Desk Clerk-40 hours

About the Department

The mission of Housing and Residence Life is to help develop and support inclusive communities that engage residents in exceptional living experiences within secure and well-maintained environments that foster a sense of belonging and support the academic initiatives of the University. The primary strategy for delivering such an environment is through a residence life program that develops strong residential communities which are self-regulating, supportive of academic success, and provide a strong sense of belonging along with rich opportunities for personal, cultural, social, and intellectual development. The leadership of residential faculty and adult staff in fostering these experiences is key to the success of the mission.

About the Role

A Desk Clerk performs clerical duties during the academic year and is responsible for building security, access control, equipment management, and mail processing. A Desk Clerk must handle varying levels of activity while providing excellent customer service to internal and external partners. The front desk area of each building is unique and hosts one or more staff members throughout all hours of operation. This is a 9-month position with multiple temporary seasonal shutdown periods during the winter and summer.

Responsibilities

• Perform clerical duties in accordance with HRL policy and expectations, including answering phone calls, checking email regularly, communicating information between shifts, and processing resident room changes.
• Provide exceptional customer service to residents, staff, and visitors by cheerfully greeting them in person or by phone and engaging them as they utilize residence hall amenities.
• Thoughtfully provide information about campus and residence hall policies and procedures.
• Receive, record, and distribute U.S. mail, UPS, FedEx, and other packages. Enter packages into the online package distribution system. Carry, lift, and move loads of supplies, materials, and mail up to 49 lbs. regularly, managing heavier loads with assistance as needed.
• Maintain vigilant awareness of security doors and lobby entryways; check resident, staff, and guest IDs; maintain resident, guest, and visitor sign-in/out records. Encode and invalidate campus cards for building room access.
• Check out and follow up on the return of borrowed cleaning and recreational equipment and keys by accurately maintaining appropriate forms and records.
• Request front desk office supplies via an online system and stock supplies as received.
• Adhere to directives and policies outlined by leadership during trainings, via email, and in the Desk Clerk manual. Provide routine orientation to new employees in coordination with Assistant Directors of Operations and Associate Director, Desk and Mail Operations.
• Access the automated on-call system to schedule staff replacements.
• Know emergency protocols and evacuation systems, such as fire alarm procedures. Stay alert to unusual circumstances and situations, take appropriate action, and report critical issues to supervisors and Facilities Services by phone and via an online incident report.
• Report building maintenance issues via phone or by submitting a service request through Facilities Services.
• Perform other tasks as requested by the Assistant Director of Operations, Associate Director of Desk and Mail Operations, and building management.

Qualifications

• High school diploma from an accredited institution or a GED certificate required.
• Previous customer service experience required.
• One year of general office or clerical experience required.
• One year of experience in a customer service role in a college or university preferred.

Skills

• Effective oral and written communication.
• Ability to work with some independence, multitask, and handle frequent interruptions.
• Emotional self-awareness and professional expression of emotions.
• Manage peer-to-peer and supervisor interactions with courtesy, tact, and diplomacy.
• Identify priorities to recognize and resolve or refer problems.
• Knowledge of general office procedures and practices.
• Ability to keep records, assemble and organize data, and prepare and submit reports in acceptable formats.
• Working knowledge of Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, and ability to navigate web-based systems.
• Ability to learn a range of position-related software applications.

Working Conditions and Physical Requirements

• Bend, crouch, or stoop.
• Carry or lift loads up to 49 lbs.
• Sit for 8 hours or more.
• Use computers extensively for 4 hours or more.
• Stand for 4 to 8 hours.
• Flexibility to work in alternative areas during peak periods or building maintenance.

Pay

$17.26 - $17.79 per hour.

Schedule

• 40 hours per week.
• 9-month schedule with multiple temporary seasonal shutdown periods during winter and summer.
• Multiple shifts available, primarily during evenings, overnights, and weekends.
• 24-hour operations.

Benefits

The University of Chicago offers a wide range of benefits programs and resources for eligible employees, including health, retirement, and paid time off.