Administrative Officer

Old Moat; Manchester; On-site; GBP 25,000 - 30,000; Full time

Job summary

A local council in Manchester is seeking a dedicated individual to support the school admission appeals service. This role involves administrative tasks, scheduling hearings, and liaising with parents and schools. The ideal candidate should exhibit excellent keyboard skills, attention to detail, and a customer-focused attitude. This position offers full-time hours with numerous benefits including holidays and a local government pension scheme.

Benefits

Generous holiday allowance

Pension enrollment in local government scheme

Enhanced parental leave

Access to various discounts

Professional development opportunities

Qualifications

• Personal resilience and initiative to resolve queries.
• Ability to manage time and adhere to deadlines.
• Experience dealing with parents and school representatives.

Responsibilities

• Provide support for admission appeals service.
• Schedule appeal hearings and set up hearing panels.
• Maintain training records and arrange training.

Skills

Excellent keyboard skills

Attention to detail

Customer service

Tools

Appeals Pro

Various IT systems

Job description

About The Role

Working Hours: 35 hours per week / full time - office based
Contract Type: Permanent
Closing Date: 11.59pm, 25 August 2025
Interview method: in person

The main duties of this role will be to provide support to the school place admission appeals service for schools across Manchester and outside. The post will be within the Governance and Scrutiny Support Unit. You will be based within the Town Hall Extension building and you will be required to deal with various queries efficiently and courteously with tact and diplomacy.

You will need personal resilience and initiative to resolve queries at the first point of contact or escalate when appropriate within agreed timescales and procedures.

This role will also include general administrative tasks to support admission appeals and exclusion appeals. This will include scheduling appeal hearings across the year, setting up hearing panels, frequent contact with parents and schools, arranging payment of panel member expenses, maintaining training records and arranging training. You will deal with enquiries both written and verbal, from a wide range of internal and external customers, completing all documentation and correspondence accurately and to a high standard. Attention to detail is key and you must be able to prioritise your work, manage your time and be able to adhere to deadlines and follow procedures.

You will be required to enter and retrieve confidential information the internal ICT system (Appeals Pro). Excellent keyboard skills and a knowledge of various IT systems are essential.

About the Candidate

You are someone who will contribute to the goals of the appeals team through the provision of high quality business support, this will be customer focused, flexible and timely. In this way you will contribute to the achievement of objectives of a fast moving and busy operational service.

You will also deal with parents of school children and school representatives in a friendly, courteous and helpful manner and provide help to other schools in the city.

You will be expected to take responsibility of a task to ensure it is completed in a timely manner.

You will be expected to deal with a high volume of appeal requests and arrangements during the year.

You will have good keyboard skills and will be required to undergo training on the 'Appeals Pro' software in the administration of appeals.

About Us

We’re the local council for one of the UK’s most vibrant and diverse cities.

Working for Manchester isn’t just a job – it’s an opportunity to contribute to a city that leads change and transforms lives. Whether it’s strengthening communities or driving innovation in public services, you’ll play a vital role in creating opportunities and shaping a brighter future for everyone.

Our Manchester is our vision for a fairer, greener, and healthier city – a vision shaped by the people of Manchester. It guides everything we do at the Council and is brought to life through the Our Manchester behaviours:

• We take time to listen and understand
• We work together and trust each other
• We show that we value our differences and treat each other fairly
• We ‘own it’ and we’re not afraid to try new things
• We’re proud and passionate about Manchester

