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- Tasks: Lead customer support and manage complaints to ensure high-quality service.
- Company: Join the British Council, a leader in education and cultural engagement.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, professional development, and a commitment to diversity.
- Why this job: Make a real difference by enhancing customer experiences and driving improvements.
- Qualifications: Degree or equivalent experience in customer service and strong communication skills.
- Other info: Dynamic role with opportunities for growth and a focus on safeguarding.
The predicted salary is between 38820 - 38820 ÂŁ per year.
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.
Key Information
- Contract Duration: Two years fixed term contract with a possibility of an extension.
- Pay band: 8. Salary: ÂŁ38,820.
- Location: UK – London.
- Right to work: Right to work in the UK at the time of application. The British Council is not able to support or sponsor work visa applications.
- Closing Date: Applications will close at 23:59 on 29 April 2026 (UK Time).
Role
The postholder is responsible for managing the day‑to‑day operations of customer support, complaints handling, and appeals casework, ensuring that all services meet contractual obligations, regulatory requirements, and internal quality standards. They provide expert oversight of complex cases, guide frontline teams, and ensure that issues are resolved promptly, consistently, and with integrity. The role champions a culture of continuous improvement, using customer insight, trend analysis, and feedback to identify service risks and drive enhancements to processes, decision‑making frameworks, and customer communications. Working closely with the Head of Customer Experience, Appeals & Complaints, they help shape the customer experience strategy, support governance and assurance activity, and contribute to building a service that strengthens customer trust and protects the programme’s reputation. The postholder acts as a senior escalation point, ensures robust quality assurance across all casework, and supports workforce capability through coaching, guidance, and operational leadership. They play a pivotal role in ensuring the organisation delivers a consistent, responsive, and outcomes‑focused service to applicants, grant recipients, partners, and stakeholders throughout their journey.
Main Accountabilities
- Lead the day‑to‑day delivery of customer support, complaints handling, and appeals casework, ensuring consistent, timely, and high‑quality service.
- Accountable for team performance against the KPI’s and performance indicators.
- Oversee case allocation, workflow management, and team performance to meet service level agreements and contractual KPIs.
- Ensure all customer interactions and decisions are fair, transparent, evidence‑based, and compliant with regulatory and programme requirements.
- Act as the senior escalation point for sensitive, contentious, or complex complaints and appeals.
- Provide expert judgement, decision‑making support, and case resolution guidance to caseworkers and team leaders.
- Ensure risk factors, systemic issues, or reputational threats are identified early and escalated appropriately to the Head of Customer Experience, Appeals & Complaints.
- Implement and maintain robust quality assurance frameworks across all customer experience and casework activities.
- Monitor adherence to policies, regulations, data protection requirements, and audit expectations.
- Produce case reviews, quality reports, and recommendations to strengthen consistency and compliance.
- Analyse customer trends, complaint themes, and root causes to identify service gaps or areas for improvement.
- Lead operational improvement initiatives that enhance clarity, efficiency, and the customer experience.
- Contribute to policy and process revisions, ensuring customer impact is understood and reflected in decision‑making.
- Work collaboratively with Erasmus+ teams, legal advisors and senior stakeholders to resolve issues and ensure joined‑up customer experience.
- Provide insight into recurring problems with Erasmus+ colleagues to address root causes.
- Support the Head of Customer Experience, Appeals & Complaints in governance meetings, assurance activities, and external/internal reporting.
- Provide day‑to‑day leadership, coaching, and capability building for Customer Experience, Appeals & Complaints colleagues.
- Deliver training, guidance, and tools that strengthen decision‑making, communication skills, and customer‑centred practice.
- Foster a culture of fairness, professionalism, ownership, and continuous learning.
- Produce regular performance reports, dashboards, and case insights for the Head of Customer Experience, Appeals & Complaints.
- Monitor key metrics such as response times, customer satisfaction, and root‑cause trends.
- Ensure accurate, timely data recording and support audit or assurance reviews.
- Ensure the service upholds the highest standards of fairness, proportionality, and transparency at all times.
