Customer Support Associate (SST) in Newcastle upon Tyne

Business Unit: Customer Operations, Customer Support Salary range: £23,500 - £27,000 per annum DOE benefits Location: UK Hybrid with travel to local hub Glasgow/Gosforth/Leeds Make a Real Impact as a Specialist Support Associate We’re excited to offer a rewarding opportunity to join our Specialist Support Team—a group dedicated to helping customers with complex needs, such as serious mental health challenges or multiple vulnerabilities, who may struggle to manage their everyday banking. In this role, you’ll provide compassionate, tailored support through both telephony and back-office channels. You’ll work closely with internal teams across our stores and contact centres, as well as external partners including third-party charities, to ensure our customers receive the care and assistance they need. If you’re empathetic, collaborative, and passionate about making a difference, we’d love to hear from you. What you’ll be doing Understanding and responding to the needs of our customers, including those who are vulnerable, by identifying the right support and solutions tailored to their circumstances. Collaborating with colleagues across the bank—including stores and contact centres—as well as external third parties such as solicitors and debt charities, to ensure customers receive comprehensive support. Recognising when a situation requires specialist input and confidently referring to the appropriate resources. Sharing your knowledge and best practices to help others succeed and contribute to a culture of continuous improvement. Working respectfully and collaboratively with your team, fostering a supportive environment where everyone is focused on delivering excellent customer outcomes. Building strong working relationships across the team and wider bank to ensure a seamless and compassionate customer experience. We need you to have Previous experience supporting vulnerable customers with empathy and care—asking the right questions and offering meaningful assistance. Superb communication and listening skills, with the ability to understand and respond to individual customer situations. A high level of confidence in handling customer interactions, whether face-to-face or over the phone, in a service or support role. An adaptable and flexible approach, ready to meet the changing needs of customers and the business. A clear understanding of the importance of performance and customer satisfaction. Awareness of policies and regulatory requirements, and how they apply in a customer support setting. Strong organisational skills and the ability to stay motivated and manage your own workload effectively. Red Hot Rewards Generous holidays - 38.5 days annual leave (including bank holidays and prorated if part-time) plus the option to buy more. Up to five extra paid well-being days per year . 20 weeks paid, gender-neutral family leave (52 weeks in total) for expectant parents and those looking to adopt. Market-leading pension. Free private medical cover, income protection and life assurance. Flexible benefits include Cycle to Work, wellness and health assessments, and critical illness. And there\'s no waiting around, you\'ll enjoy these benefits from day one. If we’re lucky to receive a lot of interest, we may close the advert early. Please ensure to submit your applications as soon as possible. Say hello to Virgin Money Virgin Money is so much more than just a bank. As part of the Nationwide group, together we\'re the UK\'s first full-service mutual bank serving millions of retail and business customers and all driven by our purpose ; Banking but fairer, more rewarding and for the good of society. With us, you’ll be part of an organisation uniquely positioned to make a difference to the lives of customers, communities and broader society and embark on a collaborative, customer obsessed, and fun-filled career journey. Embrace the weekdays, enjoy fantastic perks, and make a meaningful positive difference. Time to discover what it means to be part of the first mutual full-service banking provider. Be yourself at Virgin Money At Virgin Money, we celebrate everyone. We have fun, think big, and relentlessly include each other, all in pursuit of our purpose: Banking – but fairer, more rewarding, and for the good of society. We’re committed to creating an inclusive culture where colleagues feel safe and inspired to contribute, speak up and be heard. As a Disability Confident Leader, we\'re committed to removing any obstacles to inclusion. If you need any reasonable adjustments or support making your application, contact our Talent Acquisition team careers@virginmoney.com Please note: If we receive a high volume of eligible applications, we may need to prioritise candidates whose skills and experience most closely align with the role, while still ensuring fair and equitable consideration for all applicants. Now the legal bit Although some of our roles allow you to be based anywhere in the UK, we\'ll need you to confirm you have the right to work in the UK. If you\'re successful in securing a role with us, there are some checks you need to complete before starting. These include credit and criminal record checks and three years\' worth of satisfactory references. If the role is part of the Senior Manager Regime and Certification Regime, it requires enhanced pre-employment checks – we\'ll ask for six years of regulatory references, and once in the role, you\'ll be subject to periodic employment checks.