JOB DESCRIPTION

As we have launched our ambitious 5-year strategic plan this post will play a key role at Greenwich Students’ Union in supporting students to stay and succeed at university.

GSU Advocacy and Policy Team is leading an award-winning outreach project that seeks to support students to stay and succeed at Greenwich. A team of part-time student staff call 1000’s of students each term, supporting them to navigate University life, services and GSU. This role will support the award-winning team to deliver proactive supportive calls to students.

You can find out more about the project on our website.

Student Hub - greenwichsu.co.uk/advice/check

Reporting Hub - greenwichsu.co.uk/gsuhub/wrproject

In this post you will :

• To supervise the retention calling project staff
• To support with escalations for students experiencing difficulties
• To spot trends in student issues and assist with reporting

We’re looking for an enthusiastic candidate who has an interest in supporting our students to become their best.

You don’t have to come from a higher education background, but you should have an interest in supporting students to succeed.

This role sits within the Advocacy and Policy Team and focus on making 1-1 timely interventions to support students to succeed as well as identifying broader trends in student behaviour to inform our strategic approach to services and support.

Duties and Key Responsibilities

This post holder will be part of the Advocacy and Policy Team and will be expected to contribute to the department’s wider objectives and planning.

Delivery of Outreach

• Coordinate the team to deliver outbound phone calls and taking inbound calls in a call centre model, including opening and closing
• Ensure that the quality of personal outreach delivery is consistent and in line with the agreed scripts and conversation structures to support students
• Ensure the team provide excellent customer service to students, at all times seeking to support students’ needs appropriately, clarifying information and providing appropriate solutions
• Support other retention and wellbeing initiatives throughout the year

Supervision

• Support with training and development of student-staff team
• Support with the scheduling of shifts, monitoring of attendance and submitting of payroll
• Undertake 1-1’s with student staff, identifying additional support

Signposting & Monitoring

• Keep accurate records of all calls and student outreach in line with provided data tools
• Support callers to identify potential concerns from students and signpost students to the most relevant support pathway
• Closely monitor for any safety or safeguarding concerns from students, and support with escalations
• Support with the analysis of issues and regular reporting as directed

Personal Learning and Responsibility

• Undertake all training and development as required within the role
• Take responsibility for personal learning and development

General Responsibilities

• Represent and be an ambassador for GSU.
• Be flexible and carry out other associated duties as may arise, develop, or be assigned in line with the broad remit of the position.
• Maintain and improve competencies through continuous professional development.
• Abide by organisational policies, codes of conduct and practices.
• Support and promote liberation, diversity and equality of opportunity in the workplace.
• Treat with confidentiality any personal, private, or sensitive
• information about individual organisations and/ or clients or staff and Project data.
• Actively seek better ways to assist GSU in its effort to become a more sustainable workplace.
• Any other duties commensurate with the accountabilities of the post.

PERSONAL SPECIFICATION

Experience

• Relevant experience working in a customer or support service-aligned role
• Experience of time management
• Experience of working well within a team to achieve targets
• Experience drafting reports with an eye for detail.

Knowledge

• Clear communication skills, particularly over the phone and by e-mail
• Ability to troubleshoot difficult situations, and deal with them calmly, efficiently, and effectively.
• Sensitivity and understanding for others, utilising active listening skills
• IT skills at a level that supports logging of data, email, internet, and database.
• Time management and organisational skills.
• Ability to engage with new people and build rapport quickly.
• Self-motivated with the confidence to work alone but can also work co-operatively and flexibly as part of a team.
• Ability to stay focused and efficient in the face of changing priorities.

Education/Training

• No specific qualification is required, but evidence of recent continuing professional development in a professional area relevant to the post is required

Essential Personal Attributes and other requirements

• A role model who promotes high standards of ethics, integrity and honesty.
• Able to travel between campuses on occasion. Mainly based at Avery Hill – free inter-campus bus service available.
• Works well in a team with a flexible approach to work.
• An ability to apply awareness of diversity issues to all areas of work. Commitment to the values and ethos of GSU

Visa Requirement

Please note that the successful candidate will need to have the right to work in the UK. GSU is unable to sponsor an employment visa for this role.

Reports to: Retention and Insights Manager

Responsible for: Supervising a team of student staff

Contract Length: Permanent

Salary: £28,079 - £31,602*

*New starters will be placed on the bottom spine point of their grade. If you would like more information on our Pay Policy, please let us know.

Location: On-campus - Working mainly on Avery Hill campus in Eltham, with occasional travel to other campuses