Welcome Desk Assistant

Applications open for current MDX students only

The Welcome Desk is at the heart of MDXSU and is often the first point of contact for students. Welcome Desk Assistants provide a professional, inclusive and approachable service, helping students understand and access the Students’ Union’s opportunities, representation, advice and wellbeing support.

Specialist focus areas

Each assistant will undertake one of the following specialist focus areas. This allocation supports development and deeper service knowledge; it does not prevent any assistant from responding to general enquiries across all three areas.

1. Student Opportunities

• Respond to initial enquiries about societies, student groups, activities, events and volunteering.
• Help students navigate student-group registration, committee, room-booking and event processes.
• Assist with routine student-group administration and maintaining accurate records.
• Signpost student leaders to relevant training, funding, resources and development opportunities.
• Promote society activities, volunteering and leadership opportunities.
• Escalate complex event, finance, governance, conduct or risk matters to the Student Opportunities team.

2. Advice & Wellbeing

• Provide sensitive initial signposting to the MDXSU Advice Service and relevant University support teams.
• Explain how students can access advice appointments, drop-ins, wellbeing activities and self-help information.
• Help students locate relevant policies, procedures and forms while staying within the boundaries of the .
• Promote advice campaigns, wellbeing initiatives and preventative support.
• Identify enquiries requiring urgent or specialist escalation and refer them promptly.
• Support routine administration linked to outreach, feedback and service promotion without undertaking advice casework or representation.

3. Student Voice

• Respond to initial enquiries about student representation, elections, campaigns and feedback channels.
• Explain how students can contact or become a Student Voice Leader, officer or other representative.
• Promote elections, campaigns, surveys, forums and democratic opportunities.
• Gather and accurately record student feedback and help identify recurring themes.
• Support representative training, meetings and engagement activities.
• Escalate formal complaints, policy matters and complex representation issues to the Student Voice team.

Duties and responsibilities

• Provide a professional, welcoming and accessible first point of contact for MDXSU, communicating effectively face-to-face, by email and over the phone.
• Act as an ambassador for MDXSU, explaining key services, opportunities, activities and ways for students to get involved.
• Respond to general enquiries and provide accurate initial information and signposting across Student Opportunities, Advice & Wellbeing and Student Voice.
• Recognise urgent, sensitive, safeguarding-related or complex enquiries and promptly escalate them to an appropriate member of staff.
• Support students to locate relevant forms, booking systems, policies and online resources without completing applications or providing specialist advice on their behalf.
• Sensitively and confidentially signpost students to the MDXSU Advice Service, University support services and other appropriate sources of help.
• Promote MDXSU events, campaigns, elections, societies, volunteering, advice activities, wellbeing initiatives and other opportunities.
• Support student engagement activities, stalls, drop-ins, events, Welcome Week and the MDX House social activity programme, including set-up and facilitation.
• Oversee routine retail sales of Middlesex University merchandise, report on sales and stock levels, and assist with stock takes.
• Provide general administrative support, including routine inbox monitoring, appointment enquiries, venue bookings, record maintenance, content creation and updating information resources.
• Gather student feedback and accurately record enquiry and engagement data to help identify trends and improve services.
• Help maintain an organised, safe, accessible and welcoming desk and reception area.
• Work collaboratively across MDXSU teams and provide reasonable cover during busy periods or staff absence.
• Follow all relevant MDXSU policies and procedures, including GDPR, confidentiality, safeguarding, equality, health and safety, and financial procedures.

Skills and experience
Eligibility

• Current Middlesex University student enrolled during the relevant academic year - Essentia

Experience

• Experience in a customer-facing - Essential
• Experience in sales, promotion, marketing, retail, administration or student engagement - Desirable

Knowledge

• Understanding of MDXSU services or willingness to learn quickly - Essential

Skills

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills - Essential
• Able to listen, ask appropriate questions and provide accurate signposting - Essential
• Able to use digital systems accurately and maintain clear records - Essential

Approach

• Friendly, confident and able to make people feel welcome and at ease - Essential
• Punctual, reliable and able to manage workload flexibly - Essential
• Proactive, able to use initiative and willing to escalate when appropriate - Essential

Values

• Passion for supporting students to make the most of their time at Middlesex - Essential
• Commitment to equality, inclusion, confidentiality and working with a culturally diverse student body - Essential

Location
MDX House, Middlesex University London

Benefits
Development and support

MDXSU is committed to providing flexible student employment and meaningful development opportunities. Welcome Desk Assistants will receive cross-service induction, -specific coaching, regular check-ins and opportunities to develop customer service, communication, administration, teamwork and student-engagement skills.

boundaries

Welcome Desk Assistants provide initial information, practical assistance and signposting. They do not provide specialist advice, undertake advice casework or representation, make safeguarding assessments, approve student-group activities or funding, resolve formal complaints, or make decisions on behalf of MDXSU. These matters must be escalated to the appropriate staff member.