Requirements of the Role
- Degree or work‑equivalent experience.
- Knowledge of data protection, confidentiality requirements, and governance frameworks in customer‑facing operations.
- Experience operating in a regulated, high‑volume, or high‑risk customer environment.
- Ability to spot emerging risks, policy gaps, or reputational threats within customer service and casework.
- Ability to design and apply quality assurance mechanisms, case reviews, and consistency checks.
- Ability to design and embed service standards, workflows, and customer communication approaches.
- In‑depth knowledge of complaints procedures, appeals processes, and investigation techniques.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, able to convey complex decisions with clarity and fairness.
- Skilled at transforming data into actionable insight and evidence‑based recommendations.
- Comfortable producing reports, dashboards, or briefings for senior leadership.
Desirable
- Experience working with education, youth, or cultural engagement sectors.
- A customer service/experience related qualification is desirable.
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Statement
We are committed to equality, diversity and inclusion and welcome applications from all sections of the community as we believe that a diverse workforce gives added depth to our work. The British Council is a Disability Confident Employer. The Disability Confident scheme helps challenge attitudes, increase understanding of disability and ensure staff are drawn from the widest possible pool of talent. We guarantee an interview for disabled applicants who meet the minimum role requirements. 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 in the world deserve to live in safe environments and have the right to be protected from all forms of abuse, maltreatment and exploitation as set out in article 19, UNCRC (United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child) 1989. Appointment to positions where there is direct involvement with vulnerable groups will be dependent on thorough checks being completed in line with legal requirements and with the British Council’s Safeguarding policies for Adults and Children.
Contact
If you experience any difficulties with submitting your application, please email askhr@britishcouncil.org.
E+ Senior Customer Service Appeals & Complaints Manager employer: British Council
Contact Detail:
British Council Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land E+ Senior Customer Service Appeals & Complaints Manager
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to people in your field, attend industry events, and connect with potential colleagues on LinkedIn. You never know who might have the inside scoop on job openings or can put in a good word for you.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by researching the company and its values. Understand their mission and how your role as a Senior Customer Service Appeals & Complaints Manager fits into that. Tailor your answers to show how you can contribute to their goals.
✨Tip Number 3
Practice makes perfect! Conduct mock interviews with friends or family to get comfortable with common questions. Focus on articulating your experience in managing customer support and handling complaints effectively.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen. Plus, it shows you’re genuinely interested in being part of our team at the British Council.
We think you need these skills to ace E+ Senior Customer Service Appeals & Complaints Manager
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your Application: Make sure to customise your application to highlight how your experience aligns with the role. Use keywords from the job description to show that you understand what we're looking for.
Showcase Your Skills: Don’t just list your skills; demonstrate them! Use specific examples from your past experiences that showcase your ability to handle customer complaints and appeals effectively.
Be Clear and Concise: Keep your writing clear and to the point. We appreciate well-structured applications that are easy to read, so avoid jargon and long-winded sentences.
Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to apply directly through our website. It’s the best way to ensure your application gets to us without any hiccups, and you’ll find all the info you need there!
How to prepare for a job interview at British Council
✨Know Your Stuff
Before the interview, dive deep into the British Council's mission and values. Understand their approach to customer service, especially in handling complaints and appeals. This will help you align your answers with their expectations and demonstrate your genuine interest in the role.
✨Showcase Your Experience
Prepare specific examples from your past roles that highlight your experience in managing customer support and complaints. Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to structure your responses, focusing on how you resolved complex issues and improved service quality.
✨Ask Insightful Questions
At the end of the interview, have a few thoughtful questions ready. Inquire about the current challenges the team faces or how they measure success in customer satisfaction. This shows your proactive mindset and eagerness to contribute positively to the organisation.
✨Demonstrate Leadership Skills
Since this role involves coaching and leading a team, be prepared to discuss your leadership style. Share examples of how you've developed team capabilities and fostered a culture of continuous improvement. Highlight your ability to inspire and guide others in a customer-focused environment.