Specialist Housing Advisor

Department

Student Services

Location

Birmingham, West Midlands

Salary

£38,050 to £44,131 per annum

Permanent

Post Type

Full Time

Release Date

31 October 2025

Closing Date

23.59 hours GMT on Friday 21 November 2025

Reference

S125007

Birmingham City University is a large and diverse place to study right in the heart of the city. An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Specialist Housing Advisor to join the newly established Student Advice and Guidance team at BCU. You will be part of a highly motivated and compassionate team, delivering high quality, effective and student centred, advice, guidance and support to our diverse student body.

As part of the Student Advice and Guidance team, the postholder will responsible for providing housing and tenancy advice to students and in supporting students who are without accommodation, including those who are homeless / in crisis, to explore their accommodation options and support activity to find a resolution within or external to the University. They would work closely with other team members as well as colleagues in Student Services, in order to offer a holistic and student-centred approach to advice and support.

Your main responsibilities will include:

• Providing specialist advice and guidance to students on housing matters, including tenancy agreements, landlord disputes, and finding accommodation.
• Offering individual support to students experiencing housing difficulties and assist with problem resolution.
• Maintaining up-to-date knowledge of housing legislation, student housing markets, and local housing services.
• Collaborating with accommodation providers, landlords, and local authorities to support students' housing needs.
• Delivering group workshops, drop-in sessions, or online resources to support students in understanding their housing rights and responsibilities.
• Providing generalist wellbeing advice to students and identify when to refer them to more specialist services.
• Responding promptly to student concerns or crises involving housing or wellbeing issues.
• Maintaining accurate records of student interactions in line with data protection and confidentiality policies.
• Contributing to the development and continuous improvement of housing and wellbeing support services.
• Working collaboratively with other wellbeing, student support, and academic services across the university.
• Supporting University events such as enrolment, graduation, open days, and clearing as required

With a background of working in a housing, advice or wellbeing setting, the successful candidate will have experience of providing advice or support to students or young adults and a knowledge of housing issues affecting students, including tenancy law and dispute resolution. Skilled in dealing with sensitive issues and supporting individuals in distress, you will also have strong interpersonal and communication skills as well as organisational and record keeping skills. A commitment to inclusivity, confidentiality and safeguarding principles is also essential.

It is preferred but not essential that the successful candidate has experience of working in higher education and an understanding of the wider student support and wellbeing landscape. Experience in delivering workshops or group advice sessions would also be an advantage.

Birmingham City University is deeply committed to equality, diversity, and inclusivity at all levels in the organisation, and to addressing underrepresentation in our workforce to ensure we are truly representative of the community we serve. We welcome applications from applicants from all backgrounds and communities for this role, and particularly welcome applications from Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic applicants.

The appointed candidate will normally be employed through our subsidiary company BCU Support Services Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Birmingham City University. Appointees with prior LGPS membership who wish to enter the LGPS scheme will be able to do so and will be employed by Birmingham City University directly.