Funding Services Helpdesk Manager

UK Research and Innovation; Swindon; On-site; GBP 32,000; Full time

Job summary

UK Research and Innovation invites applications for a Helpdesk Manager position in Swindon. The successful candidate will lead a team providing high-level customer support, ensuring service delivery, quality control, and continuous improvement across the Funding Services Helpdesk. This is an excellent opportunity for those with strong customer service experience and a good grasp of grant processes.

Benefits

Defined benefit pension scheme

Excellent holiday entitlement

Employee shopping/travel discounts

Salary sacrifice cycle to work scheme

Qualifications

• Experience in a Customer Service environment.
• Line Management experience.
• Understanding of Data Protection regulations.

Responsibilities

• Manage the Funding Services helpdesk functions and staff.
• Ensure high-quality responses and adherence to service standards.
• Drive continuous improvement and team performance.

Skills

Analytical Skills

Problem-Solving Skills

Verbal Communication

Written Communication

Education

A Level or above

Job description

This job is brought to you by Jobs/Redefined, the UK's leading over-50s age inclusive jobs board.

Salary: £31,931
Hours: Full time
Contract Type: Open Ended
Location: Polaris House, Swindon, Wiltshire
Grade: D

Closing Date: Thursday 15 th June 2023

Job Overview:

This post sits within UKRI Funding Services. The role is to manage the Funding Services Helpdesk leading the team to provide support to users on behalf of UKRI. The Helpdesk provides the first point of contact for applicants, award holders and Research Organisation Support staff, as well as internally supporting users. The purpose of this role is to ensure that the Helpdesk team maximise Service Delivery through high performance, meeting targets and positively improve customer satisfaction. You will provide support by effectively managing the resources, activities and output of the team, through the management of a number of Helpdesk Specialists. The activities cover:

• Taking responsibility to ensure that the team continue to deliver a very high standard of professional and quality responses to technical and administrative enquiries and questions that are received through the Helpdesk, ensuring that PIs, CPIs and SLAs are met and exceeded.
• Quality monitoring and feedback
• Resource
• Training and skills development
• Continuous Improvement projects
• Line management of the Helpdesk Customer Advisors

You will coach, develop and performance manage the individual team members that report to this role to achieve personal and corporate objectives, including quality monitoring output, resource and capacity planning. In addition, you will provide support to other areas within the Systems and Technical Support teams as required and where resourcing and priorities permit.

You will ensure that changes to processes are communicated to the team, and where appropriate training is provided. You will also ensure that processes are followed, ensuring attention to detail as part of UKRI Funding Services commitment to drive quality and a 'right first time' approach.

Where issues arise you will liaise with other supporting teams within UKRI Funding Services to analyse, problem solve and implement remedial actions, whilst striving towards continuous improvements that will create improved efficiencies throughout the process(es).

Activities will depend upon the area that you occupy as agreed with line management, and the role will be supplemented by a number of SMART objectives.

Depending upon the volumes and business requirements staff can be redeployed to ensure business continuity and performances are met.

Key Responsibilities:

• Effectively manage the Funding Services helpdesk functions
• Performance management of the team to include performance reviews, regular 1:1s, coaching and mentoring
• Ensure the allocation of routine work is updated and communicated to the team
• Ensure all required documentation in support of processing is in place and up to date (e.g. SOPs, Business Rules)
• Ensure that the necessary checks and controls are in place to meet SLAs (accuracy and quality)
• Manage the processes within an agreed set of Service Level Agreements (SLA), Performance Indicators (PIs) and Business Rules (BRs)
• Ensure deadlines are met within agreed timescales as directed through SLA, PIs or CPIs
• Where issues arise or non-routine processes are required, liaise with other supporting teams to ensure analysis is completed and resolutions applied as appropriate
• Liaise with UK SBS ISS or TFS Technical support on system issues affecting System Users
• Liaise with ROST Data Analysts on system issues affecting the support team
• Respond accurately to raised enquiries and respond to any associated raised activities within required timescales
• Liaise professionally with internal and external customers to ensure timely resolution of questions, queries and issues
• Provide support to System Administrative Users in ROs to enable them to support their internal users.
• Act as "Ambassador" for the System Support team demonstrating the system functionality
• Work closely with line manager to ensure Systems meets regulatory requirements as governed by the Data Protection Act
• Role Model a drive for high Customer Satisfaction, good communications and managing expectations
• Drive continuous improvement through the feedback of issues and trends
• Build relations within UKRI Funding Services to build upon performance and capability
• Monitor the closing dates of calls / opportunities
• Production of quality MI on a weekly / monthly basis to facilitate team performance and to advise senior management for assurance purposes.
• Ensure a very high level of quality is maintained through appropriate checks as part of the Risk & Control framework, feedback, and reporting.
• Attend customer / supplier / research organisation visits assisting and delivering training and awareness sessions which contribute to building an effective working relationship between UKRI and its clients.
• Share, support and mentor staff from other areas to increase knowledge and expertise across the funding service teams for more flexible working.
• Provide support for system releases at appropriate times including assisting with UAT
• Services

Person Specification:

Essential

• A level or above/relevant experience
• Experience working in a similar role
• Experience working in a Customer Service environment
• Line Management Experience
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Strong understanding of the end-to-end Grants processes
• Strong understanding of UKRI grants systems
• Strong understanding of Data Protection regulations

Desirable

• Understanding of the UKRI Research Outcomes Process

About UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)

UKRI launched in April 2018, UKRI is a non-departmental public body sponsored by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT).

Our organisation brings together the seven disciplinary research councils, Research England, which is responsible for supporting research and knowledge exchange at higher education institutions in England, and the UK's innovation agency, Innovate UK. Together we build an independent organisation with a strong voice and vision to ensure the UK maintains its world-leading position in research and innovation. More information can be found at www.ukri.org .

Choosing to come to work at UKRI means that you will have access to a whole host of benefits from a defined benefit pension scheme, excellent holiday entitlement, access to employee shopping/travel discounts and salary sacrifice cycle to work scheme. For more details, visit benefits of working for UKRI .

The role holder will be required to have the appropriate level of security screening/vetting required for the role. UKRI reserves the right to run or re-run security clearance as required during the course of employment.

How we support EDI in the workforce

At UKRI, we believe that everyone has a right to be treated with dignity and respect, and to be provided with equal opportunities to thrive and succeed in an environment that enables them to do so. We also value diversity of thought and experience within inclusive groups, organisations and the wider community. For further information, please visit ' How we support EDI in the workforce '.

Disability Confident Employer

As users of the disability confident scheme, we guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the vacancy/ies. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.

How to apply

Online applications only preferred for this role. Please submit a CV and covering letter which clearly outlines how you fulfil the criteria specified along with your motivation for UKRI and the role. Ensure that the job reference number is included in the filename description of each document uploaded. Note that failure to address the above criteria or submit an application without a covering letter may result in the application not being considered. Assessment will only be based upon the content of your submitted covering letter and CV and not the 'experience' section of the application.

UKRI seeks to ensure it creates and maintains a system of openness, fairness and inclusion - a collaborative, trusted environment, which is attractive to and accessible to everyone who is interested in developing their career with us.