Guest Services

Job Posting Title:

Guest Services, Astronomers Lodge

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Hiring Department:

McDonald Observatory

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Position Open To:

All Applicants

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Weekly Scheduled Hours:

40

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FLSA Status:

Non-Exempt from FLSA

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Earliest Start Date:

Immediately

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Position Duration:

Expected to Continue Until Nov 30, 2026

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Location:

MCDONALD OBSERVATORY

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Job Details:

General Notes

This position is based at the McDonald Observatory in the Davis Mountains and is a major astronomical research observatory 16 miles from Fort Davis, Texas (440 miles from the UT Austin campus). Hours include weekends and evenings as needed. Travel may be required. Position may be subject to "call-back" as an essential employee for emergencies or critical response.

Purpose

To support the daily operation of the McDonald Observatory Astronomers Lodge (AL) and associated temporary lodging facilities through cleaning and housekeeping, food preparation and handling, routine facility maintenance, and assistance with reservation and financial processes.

Responsibilities

• General Cleaning and Housekeeping. Performs cleaning and housekeeping duties for the Astronomers Lodge and associated lodging facilities, including the Booth House and the cottage. Cleans and maintains guest rooms, bathrooms, hallways, recreation areas, laundry facilities, entrances, kitchens, dining areas, and other assigned spaces. Duties include sweeping, mopping, vacuuming, changing linens, laundering bedding and towels, and cleaning and sanitizing dishes, cookware, utensils, appliances, cabinets, vent hoods, ice machines, freezers, and refrigerators. Maintains established cleanliness, sanitation, and food service standards to provide guests with clean, safe, well-maintained, and welcoming lodging and dining facilities.
• Food Preparation and Service. Prepares, seasons, and cooks a variety of menu items in accordance with established recipes, menus, and food safety and sanitation requirements. Assists with menu planning, preparation of new recipes, evaluation of food quality, appearance, and taste, and effective use of available food products to minimize waste. Maintains a current Texas Food Handler's Registration Certificate and follows applicable food handling and sanitation requirements.
• Inventory and Supply Management. Assists with the receipt, stocking, organization, monitoring, and inventory of food products, housekeeping supplies, linens, towels, furnishings, and related materials. Maintains appropriate inventory levels for guest refrigerators and snack areas. Identifies supply needs, communicates shortages to the supervisor, prepares routine supply requests, and assists with purchasing food and housekeeping supplies as assigned.
• Guest Services and Reservations. Supports lodging operations and provides courteous and basic assistance to guests regarding lodging facilities and services and refers questions, concerns, or requests requiring additional assistance to the supervisor or designated staff member. Assists with room registration and reservation documentation, verifies required guest and lodging information, prepares rooms for arriving guests, and maintains room key assignment and distribution records.
• Facility Maintenance and Operations. Performs routine upkeep and maintenance of lodging facilities and assigned indoor and outdoor areas, including areas surrounding the Astronomers Lodge, Booth House, Cottage, and dumpster. Identifies maintenance and repair needs, submits or assists with submitting work orders, and monitors outstanding maintenance requests. Communicates maintenance status, delays, safety concerns, and unresolved issues to the supervisor to support timely completion of repairs and continued facility operations. Performs additional duties as required to meet business operations.

Required Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED.
• Experience in custodial maintenance and food preparation and handling.
• Ability to work collaboratively with staff and supervisors and to communicate clearly about work status and goals.
• Ability to work efficiently with strong attention to detail.
• Strong organizational and planning skills.
• Ability to maintain professionalism in interactions with the public and coworkers, and in personal appearance, in accordance with UT policy.
• Willingness to wear protective safety equipment and follow safety guidelines and procedures.

Relevant education and experience may be substituted as appropriate.

Preferred Qualifications

Experience working in a hotel and dining organization. Proficiency in Spanish.

Driving Required

This job requires a class "C" operator's driver's license. The applicant selected must provide a current three-year driving record from the current state of residence. If not currently a Texas resident, a Texas driver's license must be obtained within 30 days of becoming a Texas resident.

