Ask4Help assistant

Ask4Help is Northumbria University's professional, sector-leading frontline service, which provides our students with information, guidance, advice and support throughout their time with us. We operate a 24/7 service across multiple locations and channels of contact: in-person at our City and Coach Lane campuses; by phone using specialist contact-centre technology, and online via the University's Student Portal. Our staff are skilled at working across all of these channels, and are committed to delivering a high-quality service under the ethos of 'Every Student Counts'. As an Ask4Help assistant, you will deal with inbound contact from students and other service-users, and work within agreed parameters to provide resolutions to enquiries and requests. You will receive training to enable you to assist students with a wide range of topics, including: study skills and library usage; careers and employment; welfare and finance; academic progression; and access to wellbeing services like our Mental Health and Accessibility and Inclusion teams. Working across these different areas provides an excellent opportunity to develop an in-depth working knowledge of Higher Education and create strong relations with teams throughout the University. Further information is available in the Please note that this role involves overnight shift-work, and you will be required to work at our Newcastle City Campus, work on some Bank Holidays, and wear a telephone headset. We are currently recruiting to fill a vacant nightshift position.

• This role will require you to work on rotation, with three nights on-shift followed by six nights off.
• Each shift will run from 23:00 to 08:10 the following morning.
• You will be expected to work 36 weeks of the year. The remaining 16 non-working weeks are split between a break over the Christmas period (approx. two weeks) and a longer break over the summer, from the end of May to mid-September (14 weeks).
• Your salary will be approximately 44% of the full-time equivalent.
ABOUT THE TEAM Ask4Help is part of the , which in turn is part of the department within Northumbria University. We are a friendly, dynamic and inclusive team, with a strong commitment to providing students and stakeholders with the highest levels of customer service and satisfaction. We hold Customer Service Excellence (CSE) accreditation from the UK Cabinet Office, which requires us to consistently achieve high standards in service provision. Our focus is on enabling a successful student journey; from application and enrolment through to completion, award and beyond. As a member of our team, you will work within an open-plan environment, based in the University's Student Central locations, and will receive unwavering support from your colleagues and line managers.

To be successful in the role you will be able to demonstrate outstanding customer service skills, a high level of self-motivation, excellent communication skills that enable you to deal with challenging situations, and the ability to act on your own initiative. We use a customer relationship management system, alongside various digital reference tools, to ensure consistency in enquiry responses, and you should therefore be comfortable and proficient in the use of IT systems as part of your regular duties.

Join Northumbria University, a research-intensive institution unlocking potential and changing lives locally and globally. Named Times Higher Education's in 2022 and in 2025, we rank top 25 in the UK for research power. Discover more . With over 37,000 students from 140 countries, we offer world-leading research, award-winning partnerships, and an outstanding student experience. We empower our exceptional staff, promoting a positive work-life balance and offering great benefits, including excellent pension schemes, flexible working, generous holiday entitlement and . Our Northumbria Values, co-created by our team, define who we are: Academic Excellence, Innovation, Inclusivity, Collaboration, and Ambition. Our Behaviours shape our work culture: We listen and learn, support one another, respect everyone, trust each other, and are bold. Based in Newcastle upon Tyne and London, we are an on-campus organisation and offer flexible hours and location where the role allows. We pride ourselves on diversity and inclusivity, holding numerous awards for gender and race equality, disability confidence, and research excellence. We also hold the HR Excellence in Research award for implementing the concordat supporting the career Development of Researchers and are members of the initiative to deliver information and support to professional researchers. The University has implemented a range of flexible working arrangements, and we are happy to explore candidate requirements as part of the recruitment process.