E+ Customer Service Manager

Overview

We support peace and prosperity by building connections, understanding and trust between people in the UK and countries worldwide. For 90 years we have shaped brighter futures through education, arts, culture, language and creativity.

Role

The Customer Experience Manager supports the end to end delivery of customer service for Erasmus+. The post responds to applicants, beneficiaries and stakeholders ensuring they receive timely, accurate and equitable support throughout the grant lifecycle.

Responsibilities

• Deliver day to day Customer Experience Operations: manage multi channel customer contact (phone, email, etc.) to agreed service levels and be accountable for team performance against KPIs, performance indicators and customer experience metrics.
• Develop detailed knowledge of Erasmus+, its procedures, systems, schedules and contractual standards; ensure accurate, consistent advice and adherence to quality and compliance standards.
• Embed and maintain quality assurance processes, calibration, and knowledge management across the service; identify and manage operational risks, ensuring adherence to British Council and Erasmus+ regulations, data protection, accessibility and safeguarding requirements.
• Analyse contact drivers and customer insight to identify improvement opportunities; lead small scale service enhancements to improve right first time delivery and customer experience.
• Support change delivery and service readiness: contribute to the rollout of policy updates, system changes or new processes, ensuring staff readiness and clear communication; collaborate with Grants, Compliance, Quality Assurance, Digital and other internal teams to maintain smooth service delivery.
• Champion an inclusive, accessible and customer centred experience culture: ensure the service meets accessibility and equality practice standards and role model behaviours that uphold organisational values and enhance overall customer trust.

Requirements

• Degree or equivalent work experience.
• Ability to interpret and apply detailed policy rules, eligibility criteria, evidence requirements and operational guidance for scheme policy and guidance.
• Knowledge of data protection, security standards, confidentiality obligations and requirements for accessible and equitable service delivery.
• Understanding of principles of procedural fairness, consistent decision making and root cause analysis of escalated cases in complaints and appeals processes.
• Familiarity with identifying, tracking and escalating risks, issues and incidents affecting customer service delivery.

Desirable

• Experience of working in public sector organisations, particularly with a central government remit.
• Experience of EU programmes and grant programme delivery, with strong understanding of how large client funded grant schemes operate across the full lifecycle.
• Experience in sectors such as UK Higher Education, Adult Education, Youth & Sport, Vocational Education Training, Schools.
• Experience in grant administration or other high scrutiny public facing services.
• Experience supporting complaint or appeal investigations, including drafting responses or collating evidence.
• Experience working in a contract managed environment with clients, auditors or external oversight bodies.
• Experience delivering improvements that reduce avoidable contact, increase right first time outcomes or enhance customer satisfaction.
• Customer Experience/Service qualification.

Compensation & Work Details

Contract Duration: Two year fixed term contract with possibility of extension. Pay band: 7. Salary: £30,839 gross per annum. Location: Belfast, Ireland. Right to work in the UK required; British Council does not support or sponsor work visa applications.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Statement

We are committed to equality, diversity and inclusion and welcome applications from all sections of the community. The British Council is a Disability Confident Employer. We guarantee an interview for disabled applicants who meet the minimum role requirements, and we welcome discussions about specific requirements or adjustments to enable participation and engagement in our work and activities.

Safeguarding Statement

The British Council is committed to safeguarding children, young people and adults who we work with. We believe that all children and adults everywhere deserve to live in safe environments and to be protected from all forms of abuse, maltreatment and exploitation. Appointment to positions with direct involvement in vulnerable groups will be contingent on thorough checks in line with legal requirements and the British Council's Safeguarding policies for Adults and Children.