Front Desk & Residential Services Manager
12-month fixed-term contract
Location: West Dean, West Sussex
Hours: 35 hours per week, 5 days over 7, including weekends and bank holidays
Salary: £35,000 per annum
Closing date: 28 August 2026
Interview date: To be confirmed
Join West Dean and help shape an exceptional experience for our students, visitors and guests.
Set within the beautiful 6,350-acre West Dean Estate in the South Downs National Park, West Dean is a truly distinctive place to work. Our community brings together education, creativity, heritage, hospitality and visitor experiences, creating an environment where every day offers something different.
We are looking for an experienced and confident Front Desk & Residential Services Manager to lead the day-to-day operation of our Student Welcome and residential services.
This is a key operational leadership role where you will provide visible and consistent management across daytime and overnight operations, ensuring that students, visitors, guests and colleagues receive a professional, welcoming and
responsive service.
About the role
You will lead the Student Welcome service across daytime and overnight provision, ensuring effective staffing, clear communication and consistent service standards.
You will also oversee the operational delivery of residential services, working closely with Housekeeping, Estates, Bookings, Finance, Conference & Events and other teams to ensure accommodation and front-of-house services run smoothly.
The role will include:
Leading the day-to-day operation of the Student Welcome and front desk service.
Managing and supporting the Senior Student Welcome Officers and Residential Services Coordinator.
Ensuring effective staffing, management cover and service continuity across different working patterns.
Providing visible leadership and acting as an escalation point for complex operational matters.
Overseeing residential arrivals, departures, room access and accommodation enquiries.
Working collaboratively with Housekeeping, Estates, Bookings, Finance and Conference & Events.
Supporting busy periods including student arrivals and departures, conferences and events.
Maintaining high standards of customer service and creating a welcoming and inclusive environment.
Managing operational incidents, ensuring concerns are appropriately recorded, followed up and escalated.
Supporting contracts, invoicing and administrative processes associated with Events and Conferencing.
Reviewing working practices and identifying opportunities to improve the service.
About you
You will have significant experience working in a customer-facing operational environment, ideally with experience of supervising or managing teams and coordinating services across different working patterns.
You will be organised, approachable and confident, with excellent communication skills, sound judgement and the ability to remain calm when dealing with competing priorities or challenging situations.
You will have strong attention to detail and be comfortable working with systems, records, contracts and financial information. A collaborative approach and the ability to build effective working relationships will be essential.
Experience within higher education, residential accommodation, hospitality, events or a 24-hour environment would be advantageous.
Why join West Dean?
Working at West Dean means becoming part of a unique organisation where education, creativity, heritage and hospitality come together.
You will have the opportunity to lead a diverse operational service, work across a beautiful residential campus and make a genuine difference to the experience of students, visitors and guests.
Benefits include:
Generous contributory pension scheme, matching from 4% to 7.5%.
Employee Assistance Programme.
Mental Health First Aiders.
Cycle to Work scheme.
Free entry to West Dean Gardens.
Discounts on retail goods in our two Sussex shops.
Free and discounted places on short courses at West Dean College.
Free use of West Dean Sussex facilities, including the swimming pool, library and tennis courts.
Subsidised bed and breakfast rates on the Sussex campus.
Ready to lead a service that makes a difference?
If you are an experienced operational leader who enjoys working with people, solving problems and creating high standards of service, we would love to hear from you.
Join West Dean and help us deliver a welcoming, professional and memorable experience for everyone who comes through our doors.