Benefits we offer

• Generous holiday allowance- Enjoy up to 26 days annual leave per year plus bank holidays. Increasing to 31 days after five years of local government service. Want more leave? You can purchase up to two additional weeks.
• A buzzing pension- You’ll be enrolled in the UK’s largest local government pension scheme, with plenty of options to top up your benefits. Includes life cover of three-times your salary as a lump sum.
• Enhanced parental and carers leave- Take advantage of our enhanced family leave options, designed to provide ample time for you to bond with your new born or support your family during critical life events.
• Brilliant perks- Access a range of discounts, from saving on the weekly shop to holidays and days out with MCR+. Plus discounts on phone contracts, cycle to work scheme, free flu jabs and eye tests, and more.
• Learn and grow- We are dedicated to nurturing talent and providing you with the tools to thrive. Take part in a diverse set of learning opportunities, from workshops and training sessions through to apprenticeships and qualifications. All this begins with our comprehensive onboarding process.
• A Good Employment Charter member- We are committed to offering secure, flexible work and embedding fairness into everything we do. We review pay annually, recognize three trade unions, and are constantly working to offer the best possible health and wellbeing support throughout all stages of your working life.
• Up to 3 days volunteering leave- Give back to the community with three days pro-rate of paid volunteering leave, in addition to existing benefits.

Creating an Inclusive Team at Manchester City Council

At Manchester City Council, we’re dedicated to creating a workplace that truly reflects the diversity of the communities we serve. We actively welcome applications from people of all ages and backgrounds, particularly from Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic communities, Disabled people and young people.

Support During the Process

• Interview Adjustments: Let us know if you need any adjustments to demonstrate your suitability during the interview.
• Accessible Formats: Our ReciteMe tool can be accessed through the "Accessibility tools" button at the top of ourcareers page. This tool offers features like text-to-speech, translation into multiple languages, and adjustable text size and colour to make our site more accessible for everyone.

Guaranteed Assessment Scheme

We guarantee assessments for applicants who meet the minimumshortlisting requirements for the role and identify with at least one of the criteria below:

• Members of the Armed Forces members or veterans

• Current or former care leavers

• Have a disability or long-term condition
• If you have completed the GM Elevate (Leadership Development) Programme or any MCC positive action programme

If you have completed the GM Elevate (Leadership Development) Programme, please indicate this within the Supporting Statement section of your application.

When You Join Us

We’re a Disability Confident Employer, offering:

• A workplace adjustment hub which provides specialist support, advice and guidance to ensure you have the adjustments needed to thrive at work.
• Disabled Staff Network, Neurodiversity Staff Network and Mental Health Staff Network that provides a safe inclusive space to share experiences and opportunities to influence council practice.
• A strong commitment to ensuring all information adheres to accessibility standards and that our workplaces are accessible and disability-friendly.

For more information about the role or any adjustments, email [e-mail].

What we will need from you if you’re successful

In accordance with Home Office guidance, successful candidates must evidence their right to work in the UK before commencement ofemployment.This is not arole we consider to be eligible for sponsorship under the Skilled Worker route based on Manchester City Council policy. Candidates are therefore encouraged to consider their own right to work options without the requirement for Manchester City Council sponsorship.

Pre-Employment Checks

If you are successful in securing a position with us, the pre-employment checks required will depend on the role you’ve applied for. As a guide, these checks may include:

• Proof of Right to Work: You’ll need to provide documentary evidence of your right to work in the UK. Please note, visa sponsorship is not guaranteed for this role.
• References: We’ll require references from your current and previous employer(s).
• Proof of Qualifications: Evidence of qualifications relevant to the role will be required.
• Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Check: A criminal record check may be necessary, depending on the role.
• Proof of Manchester Residency: For some roles, you may need to demonstrate that you reside within the boundaries of Manchester City Council.
• Police Vetting: Some roles may require police vetting to ensure suitability for accessing sensitive law enforcement systems or information.
• Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) Clearance: BPSS clearance is primarily used for roles that involve access to government data, systems, or assets. It ensures that individuals meet basic security requirements and can be trusted with sensitive information
• Driving Licence: If the role requires driving, we’ll need evidence of your valid driving licence.

These checks are an important part of our commitment to ensuring the safety and security of our workforce and the community we serve.

Other relevant information

We want everyone to be able to be themselves at work and give their best. If you need additional support to undertake the duties of the role, we’ll make every effort to source any necessary aids, adaptations or equipment. If, however, any task proves to be unachievable, we will look at redesigning parts of the role.

For more information about the role, please ensure that you read the role profile attached.

Calculate your take home pay. Use this service to estimate how much Income Tax and National Insurance you should pay for the current tax year.

Privacy Notice