Customer Services Officer at British Council Kano, Nigeria

The British Council is the UK’s international organisation for educational opportunities and cultural relations. We work in over 100 countries worldwide to build engagement and trust for the UK through the exchange of knowledge and ideas between people.
The British Council is looking for a suitably qualified and experienced individual to join the organization as Kano Customer Services Officer.

Job Title: Customer Services Officer
Location: Kano
Purpose of job:
To support the achievement of country plan objectives in Kano and all Nigeria by delivering customer services. To maintain them at the highest professional standards as set out in the British Council’s EQS (Examination Quality Standards) and by the IELTS Partners.

Context and environment:

Customers and enquirers engage with the British Council Nigeria for a number of purposes with the majority being for examinations. Nigeria is the largest British Council exams business in the Sub Saharan Africa region. It administers exams in four subject areas: Schools, Professional/Vocational, and Educational on behalf of UK institutions and IELTS. In 2011-12 we delivered roughly 65,000 exams to 25,000 candidates. The Nigeria team comprises 19 people and are based mainly in Lagos with four in Abuja, one in Kano and three in Port Harcourt.

The SSA region delivers exams in over 20 countries from its offices in 16 of these countries. In 2010, we delivered a quarter of a million exams to over 100,000 candidates. Growth in the region is robust, but our challenges are many. Nevertheless, Exams teams are making solid gains in our 4 strategic priority areas, namely: improving business performance, improving quality, improving financial compliance and increasing impact.

The post holder will be part of the exams team who administer the growing Exams business in Kano ensuring quality and compliance as well as control of income and expenditure to deliver on target. This post will share front office duties with another member of the team while the remaining two cover the back office. It is anticipated that the split between front and back office will be 70/30 roughly.

Accountabilities and responsibilities:
(including people management and finance)

• As Customer Services Officer the post holder will be line managed by the Deputy Country Exams Manager based in Lagos.
• Performance is measured by our own Exams Quality Standards and the inspection visits from Cambridge International Exams.
• Finance: all British Council standards for managing finances are met with relation to managing Purchase Orders, reconciling income, managing contracts and procurement. 
• Reliability: to ensure examinations are delivered securely according to board requirements
• Quality: to deliver a high standard of customer service to our customers, schools and exams candidates.

• Front desk is always manned during operational hours
• Visitors are attended to immediately and appropriately
• Phone enquiries answered within 45 seconds of first ring
• To provide administrative support in the delivery of exams, workshops, seminars and any other project related services in line with Exams Quality Standards (EQS)
• All service registration procedures (e.g. Exams, Certification and other programme registration) are fully understood and implemented to agreed standards.
• Information about the full range of British Council products and services is clearly and confidently articulated to customers, encouraging customer engagement and cross-selling
• To regularly attend staff meetings to both gain and impart knowledge about our customers, products and services
• Regular communication and working is maintained with back-of-house teams
• Email enquiries are attended to promptly and escalated from regional email centre as per agreed service level agreement
• Payments are collected, receipts issued and accurately posted on the system
• Daily / weekly balanced reconciliations are completed and “parked” on the financial system and spreadsheet.
• Complaints, comments and feedback are dealt with in accordance with corporate policy and the Exams Quality Standards.
• Provide support/assistance to the Exams Team on all aspects of Customer Service and Exams administration
• Use the E-Africa website as the single authoritative source of information for all enquiry handling

• Internal: Kano Exams team, Lagos team, Country Exams Manager, Deputy Country Exams Manager
• External: Venue Staff, IELTS Examiners, enquirers, candidates, Customer Service staff

• Using Microsoft Office Work and Excel.
• Providing service within quality standards.
• Knowledge of the education and qualification systems in the UK and Nigeria
• Dealing with customers and enquiries in a service environment