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

The Open University is committed to making higher education open to all and providing a seamless journey for students and supporting their learning success, regardless of their background or previous educational qualifications. 

This is an exciting opportunity to work within our Student Recruitment and Support Team. You will help prospective and current students with their queries helping them make individual study choices that sets them up for success, whatever that may look like for them. You will use subject matter expertise to guide students, using our internal systems providing information and enhancing students experience at every step of their journey.

The majority of your contact with students will be by phone and email and you will have a daily schedule to support you to do this. As you gain experience, you will get further training to use other communication channels such as webchat, outbound calling or social media.  

Key Responsibilities

Multiple Channel service providers

• Provide information to both enquirers and students and supporting them with registration processes, funding enquiries and general information about The Open University via predominantly inbound/outbound phone calls and emails. 
• Proactively transfer calls to specialised teams for further advice and guidance where appropriate as part of an Information, Advice and Guidance model.
• Using your experience and initiative you will navigate and respond to issues, interpreting and applying procedures and guidelines as laid out within agreed policies.

Operational processes and standards

• Carry out any administrative tasks or processes associated with student and enquirer requests in a timely manner.
• Capture student contact and review and update records using University systems. 
• Work to a rota as part of a team to ensure that all activity is dealt with promptly and effectively and within agreed Service Levels.
• Meet and strive to exceed the expected service standards as set within our quality framework, delivering a positive experience for all students and enquirers by putting them at the heart of everything you do.

Continuous Improvement and Development

• Embrace our culture of continuous improvement, for example, by engaging with quality initiatives and contributing at team meetings.
• Recognise and celebrate successes, whilst taking ownership to act upon feedback, doing things better with enthusiasm and commitment. 
• Seek out opportunities that will stretch and challenge you, openly talking with your Team Manager about your own performance, striving to become a champion in your area of expertise.
• Attend training events and briefings to ensure you have access to accurate and up to date operational information so you are able to adopt correct and evolving business practices and procedures.
• Attend and actively engage in team meetings whilst proactively contributing to business improvement ideas and initiatives to optimise service provision.
• Positively engage in the support and development of new team members.
• Share knowledge and best practice with others across faculties and departments.

About You

Essential 

• Commitment to delivering excellent customer service, with a “can do” attitude and in a professional manner. 
• Experience of answering and actioning diverse queries, using a wide range of information sources.
• Good communication skills, both oral and written e.g. effective telephone techniques, use of plain English to explain policies and processes and to write clearly, succinctly and correctly.
• An ability to deal with and follow documented information and procedures: using initiative in problem-solving, whilst recognising boundaries.
• Proven IT skills, including use of Microsoft Office packages.  
• Experience of working effectively in a team, and working to meet personal, team and organisational targets.
• Good organisational skills including the ability to meet deadlines, working productively and accurately in a high-pressure environment.
• Flexibility including the ability to adapt to changing circumstances (home and office working), duties and work practices. 
• Evidence of demonstrating a commitment to ongoing development.
• Ability to carry out the role in a way that is consistent with equality legislation and University policies.

Desirable

• Experience of working in a hybrid model and communicating remotely.
• Being able to communicate confidently using the Welsh Language.
• Experience of working within a higher education environment.
• Experience of working in a multi-channel complex customer services environment and coping with high volume telephone calls, emails and correspondence.
• Experience of working with a customer relationship management system.
• NVQ level 2 or 3 in Customer Services or Information, Advice and Guidance.

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 a hybrid working pattern can be adopted for this role, where the successful candidate can work from home and the office. However, as this role is contractually aligned to our Cardiff Office, it is expected that some attendance in the office will be required when necessary and in response to business needs. We’d expect this to be up to 2 days per week, but this could be more often if business needs dictate.

Next steps in the Recruitment process

Interview dates are to be confirmed.

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 has 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 documents:

• CV
• A Supporting Statement of up to 1000 words. You should set out in your statement why you are interested in the role and provide examples of where your skills and experience meet the essential criteria for this role as detailed above. 

Applications may be submitted in Welsh, and an application submitted in Welsh will not be treated less favourably than an application submitted in English.

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.