Applicant Relations Adviser

Purpose of the role

Working within the Applicant Relations team in UAL’s central Student Marketing, Recruitment and Admissions (SMRA) department, as an Applicant Relations Adviser you will deliver a first-rate customer experience by providing accurate, tailored and timely responses to enquiries from domestic and international prospective students (and those who support them), both before and during their application journey, all the way through to enrolment (where applicable).

The Applicant Relations and Admissions Service can be contacted by email, live chat and telephone. Our applicants can also contact us using their UAL Portal. Further channels may become available as the service continues to grow.

You will use a variety of systems and information sources to support your work in a fast-paced, time-sensitive and performance-driven environment working to agreed key performance indicators. You will contribute to the development of, and adhere to, the processes, policies, frameworks and guidance related to effective and efficient enquiry management that meets or exceeds what our prospective students expect from our Service.

You will connect with colleagues across Student Marketing, Recruitment and Admissions (SMRA) and those in frontline teams across the University centrally and within Colleges to ensure you build the wide-ranging knowledge required to resolve or triage a breadth of prospective student enquiries (or enquiries from those who support them). The post plays a key role in contributing towards UAL’s student recruitment ambitions.

You will bring a deep customer care ethos and attention to detail that will drive every aspect of your work. You will have the ability to understand what an enquirer is asking and to respond appropriately utilising their comprehension, listening, writing and speaking skills.

Key duties and responsibilities

• Obtain and showcase a deep customer care ethos that drives every aspect of your work.
• Work as a part of a fast-paced, time-sensitive and performance-driven omnichannel Applicant Relations team to deliver a first-rate customer experience by providing accurate, tailored and timely responses to enquiries from domestic and international prospective students (and those who support them), both before and during their application journey, all the way through to enrolment (where applicable).
• Within defined parameters, use of a wide range of skills and/or knowledge based on qualifications and/or experience to meet or exceed prospective student expectations of our Applicant Relations and Admissions Service, working to key performance indicators. Skills include but aren’t limited to attention to detail, comprehension, listening, writing and speaking.
• Utilise a variety of systems and information sources including but not limited to Salesforce CRM enquiry management functions, our chosen Student Records System, live chat, softphones, Microsoft Office applications, intranets and websites to deliver an effective and efficient enquiry handling service.
• Build productive relationships with colleagues across Student Marketing, Recruitment and Admissions (SMRA) and those in frontline teams across the University centrally and within Colleges to ensure you build the wide-ranging knowledge required to resolve or triage a breadth of prospective student enquiries (or enquiries from those who support them).
• Contribute to the development of, and adhere to, the processes, policies, frameworks and guidance needed to provide an excellent Applicant Relations and Admissions Service.
• Proactively engage with a continuous programme of training and development to ensure you acquire and maintain the knowledge needed to for the role, including but not limited to a robust understanding of UAL’s admissions processes and policies.
• Work under direction of the Applicant Relations Team Leader but with some flexibility about how to organise own work.
• Some freedom to use own initiative to solve problems within the scope of the role and following the successful completion of our mandatory training and induction programme.
• Supervision of tasks undertaken by other staff as a part of a peer-to-peer development programme.

  Key working relationships

  General duties

  These duties below are in addition to the duties and responsibilities listed above:

• Perform duties and tasks consistent within the scope and grade of your role as reasonably may be expected and assigned to you from anywhere within the university.
• Undertake health and safety duties and responsibilities appropriate to the role.
• Work in accordance with the University’s Staff Charter and Dignity at Work Policy, ensuring equality, diversity and inclusion in your work to fulfil the University's obligations under the Equality Act.
• Undertake continuous personal and professional development, and to support it for any staff you manage through effective use of the University’s Planning and Review Conversations (PRC) scheme and staff development opportunities.
• Make full use of all information and communication technologies to meet the requirements of the role and to promote organisational effectiveness.
• Conduct all financial matters associated with the role in accordance with the University’s policies and procedures, as laid down in the Financial Regulations.
• Contribute to the University’s Climate Action Plan which sets out our principles, commitments and goals towards climate justice and our socio-environmental purpose.

• Applicant Relations and Admissions Service management and peers.
• Student Marketing, Recruitment and Admissions colleagues centrally and within Colleges.
• Frontline teams centrally and within Colleges who may engage with prospective students.
• Student Systems and CRM teams.

This section provides the essential and desirable criteria you will need to demonstrate you meet as part of the recruitment process.

Experience, knowledge and qualifications

• Knowledge of and experience working in Higher Education student recruitment and/or admissions is desirable.
• Demonstrable customer service and administrative experience, including experience of handling enquiries by email and live chat, supported with the ability to showcase a customer care ethos in all you do.
• Experience of working in a fast-paced, time-sensitive and performance-driven environment, working to agreed key performance indicators.
• Ability to demonstrate well-developed attention to detail, comprehension, listening, writing and speaking skills.
• Ability to acquire and maintain a breath of specialist knowledge utilising complex and evolving information sources.
• Experience of Microsoft Office applications and/or CRM or Student Record systems.

  Communication skills

• Communicates effectively orally, in writing and/or using visual media.

  Planning and managing resources

• Plans, prioritises and organises work to achieve objectives on time.

  Teamwork

• Works collaboratively in a team or with different professional groups, ensuring the principles of equality, diversity and inclusion are upheld.

  Student experience or customer service

• Provides a positive and responsive student or customer service.

  Creativity, innovation and problem-solving

• Uses initiative or creativity to resolve problems.