Job Description

Position Title:

Residence Life Warden

Contract Type:

Part Time (10 Hours per week/0.3FTE), Fixed Term from 25 th of August 2025 to 15 th of August 2026 (12 Months)

Organisation Name:

Student Life Division, Registry Services

Grade and Salary range:

Grade 3 (23,028-23,881) Pro rata

About our Team

The Residence Life Team is part of the Student Life Division, who is responsible for the policies and procedures of services to staff and students throughout the student lifecycle. The Residence Life Team is integral to the provision of a professional and effective support to the 2000 Heriot-Watt University students living on campus. The Team works closely with Campus Services, SafeGuarding Services, Student Wellbeing Service and Accommodation Services to ensure effective systems and processes are in place to deliver a high-quality customer service experience.

Role Description

A Residence Life Warden is a frontline role, supporting Heriot-Watt University students living on campus. Wardens must handle a wide variety of issues such as providing advice and support as the first point of contact, helping maintain discipline, and referring students to a range of other services. The role involves a lot of walking as the team is required to assist students in their residences and to carry regular nightly patrols across campus.


Each warden is assigned to a specific hall and serves as the primary contact for students living in the building. Wardens are responsible for fostering positive, respectful relationships with students and consistently promoting responsible behaviour within the halls. The wardens also work closely with the Residence Life Assistants and Residence Life Manager, to ensure effective systems and processes for reporting maintenance issues and providing a supportive service for students. The role of a Residence Life Warden can be quite demanding and challenging, so it is crucial for wardens to effectively manage the demands of the role while also fulfilling their academic obligations. Applicants should thoroughly examine the job description before applying and assess how this responsibility might impact their studies.

Working hours

- Wardens are expected to work 10 hours per week, typically spread across 2 to 3 shifts, which may be scheduled on any day of the week.

Shift pattern

- Shifts generally run from 6:00 PM to 11:00 PM, combining a fixed, office-based shift with hall-related duties or activities. There may be occasional late-night shifts (up to 3:00 AM) during key periods, such as Arrivals Weekend and Welcome Week.

Please note:

You may be required to cover shifts during university closure periods, including the Christmas, Easter holidays and the summer holidays.

Accommodation

: Wardens is expected to live in a studio flat in the Halls of Residence in Edinburgh Campus and enter into the University's standard form tenancy agreement. The allocated studio flat will be a single-occupancy flat. The warden flat rate for academic year 25/26 is 180 per week and the rent covers electricity, gas, internet connection and maintenance.


Wardens are expected to attend the ResLife training (25th : 28th August) and be on hand to greet the new students over Arrivals Weekend and Welcome Week from 30th August to 6 th of September.


The post holder will be expected to attend events at other times; to assist with occasional residential matters (e.g. fire drills); and to assist in responding to emergency situations at short notice (for example, helping to advise resident students of a disruption to services such as a power cut).

Key Duties and Responsibilities

To deal with welfare and student issues on campus

Act as the first point of contact in halls for students Role model and maintain a good standard of behaviour in the accommodation and the university complying with all guidelines Provide advice, support and guidance to students on campus on welfare issues

To assist in dealing with student discipline on campus

Promote awareness of expected standards of behaviour living on campus, and the relevant rules and regulations Deal with incidents where rules and regulations have been broken (e.g., noise and behavioural problems) as required Be familiar with relevant guidelines and policies e.g., the Reslife handbook, Halls handbook, terms of the accommodation lease, university policies and protocols, and the Code of Student Conduct

To work within a wider team of campus services

Actively contribute to teamwork and teambuilding with colleagues across the campus
To perform shared responsibilities with other services, such as overnight patrol in Welcome Week and End of term nights.

To organise and support student engagement activities on campus

Coordinate, promote and deliver a range of small to medium scale initiatives and events in Halls of Residence, including the regular Warden Drop-in hours for assigned halls Promote student experience and community living using innovative methods, including social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, Tik-Tok, etc

Other duties

Participate in a rota to provide a responsible student presence on site each evening and every weekend until the end the appointment, as per the agreed rota. To complete the appropriate training for the role and to familiarise themselves with Residence Life protocols. To liaise with the Residence Life Assistants, Residence Life Manager, and other services as required Assist in carrying out fire drills as instructed by the Residence Life Manager Assist the Residence Life Assistant and Manager in running the Residence Life Hub Any other relevant duties as requested by the Residence Life Assistants and Residence Life Manager

Competencies, Tasks and Responsibilities

Teamwork


Participate in and contribute to the general support across the team Support other colleagues within the immediate team when required
Service Excellence


Create a positive image of the University by being responsive, prompt, and courteous when responding to requests or enquiries from customers Deal with students' request, promptly and efficiently. Produce simple standard reports as requested Enter and maintain records and data into the appropriate university system Keep working area clean and tidy in line with appropriate H&S requirements
Clear and Consistent Communications


