Enquiry Assistant - External Relations - 42522 - Band 300

Position Details

Department: Admissions, External Relations

Location: University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham UK

Band 300 - Full time starting salary is normally in the range £19,068 to 19,680, with potential progression once in post to £22,706

Full Time/Permanent

Closing date: 30th November 2021

Our offer to you

People are at the heart of what we are and do.   

The University of Birmingham is proud to have been a part of the City of Birmingham and the wider region for over 100 years, and we are equally proud to be recognised as a leading global university.  We want to attract talented people from across the city and beyond, support them to succeed, and celebrate their success. 

We are committed to helping the people who work here to develop through our sector-leading Birmingham Professional programme which provides all professional services staff with development opportunities and the encouragement to reach their full potential.  With almost 5,000 professional services jobs in a wide-range of functions in Edgbaston and in our campus in Dubai, there are plenty of opportunities for you to be able to develop your career at the University. 

We believe there is no such thing as a typical member of staff and that diversity is a source of strength that underpins the exchange of ideas, innovation, and debate.  We warmly welcome people from all backgrounds and are committed to fostering an inclusive environment where diversity is at the heart of who and what we are, and how we work. 

Supporting our people to achieve a healthy work/life balance is important both to our employees and to the success of the University and, depending on the role, we offer a variety of flexible working arrangements. We therefore welcome discussions on all forms of flexible working.  In addition, you will receive a generous package of benefits including 40 days paid holiday a year, one paid day a year for volunteering, occupational sick pay, and a pension scheme. We also have three high quality subsidised day nurseries. 

The University is situated in leafy Edgbaston and there are excellent transport links to our beautiful campus, including main bus routes and a train station on site.  On campus we have a state-of-the-art sports centre with pool, shops, places to eat and drink, our own art gallery, museum and botanical gardens. 

Find out more about the benefits of working for the University of Birmingham   

Job Summary

The Admissions Contact Team is responsible for inbound enquiry management for prospective students and their influencers. This covers the period from the first point of enquiry up until applicants begin their studies at the University of Birmingham.

This post plays a key role in the successful delivery of a professional and high quality first line support service to enquirers, applicants and others making enquiries to the Contact Team. The team in which this post works triage a high volume of inbound queries from a diverse client group of both internal and external customers, through multiple communication channels. The team triage all queries to identify where tasks can be resolved at the point of enquiry or the best resolution pathway where specialists support and/or knowledge is required (acting as a gateway to other support services).

The post holder will also undertake a range of other tasks supporting the wider Contact Team and its operational objectives.

Main Duties

The Enquiry Assistant is required to provide a high level of front-line service to all making enquiries to the Contact Team. Duties include:

• Responding to Admissions enquiries received by email, phone, and in person; acting as the first contact point to resolve or triage queries

• Responding to a broad range of enquirers across the breadth of the applicant lifecycle, including international applicants, parents, teachers and internal members of staff 

• Acting as the internal liaison contact, conducting assessment and escalation of enquiries where appropriate 

• Collaborating with colleagues both within the team and the wider Admissions Office, ensuring the correct referral channels exist for routing more complex queries Checking current applications for completeness and/or their current status and providing the appropriate advice and support where required 

• Be fully competent in the use of both UG and PG Admissions systems and processes, as well as an appreciation and understanding of non-standard applications

• Maintaining a high level of customer service by ensuring that standard levels of service are adhered to at every stage of the enquiry process 

• Completing training activities as directed by the Team Leader, including training in the relevant systems and /or customer services 

• To work with and/or direct the work of new or temporary members of staff in the office

• To undertake other tasks which will be required from time to time within the Admissions Office, such as involvement in Confirmation and Clearing, outbound calling and other general office duties

Person Specification

Essential

• Excellent interpersonal skills including politeness, diplomacy, tact and courtesy, as the role involves considerable contacts with others, both internal and external to the University

• A good level of education overall with minimum Grade C at GCSE in English and Mathematics or equivalent qualification

• Accuracy and attention to detail in data entry and in providing informatio

• Accuracy in use of oral and written English for answering queries in person, by telephone, and in writing

• Confidence in the use of IT systems for data entry and retrieval

• A flexible approach to work due to the often-changing priorities of the Contact Team

• An excellent team worker, understanding their role within the immediate and wider team and acting within minimum standards in a time sensitive environment 

Desirable

• Evidence of ability to use diagnostic tools in triaging to be able to quickly and efficiently identify the needs of the enquirer

• An understanding of the admissions process and the importance of the role in contributing to the successful recruitment and selection of students, which in turn contributes to the financial and reputational health of the institution

• Awareness of Higher Education

• Experience of working in a customer service environment.

Informal enquiries to Adam Meakin [email protected]

We value diversity at The University of Birmingham and welcome applications from all sections of the community’

Valuing excellence; sustaining investment