Customer Assistance

Kingston Council; Kingston; Hybrid; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A local authority in Kingston is seeking a candidate to promote and deliver library services, handle enquiries, and maintain a positive library environment. The ideal applicant will need strong communication skills, the ability to work in an agile manner, and experience in customer service. They will also be committed to supporting community cohesion and diversity within the service. A flexible and friendly working environment is offered, with various benefits including generous leave and hybrid working options.

Benefits

Generous annual leave of 25-32 days

Flexible working arrangements

Learning and development portal

Discounts on local services

Electric vehicle leasing scheme

Local Government Pension Scheme

Qualifications

• Demonstrate specific professional skills and a commitment to continuous development.
• Agile, willing to challenge existing methods.
• Ability to work well with diverse stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Promote and deliver library services effectively.
• Handle enquiries and support ICT.
• Maintain the library environment.

Skills

Agile working practices

Communication skills

Technical support

Customer service

Diversity and inclusion

Tools

Google Suite

Job description

About the borough

Found in zone 6 with good transport links in and out of London, Kingston is a vibrant and diverse university town which creates the rich sense of community shared across the borough and its Residents. Kingston boasts an idyllic riverside location, good shopping and great restaurants, as well as a mix of modern and historic town centre. Kingston has lots of open parklands and cycle routes that help connect the district town centres into an enjoyable place to live and work.

We are passionate about working closely with our residents and vulnerable groups to help them maintain their independence and create a balance between support and independent living.

About the Role and our Ideal Candidate

• Works with manager and colleagues to define outcomes, set targets and monitor performance, within a culture of continual improvement
• Supports operational plans to ensure that the resources within the teams are used to best effect and impact
• Ensures 95% of transactions go through self-service

Customers and Partners

• Builds strong internal and external working partnerships to enable the service to be delivered in an outcome-focused and efficient way
• Supports Kingston’s commitment to community cohesion and valuing diversity and social inclusion

Digital/New Ways of Working

• Uses new technologies, particularly Google, to adopt modern, agile working practices, improve customer service and eliminating paper-based processes wherever possible.

Purpose of the job

The role involves promoting and delivering library services, handling enquiries, supporting ICT, and maintaining the library environment.

About you

To successfully deliver the responsibilities of this role, you must demonstrate specific professional skills and a commitment to continuous development. This includes challenging existing methods, being agile, working well with diverse stakeholders, and communicating clearly and creatively.

About Us

The Council is focused on delivering the best possible outcomes for its communities. To do this the Council needs employees who thrive in an agile and networked organisation and who can support continuous improvement within a constructive organisational culture.

The role reports directly to the Supervisor.

Our Offer To You

As an organisation that values and nurtures talent, we’re committed to helping you fulfil your potential and will offer you a supportive, friendly and collaborative environment to grow and develop your career and skills. We’re constantly striving to improve our ways of working so putting your ideas across however big or small; will be fully encouraged and supported by your colleagues and our dynamic and experienced management team.

Employees have access to a wide range of benefits to enable staff to achieve a work life balance, some of which include:

• A generous annual leave entitlement of 25-32 days, plus bank holidays (pro-rata if part-time working hours apply) depending on service and grade.
• Enhanced Maternity, Paternity, shared parental, adoption and dependents leave
• Three volunteering days per year in Kingston
• Hybrid working (dependent on the role)
• Flexible and agile working arrangements using Google Chromebooks
• Learning and development portal offering a range of courses
• Discounts on a range of local shops, restaurants, gyms and leisure centres
• Interest free season ticket loans
• Local Government Pension Scheme
• Bicycle loan facilities and cycle to work scheme
• Electric vehicle leasing scheme
• Confidential health & wellbeing and counselling support

Application Process

Apply online outlining what skills, abilities and experience you can bring which makes you an ideal candidate for this role. Please refer to the requirements outlined in the job profile when completing your application and check your CV details have been uploaded correctly in the relevant sections.

We understand and recognise the benefits of using Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the workplace and are embracing AI where appropriate, to boost our productivity and streamline how we deliver our Council services efficiently; to provide the best possible outcomes for our residents and communities.

However, we reserve the right to reject applications where it is apparent that AI-generated content has been used in isolation and without personalised responses. At Kingston we value authenticity and are looking for individuals who can clearly demonstrate their own skills, experience and motivation for the role that they are applying for and embrace and demonstrate our STAR values.

Values and Assessment

Here at Kingston we have core values of Transparency and this is to be demonstrated during the application process and completion of the supporting statement and will be further tested at interview and selection stage for those who progress forward.

The closing date is given as a guide. We reserve the right to close this vacancy once a sufficient number of applications has been received, it is strongly advised that you complete and submit your application as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.

As part of our award winning Diversity Programme we anonymise all applications received to reduce conscious and unconscious bias enabling every application to be reviewed on the knowledge, skills and experience shown in your application. We encourage our interview panels to be as diverse as possible (age, cultural, neurodiverse etc.) to reduce bias where possible. We are fully committed to removing barriers and enhancing the diversity of our workforce.