Advanced Associate - Customer Service

Pearson; United States; Hybrid; USD 43,000 - 69,000; Full time

Job summary

Pearson in Manchester is seeking an Advanced Associate, Customer Support to act as a second-line expert behind a UK assessment programme, resolving complex issues while guiding frontline advisors. The role requires hybrid working and flexibility during peak periods.

You will own difficult cases, investigate incidents, coordinate internal or external support, and help improve first-contact resolution by supporting Tier 1 staff and providing quality feedback for training and processes.

Qualifications

• Experience handling escalations or complex case resolution in customer service.
• Ability to investigate complex inquiries and coordinate internal/external support.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.

Responsibilities

• Own and resolve complex customer queries and escalations from schools and authorities.
• Support Tier 1 advisors with difficult queries and improve first-contact resolution.
• Investigate service-recovery cases and ensure the underlying query is resolved.
• Monitor workloads, prioritize cases and keep activity moving within SLAs.
• Review Tier 1 interactions through quality calibration and audits (two Tier 1 audits weekly).
• Identify recurring contact drivers and knowledge gaps; work with teams to improve service.
• Build knowledge of assessment processes, policies, systems and procedures.
• Contribute to readiness, testing, training and continuous improvement.

Skills

Communication skills

Proactivity

Problem solving

Escalation handling

Organization

Independent work

Collaboration

MS Office

Adaptability

Education assessments experience

Tools

MS Office

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.