About the Role

John Paul International College is seeking a caring, organised and culturally aware Homestay Officer to join our International and Accommodation team. This permanent full-time role provides operational and administrative support to the Homestay Program, ensuring the day-to-day welfare, accommodation and compliance needs of international students in homestay are met to a high standard.

Reporting to the Homestay Manager, you will be a key point of contact for students, homestay providers and families, helping to deliver a safe, supportive and culturally responsive living environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide day-to-day welfare support to international students, building rapport and helping them adjust to their homestay environment, including cultural adjustment and homesickness
• Support the admissions process for students entering homestay, including documentation, interviews and collation of medical and special requirements information
• Monitor student welfare and escalate concerns to the Homestay Manager in a timely manner
• Maintain positive relationships with homestay provider families, supporting onboarding, Blue Card verification checks and training sessions
• Conduct homestay household visits, including initial assessments, annual re-inspections and follow-up on remediation items
• Communicate with parents and families of homestay students, and assist with newsletters, updates and digital correspondence
• Provide administrative and logistical support for the Extended Day Program, including food, external tutors and transport, and attend the program to support student supervision and welfare
• Take calls on the College's 24/7 emergency hotline as rostered, and support critical incident response procedures for homestay students
• Maintain accurate student, placement and provider records, including data entry and verification in PRISMS, in line with ESOS and National Code requirements
• Support child safe practices within the Homestay Program, including reporting concerns and coordinating child safety training records for homestay providers
• Support payments to homestay families in coordination with the JPC Finance team, and assist with homestay family recruitment and recognition activities

Hours of Work

Full-time, 38 hours per week. Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 8:00am to 4:15pm. Tuesday and Thursday, 10:00am to 6:15pm, to support the Extended Day Program. A 40-minute unpaid rest break applies each day.

Some flexibility in start and finish times is required to meet the needs of the Homestay Program, along with participation in the after-hours emergency on-call roster.

About You

You will bring:

• Experience in a student services, accommodation, welfare or administrative support role, ideally in an educational setting
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build trusted relationships with students, parents and homestay providers from diverse cultural backgrounds
• A genuine commitment to child safety, with an understanding of, or willingness to develop knowledge of, Queensland child safety legislation and the ESOS framework
• Sound judgement and the ability to remain calm, manage competing priorities and escalate matters appropriately, including during after-hours emergencies
• A high level of accuracy in record-keeping, with proficiency in Microsoft Office and database systems
• Experience working with international students or culturally and linguistically diverse clients (preferred)
• A tertiary or vocational qualification in administration, student services, community services, education or a related discipline (preferred)
• A current Blue Card / Positive Notice Working with Children Check and First Aid Certificate, or the ability to obtain these
• An additional language (an asset)

How to Apply

Applications are to be made by clicking Apply below.  

To assist us with determining your suitability for this role, please ensure your application includes the following information -

• Your cover letter is addressed to the attention of Lisa O’Neill – Recruitment Officer and should share with us your experience and what you will bring to the role
• Your current resume includes your qualifications and employment history.
• And the names and contact details for at least two professional referees. 

John Paul College is an equal-opportunity employer, and we encourage candidates from all backgrounds to apply.

We thank all applicants for their interest; however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

The College reserves its right to interview and offer this role prior to the closing date of this advertisement. If you are interested in joining John Paul College, please do not hesitate in applying as soon as possible.

John Paul College is committed to the safety and wellbeing of all children and young people. We embed child safety into everything we do, including how we recruit and support our people. All successful candidates will be required to hold a current Blue Card prior to commencing employment and may be subject to disclosure and suitability checks as part of Queensland's Reportable Conduct Scheme.