Advanced Associate - Customer Service

Pearson; Manchester; Hybrid; GBP 32,000 - 42,000; Full time

Job summary

Pearson in Manchester is seeking an Advanced Associate, Customer Support to act as the second-line expert behind the national assessment programme. You will own and resolve complex queries from schools and authorities, supporting frontline advisors and coordinating internal or external teams to reach resolution.

Based on a hybrid Manchester role, you will review Tier 1 interactions, calibrate quality, and contribute to training and process improvements.

Qualifications

• Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
• A self-motivated, curious and proactive approach.
• Strong problem-solving and critical-thinking ability.
• Experience handling challenging customer-service situations, escalations or complex case resolution.
• Excellent organisation and attention to detail.
• Ability to work independently while collaborating across teams and partners.
• Confidence using Microsoft Office, including Excel, Word and PowerPoint.
• Adaptability and willingness to work flexibly in a dynamic environment.
• Experience in education assessments or customer-satisfaction metrics is advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Own and resolve complex customer queries and escalations from schools, local authorities, markers, test administrators and other stakeholders.
• Support Tier 1 advisors with difficult queries and help improve first-contact resolution.
• Investigate service-recovery cases following poor customer feedback and ensure the underlying query is resolved.
• Monitor assigned workloads, prioritise cases and keep activity moving within service levels and performance targets.
• Review Tier 1 interactions through quality calibration and audits, including two Tier 1 audits a week.
• Identify recurring contact drivers, process gaps and knowledge issues, then work with relevant teams to improve service.
• Build detailed knowledge of assessment processes, policies, systems and operational procedures.
• Contribute to operational readiness, testing, training, lessons learned and continuous improvement.

Skills

Strong communication

Self-motivated

Problem solving

Customer service experience

MS Office

Tools

Excel

PowerPoint

Word

Job description

Job Title – Advanced Associate, Customer Support

Description - Be the second-line expert behind a high-profile UK assessment programme, resolving the customer issues that need deeper investigation while helping frontline advisors deliver a consistently strong service. Also known in the market as: Customer Support Specialist; Customer Service Escalations Specialist; Tier 2 Support Specialist; Customer Experience Specialist.

About the Role

You will act as a subject matter expert and escalation point for complex customer enquiries and operational issues, supporting the delivery of the National Curriculum Assessment SATs programme. You will take ownership of difficult cases, investigate what has happened and coordinate the right internal or external support to reach resolution.

You will also help Tier 1 advisors succeed by answering complex queries, reviewing quality, identifying knowledge gaps and contributing to training and process improvements. Customer insight, case data and service feedback will help you spot recurring issues and improve how the service operates.

This is a permanent, full-time role based in Manchester on a hybrid basis. The role requires flexibility during the peak assessment period, when the service operates extended hours across seven days.

What You’ll Do

• Own and resolve complex customer queries and escalations from schools, local authorities, markers, test administrators and other stakeholders.

• Support Tier 1 advisors with difficult queries and help improve first-contact resolution.

• Investigate service-recovery cases following poor customer feedback and ensure the underlying query is resolved.

• Monitor assigned workloads, prioritise cases and keep activity moving within service levels and performance targets.

• Review Tier 1 interactions through quality calibration and audits, including two Tier 1 audits a week.

• Identify recurring contact drivers, process gaps and knowledge issues, then work with relevant teams to improve service.

• Build detailed knowledge of assessment processes, policies, systems and operational procedures.

• Contribute to operational readiness, testing, training, lessons learned and continuous improvement.

What We’re Looking For

• Strong communication and interpersonal skills.

• A self-motivated, curious and proactive approach.

• Strong problem-solving and critical-thinking ability.

• Experience handling challenging customer-service situations, escalations or complex case resolution.

• Excellent organisation and attention to detail.

• Ability to work independently while collaborating effectively across teams and outsourced partners.

• Confidence using Microsoft Office, including Excel, Word and PowerPoint.

• Adaptability and willingness to work flexibly in a dynamic operational environment.

• Experience in education assessments such as SATs, customer service, continuous improvement, or customer-satisfaction metrics is advantageous.

Location & Working Pattern

Manchester, UK, hybrid. The team generally works together in the office two days a week. The contracted week is 37.5 hours. During the peak period from May to the end of June, rotational shifts support extended operational hours of 08:00-21:00 Monday-Friday and 08:00-20:00 at weekends and on bank holidays. Days off are adjusted within the week so contracted hours are not exceeded. Annual leave during the peak period is restricted except in exceptional circumstances at management discretion.

Why Join Pearson?

This role combines hands-on customer problem-solving with the opportunity to improve the service behind a nationally significant assessment cycle. You will work across customer service, operations, technology and analysis, building expertise while turning real customer and operational insight into practical improvements.

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Who we are:

At Pearson, our purpose is simple: to help people realize the life they imagine through learning. We believe that every learning opportunity is a chance for a personal breakthrough. We are the world's lifelong learning company. For us, learning isn't just what we do. It's who we are. To learn more: We are Pearson.

Pearson is an Equal Opportunity Employer and a member of E-Verify. Employment decisions are based on qualifications, merit and business need. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, ethnicity, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, national origin, protected veteran status, disability status or any other group protected by law. We actively seek qualified candidates who are protected veterans and individuals with disabilities as defined under VEVRAA and Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act.

If you are an individual with a disability and are unable or limited in your ability to use or access our career site as a result of your disability, you may request reasonable accommodations by emailing [e-mail].

Job: Customer Success

Job Family: GO_TO_MARKET

Organization: Assessment & Qualifications

Schedule: FULL_TIME

Workplace Type: Hybrid

Req ID: 26368