Customer Services Assistant

About Us

Newham College London, now merged with NewVIc Sixth Form College, is the largest post‑16 education provider in Newham. With campuses in East Ham, Stratford, Plaistow, and the London City Institute of Technology (LCIoT) in Canning Town, we serve over 11,000 students across a range of pathways – including 16–18 study, adult education, apprenticeships, and higher education. With over 800 staff, four main campuses, and an annual turnover of £60 million, Newham College is one of the borough’s largest employers and plays a key role in driving local economic and community development.

The Role

We are looking for a friendly, professional and customer‑focused individual to join our team as a Customer Services Assistant. You will provide a high‑quality front‑of‑house service, acting as a key point of contact for learners, staff and visitors across the College. The role involves delivering professional, welcoming and efficient customer service in person, over the phone and via email, helping ensure a positive experience across all interactions. This is a part‑time role working 25 hours per week, Monday to Friday, with fixed working hours of 8.30 am – 1.30 pm. These working hours are a core requirement of the role and are non‑negotiable. The role will have a designated main campus base; however, you will also be required to travel and work across multiple College campuses and centres to provide operational support where needed.

Key Responsibilities

• Deliver front‑of‑house reception services, including evening and occasional weekend cover on a rota basis.
• Welcome and assist learners, visitors, and staff, providing accurate information, advice, and support.
• Manage enquiries via telephone, email, and face‑to‑face, ensuring responses meet service standards.
• Maintain visitor procedures, including sign‑in, issuing badges, and communicating safeguarding and health & safety information.
• Respond to enquiries in a timely and professional manner, including monitoring shared inboxes.
• Provide up‑to‑date information on courses, enrolment, and eligibility criteria.
• Support enrolment periods and college‑wide activities and events.
• Contribute to continuous improvement of reception processes and customer service delivery.
• Work collaboratively with colleagues while using initiative to resolve queries and escalate issues when needed.
• Ensure compliance with college policies, including safeguarding, health & safety, IT use, and equality standards.

Our Ideal Candidate Should Have the Following Qualifications, Skills and Experience

• Minimum Level 2 (or equivalent) in English and Maths.
• Previous experience in a customer service, reception, or administrative role.
• Experience managing a high volume of enquiries across multiple channels (phone, email, and in person).
• Understanding of delivering high standards of professional customer care.
• Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written.
• Confident user of Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook).
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Ability to quickly learn and communicate new information clearly.

Safeguarding of Children and Vulnerable Adults

In line with Keeping Children Safe in Education, all employment offers are subject to employment checks. These include (some of which are dependent on the role and the individual): Enhanced DBS including Children’s Barred List check, DfE teaching/management Barred List check, online searches, overseas criminal record check, evidence of identity and Right to Work in the UK, satisfactory references, confirmation of medical fitness, evidence of relevant qualifications and a check of previous employment history. The College is committed to safeguarding and promotes the welfare of all learners and expects its staff to share this commitment. You will be required to become familiar with the College's policies, and comply with the requirements to safeguard and protect the welfare of children and young people and vulnerable adults. All staff are asked to complete mandatory training in relation to KCSIE and other key areas, and to read the relevant policies.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

The College has a strong commitment to working towards the implementation of equality of opportunity in both service delivery and employment. The College’s mission and strategic objectives directly support this aim. All employees are required to actively support the development, dissemination and implementation of this aim and related policies and programmes.

Benefits

The salary for this position is inclusive of London weighting. Please note that we advertise our salaries on a range to indicate the trajectory of progression that can be made. Appointments are usually made at the start of the salary range.