Coordinator, Desk Services & Operations

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Job Requisition ID:

2026-02953

Time Type:

Full time

Employee Group:

Staff

Job Category:

Academic Administration

Employment Type:

Temporary

Department:

Campus Housing - Desk Services

Hiring Range:

$56,494.16 - $70,617.70

• Posting Information:
• This posting is for an existing vacancy.

Term: 2 years

This position is being offered as a Secondment or contract opportunity.

The internal posting deadline for this position is October 16, 2026 at 11:59PM

Job Description:

Primary Purpose

The Coordinator, Desk Services and Operations is responsible for the coordination of Front Desk operations, which includes scheduling and supervision of all Front Desk student-staff in five residence communities. This includes liaising with the Residence Life and Residence Learning teams, as well as other members of the Department of Campus Housing, and various campus partners to contribute to the advancement of the department’s goals regarding student services and customer experience. As a member of the Desk Services Management Team, the Coordinator is responsible for supervisory duties that directly impact the customer's experience at each residence front desk, as well as contributing to a positive team culture amongst student-staff.

The Coordinator, Desk Services and Operations is part of an interdependent and collaborative team committed to integrating the student voice and connecting research and evaluation to our practice in order to continuously build on our understanding of our students' wants and needs and on our knowledge of how living environments contribute to student success. Our curricular approach facilitates the design and delivery of experiences and services so that students achieve priority developmental and educational outcomes.

Key Accountabilities

Student-Staff Scheduling

Schedules at-the-desk onboarding training for all new staff.

Plans and schedules training for all returning staff based on their level of experience and needs.

Prepares monthly schedules for 25-75 staff (over 700 shifts per month) at five front desk locations.

Educates student-staff on time management and works with staff to create schedules that allow them to balance their work, academic schedules and extracurricular commitments.

Manages all shift trades, time off requests, and emergency coverage situations during business hours.

Adheres to legislative policies and procedures (i.e. University of Waterloo, Employment Standards Act, etc.) relating to scheduling of staff in the incumbents area (i.e. overtime, statutory holidays, vacation, etc.).

Leadership and Supervisory

Effectively supervises Team Leaders and facilitates weekly meetings to review issues, provide opportunities for personal and professional development, providing day-to-day guidance to problem-solve issues within assigned areas.

Supervises Front Desk Trainers throughout the term to ensure that onboarding and ongoing training of student-staff is successful, facilitates one-on-ones and provides day-to-day guidance

Supervises Front Desk Assistants (FDAs) outlining clear expectations and responsibilities, ensuring student-staff are performing in accordance with departmental policies, values and processes.

Effectively measures and evaluates performance of direct reports, delivering evaluations to staff through both formal termly evaluations and informal methods such as regular feedback/coaching.

Manages conduct and performance related follow up and conversations for all Front Desk Assistants, with the involvement of Assistant Manager, Desk Services and Operations coordinator as required

Consults with Desk Services Leadership team to identify areas for individual/team improvement. Uses feedback to create and execute a development plan.

Provides leadership in one-on-one conversations, and team meetings and addresses team conflict fairly and professionally.

Orientation and Training

Designs and facilitates three large scale, two-day student-staff training each year (January, April and August) and three multi-day leadership staff training each year (April, August, and December).

Collaborates with Program Resources Co-ordinator on logistical considerations for student-staff training and leadership events. This includes but is not limited to booking meals, making purchases through external stakeholders, preparing training schedules, workshop facilitation, space setup, and other administrative responsibilities.

Shares learning/professional development goals of Front Desk student-staff with the Project Coordinator, Recruitment, Training and Development to create training sessions, build content or seek out facilitator/keynote speakers.

Develops and continually assesses all aspects of at-the-desk training and onboarding executed by the Front Desk Trainers to ensure that the Desk Services program is accommodating the needs and learning styles of all student-staff.

Prepares, updates and orders printed training materials for all student staff and student leaders each term.

Front Desk Operations Management

Manages Team Leader, Front Desk Trainer and Front Desk Assistant programs and databases to ensure information (i.e. policies, processes, contacts, etc.) is up to date.

Develops cross-functional processes in collaboration with other areas of the department to create/revise policies for their implementation

Oversees booking, documentation, and use of all residence spaces in public areas. This includes updating Outlook calendars, maintaining a document outlining all spaces and their functions and uses, and handling bookings of space for all external parties.

Develops print and electronic communications to students regarding services offered

Maintains first point of contact for on-call during business hours (8am-4pm) and on-call after hours to support Team Leaders is required (second point of contact)

Manages front desk operations during 4-day move in period in Fall term including but not limited to the preparation of the desks, frequent on-call, supporting external bookings, preparing key envelopes with student Watcard, and answering inquiries from residents moving in

Special Projects

Collects and compiles feedback from FDAs termly and implements this feedback into strategic plans for the growth and development of the Front Desk Assistant, Front Desk Trainer, and Team Leader programs.

Supports coordination of celebrations such as End of Term Banquets in collaboration with Student Development and Residence Experience team.

Represents Desk Services and/or Student Development & Residence Experience in departmental or campus-wide special projects as necessary.

Required Qualifications

Education

Completion of post-secondary education and/or equivalent combination of education and experience will be considered.

Experience

3-5 years' experience in a post-secondary setting, or equivalent.

Supervising direct reports and managing difficult conversations.

Training/mentoring student staff is required.

Proven ability to work autonomously with limited supervision.

Demonstrated ability to work in a team-based environment and manage multiple priorities concurrently.

Technical Skills

Microsoft Word, PowerPoint: Basic

Microsoft Excel: Intermediate

Working knowledge scheduling software (ex: W2W) and Jira is an asset

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities

Ability to handle sensitive student situations with tact and diplomacy, ensuring that the student’s confidentiality and dignity are uph