information
Identifies optimal ways to continuously improve Housing & Residences services/processes by collaborating with others, and develops an annual inquiry review focusing on walk-in, email and telephone inquiries from students, partners, faculty and staff
Acts as a conduit between customers and members of the Admissions team
Ensures that in-bound residence and off-campus housing questions (in-person, telephone and email) from students, parents and campus/community partners are answered appropriately – immediately, after further action, or by forwarding to appropriate the person
Provides customer sensitive support during wait periods and exceptional circumstances
Participates in special event Open House days organized by the University of Waterloo
Accepts and processes payments for off-campus housing listings and residence payments, as necessary
Describes on-campus residence options to students in order to highlight the value of the Waterloo Residences
Discusses the Ontario Residential Tenancies Act regarding off-campus tenancy agreements, and explains potential issues within rental agreements
Provides insight and educates students on how to be good neighbours and tenants while living on-campus or off-campus
Advises and refers students to appropriate campus and community resources, and ensuring students are aware of further support, if necessary
Organizes workshops and events to ensure students are aware of student housing opportunities while at Waterloo
Hires, trains and performance manages part-time and casual housing customer service staff
Provides oversight of student volunteer opportunities related to Housing & Residences admissions and operations functions, including advisory boards and appeals committees
Provides direction and guidance for the day-to-day work of occasional and casual pay staff
Organizes customer service coverage for the main housing administration office during regular office hours
Develops and leverages positive and professional relationships with campus partners by participating in committees and targeted regular interactions with stakeholders
Liaises between students and AccessAbility Services, the Registrar’s Office, and the Graduate Students Office (GSO) regarding the revision of student services as it relates to on-campus accommodations
Maintains accurate and timely records of on- and off-campus student accommodations
Tracks daily inquiries to ensure appropriate client service records are kept up-to-date while anticipating upcoming inquiry trends based on past metrics
Provides students with appropriate proof of residency documents, as needed
Runs standard queries to gather data from Student Information Systems and Housing Operations systems to identify the various stages of a student’s academic cycle
Generates customer inquiry reports to ensure housing staff is aware of common stakeholder questions related to student housing on a weekly and termly basis