Jennifer Phillips (History and Philosophy of Science 1996) has reflected on six years as Operations Director and Domestic Bursar at Gonville & Caius College before her departure at the end of this month.

Jennifer is to become Bursar at Selwyn College, after successfully managing the domestic operations at Caius since September 2016. She completed her undergraduate degree here, which has, she hopes, helped her identify with the concerns of students at the College. 

“The things I’ve been most proud of are the things I didn’t anticipate when I took the job,” she says.

“I came from a finance background, and was very commercial and task orientated, my working life had been focused on how to build a business and take it forwards. Some of that has been really useful at Caius, for example in delivering a kitchen project.

The things I’ve been most proud of are the things I didn’t anticipate when I took the job ~ Jennifer Phillips

“But I’m prouder of the personal feedback I’ve received along the way from students, and sometimes Fellows and staff, offering appreciation for the softer side of what I do, the actions and behaviours that build a positive and supportive community. Caius is its people, and making sure they feel empowered – and listen to each other – is important.”

Jennifer’s role has been about getting the details right – the phrase “let’s remove the barnacles from the boat” is a theme – and operational roles mean negotiating a multitude of daily challenges.

The highlights she picks out at random include supporting College residents through Covid, navigating the decision making to use chairs in Hall (one step in many to improve accessibility in College), the joy of teamworking between staff and Fellows on the Kitchen Build Sub Committee, and most recently the opening of the Harvey’s Coffee House student study/social space at West Road.

She is grateful for the support she has received from the operational teams and across the College staff.

“Everyone is trying to deliver their job, their role in the College, as best as they can. But we all have days when that’s hard to see. Helping the various teams rub along has been one of the pleasures of the job,” she says.

As an undergraduate at Caius, Jennifer will always have an affiliation with the College. She has been ‘Bursar for Fun’, as Senior Bursar Robert Gardiner says to Freshers, in a role focused on hospitality and residential experience. Now she is in a role more akin to his, responsible for the financial and regulatory side of a college. 

“There’s a piece of me that misses viewing the environment I work in through the prism of the finances, because I spent 20 years using that kind of data to ground my decision making,” she adds.

“I’ve always liked asking ‘how do the numbers tell me the organisation is developing?’ Now I get that back – but my six-year apprenticeship at Caius will give me a much better appreciation of the people behind those numbers who really make a college work.”

The Caius community has been so fortunate to have Jennifer’s expertise, enthusiasm and energy devoted to the College for the past six years ~ Professor Pippa Rogerson

Colleagues have thanked Jennifer for her distinguished service.

The Master, Professor Pippa Rogerson, said: “The Caius community has been so fortunate to have Jennifer’s expertise, enthusiasm and energy devoted to the College for the past six years.

“Her contribution has been invaluable, especially during Covid and for the refurbishment of the Kitchens.

“I am sad for myself that she is leaving her undergraduate college, however I am delighted for her that she is moving upwards to be a Bursar in another Cambridge college.”

Senior Bursar Robert Gardiner said: “I first met Jennifer when I was working at another college and I thought, here is a capable individual! Landing at Caius in 2018 I discovered I was right. 

“The hallmarks of Jennifer’s contribution to the College are total thoroughness – nothing is unthought of on her projects – combined with a personal understanding of what the Domestic Bursar needs to achieve for students, drawn from her own experience as an undergraduate here. 

“She was a superb colleague to help us navigate through the dark days of Covid and working with Jennifer has always been fun. I will miss her propensity to laugh uproariously at the funny, the difficult and the unexpected in the role. I wish her every success at Selwyn.”