Job description
Salary: £13.69 per hour plus benefits
Job type: Casual
Hours: November to February – 9.00am to 16.30pm & March to October – 9.00am to 17.30pm.
St John’s College, one of the largest Colleges within the University of Cambridge, is seeking to appoint a Casual Custodian.
This role provides a welcoming and efficient reception service at the College’s Great Gate Lodge. The post holder will be the first point of contact for members, guests and visitors, handling enquiries, managing visitor admission, operating the till, and promoting College merchandise. They will ensure smooth visitor flow by liaising with tour companies and local organisations, maintain accurate financial records, manage the College’s visitor email account, and help keep website information up to date.
The role also involves maintaining the safety and security of the College community and grounds. Responsibilities include monitoring and controlling access, patrolling key areas, supporting high-profile events, and ensuring visitors follow College rules. The post holder will secure buildings according to schedules, safeguard daily cash takings, assist with mail distribution when required, and provide occasional cover for colleagues to support year-round operations.
The College offers a competitive benefits package including membership of a defined contributory pension scheme, 36 days’ annual leave (inclusive of Bank Holidays), access to a ‘cash plan’ healthcare scheme currently provided by Simplyhealth, free lunch (up to a specified monetary limit), free use of an on-site Gym and free parking close to the College site, subject to availability.
Before You Apply – Please Read
Please submit a CV and cover letter.
The closing date for the receipt of completed applications is Midnight on Tuesday, 16 December 2025. Interviews are expected to be held during the week commencing 5 January 2026.
Please be advised that you will receive system-generated updates regarding the status of your application after it submitted directly through our recruitment system to the email address you provided. To ensure you receive all communications without interruption, we kindly ask that you:
Add the following email address to your safe sender list
peoplexd@accessacloud.com
recruitment@joh.cam.ac.uk
Regularly check your junk or spam folders, as emails may occasionally be filtered there.
St John’s College is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of vulnerable adults and applicants must be willing to undergo screening appropriate to the post, including checks with past employers and the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).
In applying for this role, you will provide personal data which the College will process in accordance with its data protection obligations and its Data Protection Policy .