Always maintain confidentiality by following university policies and guidance in managing confidential information and personal data Write standard communications using templates, understanding what parts of the template to use as appropriate Use telephone and radio system to receive calls and pass on data/information/messages Explain routine instructions, procedures, operating instructions, or information. Reply to simple requests for information, routing enquiries where information is standard/routine. Disseminate news and information to relevant colleagues Discuss routine work matters with line manager and team
Planning and Organising


Carry out routine instructions from standard procedures File, archive and destroy data in line with the University Data Protection & Retention Policy Provide appropriate admin support for meetings and events; Support your division and team processes and procedures by meeting schedules and set deadlines
Initiative and Problem Solving


Act as first point of contact for queries on the phone, email, system-generated and in person Use standard procedures and guidelines to solve local, day to day issues Use experience and initiative to identify when to pass non-standard issues to line manager
Decision Making


Provide routine advice and guidance, respond to queries and refer more complex queries to more senior members of the team as appropriate Follow set procedures and protocols referring any non-standard requests to line manager Understand the appropriate tools to use when undertaking day to day tasks Management Responsibilities


There are no management responsibilities within this position
Citizenship


Always demonstrate the University Values through performance and behaviour Participate in ad-hoc duties to support the team/University and for personal development Support newer or inexperienced colleagues within and outside the University by offering support, help and advice Positively promote the University internally and externally through positive behaviour and supporting University-wide activities

Education, Qualifications & Experience:

This post is only open to matriculated students or research associates at Heriot-Watt University


Essential


A good understanding of the diverse range of needs/issues of a multicultural campus Proven ability to deal with difficult situations Demonstrable ability to work quickly, flexibly and accurately in a dynamic, changing and pressured environment Proven ability to work flexibly and positively as part of a team Competent in the use of relevant IT packages Demonstrable provision of excellent customer service Attention to detail
Desirable


Experience of working within a similar environment, especially someone who has lived in student halls before either at HWU, or any other University
This job description is intended as a flexible framework which outlines the key general areas of activity in your position. Other activities may be required which are not outlined above but which are appropriate to the position and grade. Your personal objectives (Forward Job Plan) will also set out specific tasks and objectives for you to achieve, including objectives to help your career development.

About Heriot-Watt University

Heriot-Watt University has five campuses: three in the UK (Edinburgh, Scottish Borders, and Orkney), one in Dubai and one in Malaysia. The University offers a highly distinctive range of degree programmes in the specialist areas of science, engineering, design, business, and languages.


With a history dating back to 1821, Heriot-Watt University has established a reputation for world-class teaching and practical, leading-edge research, which has made it one of the top UK universities for business and industry. We connect with industry at every level and develop programmes to match their needs : so employers get work-ready industry-fit graduates.


Heriot-Watt is also Scotland's most international university, boasting the largest international student cohort.


We have an established set of values that help us to nurture innovation and leadership and show our commitment to continuous improvement and development in all our activities.


For full details, please view our Careers at Heriot-Watt - http://www.hw.ac.uk/about/careers-at-heriot-watt.htm

How to Apply

Please submit via the Heriot-Watt on-line recruitment system (1) Cover letter describing their interest and suitability for the post; (2) Full CVaEUR


Applications can be submitted until midnight on

Thursday 12th June 2025.

At Heriot Watt we are passionate about our values and look to them to connect our people globally and to help us collaborate and celebrate our success through working together. Our research programmes can deliver real world impact which is achieved through the diversity of our international community and the recognition of creative talent that connects our global team.


Our flourishing community will give you the freedom to challenge and to bring your enterprising mind and to help our partners with solutions that can be applied now and in the future. Join us and Heriot Watt will provide you with a platform to thrive and work in a way that also helps you live your life in balance with well-being and inclusiveness at the heart of our global community.


Heriot-WattaEURUniversity is committed to securing equality of opportunity in employment and to the creation of an environment in which individuals are selected, trained, promoted, appraised and otherwise treated on the sole basis of their relevant merits and abilities.aEUR Equality and diversity are all about maximising potential and creating a culture of inclusion for all.


Heriot-WattaEURUniversity values diversity across our University community and welcomes applications from all sectors of society, particularly from underrepresented groups. For more information, please see our websiteaEUR https://www.hw.ac.uk/uk/services/equality-diversity.htm aEURand also our award-winning work in Disability Inclusive Science CareersaEUR https://disc.hw.ac.uk/ aEUR.


We welcome and will consider flexible working patterns e.g. part-time working and job share options.


Use our total rewards calculator:aEUR https://www.hw.ac.uk/about/work/total-rewards-calculator.htm aEURto see the value of benefits provided by Heriot-Watt University.