Summer Jobs in Oxford: an Overview

A five-minute guide to how Oxford’s key summer employers – international summer schools – are typically organised, and the types of jobs that are available in the summer.

Every year, hundreds of young people come to Oxford from all around the world to experience a short stay in the city.

Pre-pandemic, there seemed to be an insatiable appetite for university-based summer schools in Oxford, with people looking to inspire themselves with a short stay in a college of the best university in the world. (And this demand is still there – read our thoughts on the prospects for Oxford summer jobs in 2022 here).

Each summer school at each college is essentially a discrete event – one that needs careful planning and organisation in order to leave a discerning client base feeling like they have received value for money.

And, of course, none of that can be achieved without great people in the right roles with the right management.

Below, we take a quick tour around how the people of a leading summer school are organised, and the types of roles that are available as a result.

1. Year-round, full-time team

Of course, the planning for one year’s summer school does not just begin a couple of weeks before it starts. It takes months and months of planning and preparation – indeed, as soon as a summer school is finished, feedback is analysed, lessons learned, decisions made on courses for the following summer, academic material prepared, and the cycle of preparation begins again.

As a result, each leading summer school will have a core team of Directors, Management and Coordinators who will be contracted year-round to deliver Marketing and Admissions strategies, support customers, and to make the initial preparations for the academic and operational delivery the following summer.

2. Longer, fixed-term roles (c. 6-8 months)

We all do it – as soon as the calendar year changes, people start thinking about how they’re going to spend summer. Because we all need something to look forward to, right?

To coincide with this natural increase in demand, the leading Oxford summer schools ramp up their marketing campaigns at the same time – planting the idea of a trip to Oxford in the minds of those who might not yet have thought of it, and advertising hard on Google to try and get those who are looking to their websites.

And more marketing leads to more enquiries, and more customers to support.

So, starting in December, the leading Oxford Summer Schools are constantly looking for creative, friendly people to join their Marketing, Sales and Customer Services teams. If you’re looking for something more than just a short burst of employment in July and August, this type of role can pay well, is interesting and really plugs you in to the inner workings of a busy organisation.

At the same time as this, preparations for the next summer start gathering pace – so again, there are longer term, fixed-term contracts available in areas such as academic operations (refining and organising course material for teachers), HR (finding the right people) and event planning (liaising with colleges to book facilities, booking excursions, and more).

3. Short term, summer-only roles (7 weeks max)

For Oxford’s leading summer schools, July and August is when it really happens (obviously).

It’s when all the preparation and hard work on marketing and customer services comes to fruition as students arrive at the colleges for their Oxford Summer Schools.

The roles available during this period are typically divided into three sub-sets:

Campus Management and Administration

The care for the Student (and the responsibility for the Customer) is typically passed to a small team based at the campus where the student is living.

This makes the most sense, as if any issues arise during a student’s stay at their summer school, they are best dealt with by the team who are in day-to-day contact with the student.

The campus management team will usually by led by a Course Director or Principal, who will have responsibility for the delivery of the course at their site, usually for the entire summer period. The best Oxford summer schools typically bring in a headteacher, deputy headteacher or someone with strong experience in academic leadership for this key role.

Where there are a good number of students, the Director will usually be assisted by a Manager or Administrator, who will help to ensure the safe and efficient operation of that particular summer school. This includes management of student registers, confirmation of excursion and activity details, handling correspondence from parents, and allocation of the campus team to activities and to a general rota of cover. This role doesn’t usually require any specific prior experience, and suits organised individuals who are good communicators and capable of multitasking.

Teaching

It goes without saying that the heart of any summer school is good teaching. Quality of teaching is a huge factor in a decision of a Customer to choose one school over another, and as such the leading summer schools are all competing for the best teachers.

The most popular subject areas for students to study are business, law, medicine, engineering and English language – however, many summer schools have a broad academic portfolio reflecting the demands of the marketplace, and as such need a diverse teaching body too.

The course or campus Director is usually responsible for the quality of the academic output on their campus, and will be expected to use their experience in school leadership to mentor and guide their teaching staff.

The leading summer schools are often looking for Postgraduate students or those with a Masters degree in a related discipline as a minimum for their teaching staff.

Activity Leadership and Pastoral Care

The final category of short-term Oxford summer jobs is those involved in the day-to-day pastoral care of the students. This role is perfect for undergraduates as the young people attending the courses often relate best to individuals who are not too much older than them.

Often referred to as activity leaders, counsellors or programme deans, this role really is at the heart of everything – you can expect to accompany students to lessons, be a teaching assistant in class, facilitate extra curricular workshops, run talent shows, set up classrooms, go on excursions, go punting and so much more in between.

This role is key to the student’s happiness, their overall enjoyment of the programme and the success of the summer school as a whole – and one in which you could develop some amazing skills and get insights into other careers like teaching and event management.

In summary

It takes a range of different roles, and lots of fantastic people, to make an Oxford summer school successful. Whether in Management and Administration, Teaching or Activity Leadership and Pastoral Care, there are roles to suit any individual’s pre-existing strengths – but crucially there are also chances to build skills and entertain new opportunities. Don’t rule anything out, and if you’d like guidance on what roles might be best for you, don’t hesitate to get in touch using the form below!

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