Student Information Service Advisor

Joblink are pleased to be recruiting on behalf of The University of Leeds.

Do you want to be part of a professional and friendly student enquiry service, committed to providing timely, consistent, and accurate information for students, ensuring an exceptional student experience? Have you worked in a busy and professional customer service role? Are you a confident communicator who can remain calm, professional and friendly under pressure? Are you organised, accurate, and can you manage multiple tasks at the same time? 

The Student Information Service is a key Student Education Service development. The SIS vision being to build a sector leading central enquiry service for students. 

You will join this friendly and professional team as it develops into a front line, multichannel service as envisioned in the Service Excellence Framework. The role will include supporting students and PGRs on campus working in our Information Points and working remotely responding to enquiries via email, phone, or other remote channels. 

In this role you will be providing high-quality enquiry support for our diverse community of students across the institution. You will need to offer detailed information about internal processes in clear and accessible ways, using your judgement to know when to ‘hand on’ more complex enquiries to experts in services and departments. 

You will need to have a strong customer service focus and excellent communication skills; both verbal and written. You will need to be able to maintain confidentiality. 

What does the role entail?
As an Advisor your main duties will include: 

• Providing a professional front line enquiry service, acting as the face/voice of the institution for students, PGRs and external parties/visitors contacting us with general enquiries and seeking information;
• Working variously to answer enquiries including on campus, on the phone, via email, Microsoft Teams and other remote channels; 
• Understanding student needs using effective questioning and answering techniques and using our dedicated resources and your experience of University activities and services to understand their enquiry;
• Being confident to communicate and advise on a wide range of processes and services, varying your language and approach for different enquirers and effectively ‘handing on’ complex enquiries through to relevant teams;
• Supporting service development by identifying and acting on ideas for improvements or taking part in activities such as workshops to clarify and document processes,
• Utilising standard answers or crafting new ones to effectively respond to questions, with an emphasis on using clear language and giving accurate advice;
• Ensuring that the needs of visitors are dealt with efficiently, professionally and courteously; even during busy times, giving appropriate support to anxious, distressed or agitated students;
• Accessing various databases or Customer Relationship Management Systems (CRM) to respond to enquiries and track their progress;
• Providing accurate and consistent information and following guidance on when and how to escalate or ‘hand on’ enquiries;
• When on campus ensuring the Information Points are tidy and accessible and that you work effectively with colleagues in each locality;
• Being a point of contact for Student Ambassadors at the Information Points, acting as a point of escalation, overseeing and understanding their interactions with students and guiding them on queue management. 

These duties provide a framework for the role and should not be regarded as a definitive list. Other reasonable duties may be required consistent with the grade of the post.

What will you bring to the role:

As an Advisor in the Student Information Service you will have an:

• Ability to demonstrate high level customer service skills with experience in a reception, on the phone or other busy customer-service role, including an understanding of different cultural and access needs;
• The ability to work flexibly, positively and with patience, offering enquirers a professional but friendly service; 
• Effective and confident communication skills, both orally and in writing and demonstrable ability to vary how you interact using different approaches to understand and be understood;
• Ability to respond to queries by collating sometimes complex information from across multiple resources to ensure accurate, up to date and easy to follow information;
• Good organisational and administrative skills, including the ability to keep accurate records and follow guidance consistently;
• The ability to remain calm under pressure, and prioritise workload to meet student demand and service needs; 
• A good working knowledge of Word, Outlook, Excel, Access, Teams;
• Proactive in identifying solutions to problems, positive when dealing with challenges and committed to continuous improvement;
• Experience of working co-operatively in a team situation sharing your experience and knowledge with others;
• Experience of balancing some independent working with following guidance on escalating issues;
• Ability to handle difficult enquiries and to respond sensitively to distressed or agitated enquirers, seeking support from your supervisors when needed;
• Ability to maintain discretion in matters of a confidential nature with a sound understanding of navigating GDPR requirements in sensitive situations.

Where, when and pay?
The role will be based at the University of Leeds Campus and remote. (Please note you must be based in Leeds to be considered for this role)

Part or Full-time

Start date: Training will take place at the beginning of June.

Pay: Grade 4 (£13.98/hr)

Sounds good?
To apply please send a relevant CV (ensure you have uploaded a CV to your profile on the job site)

AND answer these questions (within the cover letter section).

1. What appeals to you about this role and why you have chosen to apply?
2. What skills/experiences have you gained from your studies, voluntary or paid work that you feel will help you be successful in this role?
3. What do you feel you will gain from this role?
4. How would this role benefit your future career plans?

(Please note: No cover letter is required and applications missing cv and answers will not be considered)