Change your career, change lives

The Open University is the UK’s largest university, a world leader in flexible part-time education combining a mission to widen access to higher education with research excellence, transforming lives through education. Find out more about us and our mission by watching this short video (you will be taken to YouTube by clicking this link).

About the Role

As a Senior Adviser you will work within the Student Support Hub and will help students and prospective students make study choices that will lead to successful progression, qualification completion and customer satisfaction. The key duties are:

• To provide support, through the provision of advice to students and potential students across the student lifecycle on a wide range of queries from qualification, careers-based enquiries, change of study intentions to assignment extensions and tutor referrals, all received via a variety of channels to maximise student success.
• Where necessary to refer on to other staff with specialist expertise, as part of the Information, Advice and Guidance (IAG) model; making interactions with The Open University as effortless and seamless as possible.
• To concentrate on the delivery of expert advice with a focus on a particular curriculum area and the associated Faculty, whilst also providing some advice across all curriculum areas when appropriate.

Key Responsibilities

To provide advice to support students and potential students via a number of channels including inbound and outbound phone calls, emails, letters, online webchat, online forums, social media and face-to-face:

• Act as the first point of referral for students and potential students requiring advice and information, using judgement and expertise to assess queries and ensure that guidance needs are identified and addressed, referring on where appropriate.
• Act as the first point of referral for students and potential students who may present with challenging issues and/or behaviour, e.g.; where a student is distressed because they have missed a deadline critical to their studies.
• Using your experience and initiative, you will navigate and respond to issues, interpreting and applying procedures and guidelines as laid out within agreed policies.

To undertake associated administrative and operational processes to action student and potential student requests:

• Accurately record and maintain student and potential student details on university systems and databases.
• Ensure that complex guidance needs and issues are identified and met, referring/transferring calls appropriately and effectively to other specialist staff as part of an IAG model.

To work as part of a flexible operation to provide support and answer queries from students, potential students and Associate Lecturers within agreed timescales. To work to a rota as part of a Work Force Management System to ensure that all activity is dealt with promptly and effectively and within agreed Service Levels:

• Participate actively in the achievement of agreed service standards.
• Exercise judgement in dealing with complex issues, interpreting and applying guidelines with initiative whilst operating within defined boundaries.

To assist proactively in the development and continuous improvement of good internal and inter-team working and service provision:

• Attending and actively participating in team meetings and developmental activities.
• Contributing to business improvement ideas and initiatives, making recommendations to managers as appropriate.
• Showing initiative in helping the team to run smoothly and working with and supporting other teams as required.
• Undertaking other activities as directed by the Manager.

To continually develop skills and knowledge to maintain and improve personal performance in the spirit of continuous improvement and to adopt correct and evolving business practices and procedures:

• Undertaking all duties in accordance with internal policy and external legislation.
• Working with the Manager, to understand personal performance and areas for development.
• Providing feedback to contribute to colleagues’ performance development.

About You

Essential:

• A good standard of written English language, grammar and mathematics commensurate with the role.
• Experience of answering and actioning complex and diverse queries, using a wide range of information sources.
• Good communication skills: both oral and written, with effective telephone techniques and the ability to explain policies and processes in plain English as well as to write clearly, succinctly and correctly in plain English.
• Flexibility: including adaptability to changing circumstances, duties, work practices and systems and a commitment to ongoing development with the ability to demonstrate a rapid understanding of newly presented information.
• An ability to deal with and follow complex information and procedures: using initiative and judgement in problem-solving, whilst recognising boundaries.
• Strong IT skills: including use of standard Microsoft Office packages, and the ability to learn to use a range of in-house and commercial systems.
• Ability to maintain own knowledge bank in a coherent and systematic way and carry out research as necessary, whilst proactively identifying deficiencies in any shared information sources.
• Good interpersonal skills: including active listening skills and the ability to respond to identified needs  using varied questioning techniques.
• Good planning and organisational skills: including the ability to cope with heavy workloads and to meet deadlines, working productively and accurately in a high-pressure environment.
• Good negotiating skills.
• An understanding of team working and the ability to work effectively as part of a team.
• Ability to carry out the role in a way that is consistent with equality legislation and University policies.

Desirable:

• Relevant NVQ to Level 2 or above (e.g. Customer Services, Information, Advice and Guidance or Customer Care) or equivalent.
• Experience of inbound and outbound telephone conversations in a complex customer services environment.
• Experience of working to personal, team and organisational targets.
• Ability to use customer relationship management systems.

Support with your application

If you have any questions, or need support or adjustments relating to your application, the recruitment process, or the role, please contact us on 01908 541111 or email careers@open.ac.uk quoting the advert reference number.

What's in it for you?

At The Open University, we offer a range of benefits to recognise and reward great work, alongside policies and flexible working that contribute towards a great work life balance. Get all the details of what benefits we offer by visiting our Staff Benefits page (clicking this link will open a new window).

Flexible working

We are open to discussions about flexible working. Whether it’s a job share, part time, compressed hours or another working arrangement. Please reach out to us to discuss what works best for you.

Work Location 

It is anticipated that this role will follow a hybrid working pattern, allowing you to work from both home and the office. As the role is contractually aligned to our Manchester office, some in-office attendance will be required in line with business needs. We expect this to be full-time attendance during the initial six-week training period, followed by approximately one day per month thereafter. 

Hours of work, leave during peak periods and travel.

• You will be required to work to an agreed pattern, between the hours of 8.00am – 6.30pm Monday to Friday, as directed by business demands.
• Please note that leave in the busy peak periods is severely restricted. 

Available Contracts

We are currently recruiting for the following;

• 3x Full Time, Permanent 
• 2x Full Time Fixed Term until 25 September 2026
• 1x Full Time Fixed Term (maternity cover) available until 31 May 2027 or until the post holder returns, whichever is earlier. 

Next steps in the Recruitment process

It is anticipated interviews will take place week commencing 13 July 2026.

Early closing date notification

While most roles will remain open until the advertised closing date, applications may be reviewed on an ongoing basis. In some cases, vacancies may close earlier if a sufficient number of suitable applications have been received and equality impacts have been appropriately considered. All roles will remain advertised for a minimum of one week before any early closure is implemented.

If you have started an application or were in the process of applying when the advert closed, we encourage you to get in touch. We are committed to understanding individual circumstances and can offer further support where needed, including reasonable adjustments for applicants with protected characteristics.

How to apply

To apply for this role, please submit the following as separate documents;

• CV
• Supporting statement, up to 1,000 words, you should set out in your statement why you’re interested in this role and provide examples of where your skills and experience meet the required competencies for this role as detailed in the job and person specification.

NB: This role is known internally as Senior Student Recruitment and Support Adviser.

You can view your progress and application communications when you are logged into our recruitment system.  Please check your spam/junk folders if you do not receive associated email updates.