Homestay Coordinator at EF in Torquay, Devon, United Kingdom

Homestay Coordinator

Location: Torquay, Devon, United Kingdom

Build a thriving local host community and play an important hands-on role in one of the most important parts of the international student experience

Your Role

The Homestay Coordinator is a key year-round role within EF Language Travel Torquay with responsibility for host recruitment, operational delivery, safeguarding, compliance and the student experience.

You'll support the homestay operation and the team responsible for recruiting and supporting hosts, helping to ensure we have safe, welcoming and suitable homes for our students.

This is a hands-on role at the heart of host recruitment and the student experience. You'll take an active role in local host recruitment and work as part of the wider Operations team throughout the year. A key part of the role will be actively recruiting new host families through host family visits, street action, telemarketing, community outreach, referrals, events, partnerships and online channels

During the summer, you'll be part of a busy customer-facing operation, supporting placements, students and hosts, and helping manage accommodation changes and complex situations when they arise. The role offers broad experience across recruitment, safeguarding, compliance, customer service and operational delivery, with a strong pathway towards wider coordination and operational responsibility within EF

What You'll Do

• Support the homestay operation throughout the year, helping ensure effective recruitment, placement and support of host families.
• Carry out regular local host recruitment activities, including street action, telemarketing, community outreach, events, referrals, partnerships and online recruitment.
• Identify and approach potential host families within the local community and build a strong pipeline of new hosts.
• Follow up recruitment leads and enquiries, explain the EF homestay programme and support prospective hosts through the application process.
• Arrange and carry out host family home visits as part of the recruitment and approval process, building strong relationships with prospective hosts.
• Build strong relationships with new and returning hosts, ensuring they feel informed, supported and valued.
• Encourage host referrals and develop relationships with local community contacts who can support ongoing recruitment.
• Support local recruitment campaigns and initiatives designed to increase the number and quality of host families.
• Coordinate host applications, screening, checks, approvals and records.
• Ensure accommodation meets EF's quality, safeguarding and compliance requirements, raising any concerns with the appropriate manager.
• Work closely with Welfare, Transport, Student Experience, Finance, international sales offices and the wider Operations team.
• Support the matching and allocation of students to suitable host families, considering age, welfare needs, dietary requirements, allergies, transport and other relevant information.
• Maintain accurate student, host, placement and arrival information across internal systems.
• Support the day-to-day homestay operation during the summer and act as a key point of contact for hosts and students.
• Support the response to complaints, welfare concerns and recurring quality issues, ensuring appropriate matters are escalated.
• Maintain regular communication with hosts to identify concerns early and support strong host retention.
• Monitor host and student feedback, identify opportunities for improvement and contribute to the post-summer review and planning for the following year.
• Participate in the on-call rota and provide calm and professional support when urgent situations arise.

We're Looking For Someone Who...

• Has experience in customer service, community engagement, hospitality, accommodation or a similar people-focused or operational role.
• Enjoys building relationships and creating a positive experience for host families and students
• Is confident building relationships and engaging with members of the local community.
• Is comfortable with hands-on recruitment activity, including host family visits, street action, telemarketing and community outreach.
• Has strong customer-service skills and can handle sensitive or challenging conversations professionally.
• Is highly organised and able to manage recruitment, compliance, allocations and competing deadlines.
• Has excellent attention to detail, particularly when working with safeguarding information, compliance requirements and student needs.
• Is proactive and able to turn recruitment opportunities into practical action.
• Makes sound decisions and remains calm, positive and credible under pressure.
• Is comfortable working independently while also supporting the wider team when required.
• Works collaboratively, uses systems confidently and is passionate about creating a safe, welcoming and compliant student experience

Why Join Us?

Take on a genuine year-round coordination role with responsibility across recruitment, safeguarding, compliance and the student experience.

Be directly involved in host recruitment, from community outreach and telemarketing through to host family visits and onboarding.

Play an essential part in the student experience from recruiting suitable hosts through to summer delivery.

Make a direct difference to students and host families while developing practical experience in recruitment, safeguarding, compliance, customer service and operational delivery.

Become a visible representative of EF within the local community.

Develop the experience needed to progress into broader coordination and operational roles and build a long-term career within EF.

EF is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. References will be followed up and will ask specifically whether there is any reason that the applicant should not be engaged in situations where they have responsibility for, or substantial access to, persons under 18. Upon interview all gaps in CVs must be explained satisfactorily and proof of identity will be required. Appropriate suitability checks will be required prior to confirmation of appointment.