Salary Range

$38,000 + depending on qualifications

Working Conditions

• Uniforms and/or personal protective equipment (furnished)
• Work in all weather conditions and extreme temperatures
• Work at night and in a remote location
• Work around standard office conditions
• Repetitive use of a keyboard at a workstation
• Use of manual dexterity
• Lift, pushes, and pulls up to 50 pounds
• Climbing of stairs and ladders
• May require working extended hours
• Requires rotating weekend work
• May work around chemical fumes, bio-hazards, and around hazardous chemicals
• May work around electrical and mechanical hazards
• Use of approved safety equipment is required.
• McDonald Observatory is located at approx. 6900 ft. above sea level. Environmental conditions can be unpredictable; temperatures can range from -10˚F and +95˚F
• Inclement winter weather can be expected, which requires comfortable driving in wintry conditions on mountain grades

Work Shift

• Generally, Monday-Friday (10:00 a.m. - 06:30 p.m.; 30-minute lunch), rotating weekends required.
• Work hours will vary based on lodging operations and reservations and include evening, weekend, and holiday hours as needed.
• May be required to respond to emergency calls during off-duty hours.

Required Materials

• Letter of Reference
• Resume/CV
• Three work references with their contact information; at least one reference should be from a supervisor

Please mark "yes" on the application for required materials. Failure to attach all additional materials listed may affect candidates' consideration for the position.

Application Process

• External Applicants who are NOT university employees or contingent workers: You will be prompted to submit your resume the first time you apply, then you will be provided an option to upload a new Resume for subsequent applications. Any additional Required Materials (letter of interest, references, etc.) will be uploaded in the Application Questions section; you will be able to multi-select additional files. Before submitting your online job application, ensure that ALL Required Materials have been uploaded.  Once your job application has been submitted, you cannot make changes.
• Current university employees and contingent workers: As a current university employee or contingent worker, you MUST apply within Workday by searching for Find UT Jobs. If you are a current University employee, log in to Workday, navigate to your Worker Profile, click the Career link in the left-hand navigation menu, and then update the sections in your Professional Profile before you apply. This information will be pulled into your application. The application is one page, and you will be prompted to upload your resume. In addition, you must respond to the application questions presented to upload any additional Required Materials (letter of interest, references, etc.) that were noted above.

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Employment Eligibility:

Regular staff who have been employed in their current position for the last six continuous months are eligible for openings being recruited for through University-Wide or Open Recruiting, to include both promotional opportunities and lateral transfers. Staff who are promotion/transfer eligible may apply for positions without supervisor approval.

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Retirement Plan Eligibility:

The retirement plan for this position is Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS), subject to the position being at least 20 hours per week and at least 135 days in length.

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Background Checks:

A criminal history background check will be required for finalist(s) under consideration for this position.

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Equal Opportunity Employer:

The University of Texas at Austin, as an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer, complies with all applicable federal and state laws regarding nondiscrimination and affirmative action. The University is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, religion, or veteran status in employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions.

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Pay Transparency:

The University of Texas at Austin will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor’s legal duty to furnish information.

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Employment Eligibility Verification:

If hired, you will be required to complete the federal Employment Eligibility Verification I-9 form.  You will be required to present acceptable and original documents to prove your identity and authorization to work in the United States.  Documents need to be presented no later than the third day of employment.  Failure to do so will result in loss of employment at the university.

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E-Verify:

The University of Texas at Austin use E-Verify to check the work authorization of all new hires effective May 2015. The university’s company ID number for purposes of E-Verify is 854197. For more information about E-Verify, please see the following:

• E-Verify Poster (English and Spanish) [PDF]
• Right to Work Poster (English) [PDF]
• Right to Work Poster (Spanish) [PDF]

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Compliance:

Employees may be required to report violations of law under Title IX and the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Crime Statistics Act (Clery Act). If this position is identified a Campus Security Authority (Clery Act), you will be notified and provided resources for reporting. Responsible employees under Title IX are defined and outlined in HOP-3031.

The Clery Act requires all prospective employees be notified of the availability of the Annual Security and Fire Safety report. You may access the most recent report here or obtain a copy at University Compliance Services, 1616 Guadalupe Street, UTA 2.206, Austin, Texas 78701.