Customer Experience Manager

We support peace and prosperity by building connections, understanding and trust between people in the UK and countries worldwide. For 90 years we have shaped brighter futures through education, arts, culture, language, and creativity.

Working with people in over 200 countries and territories, we are on the ground in more than 100 countries.

We connect. We inspire.

The Department for Education has announced that the British Council is set to take on the role of National Agency for Erasmus+.

In December the UK and EU arrived at a political agreement that the UK would rejoin the Erasmus+ scheme in 2027. That agreement has now been legally formalised under the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement.

The British Council has a longstanding commitment to supporting international exchange. It was a lead partner in the Erasmus+ UK National Agency from 2014-20, where Erasmus+ made a significant contribution to the UK's cultural relations activities, funding 8,091 projects, engaging 583,757 UK participants, and awarding around €1.1 billion to UK organisations.

Job Title: E + Customer Experience Manager

Pay Band: 7

Salary: £32,381 gross per annum

Contract Duration: 2 Year Fixed Term Contract with possibility of extension

Location: Belfast

Right to Work Requirements: Current right to work in the UK. The British Council is not able to support or sponsor work visa applications.

Closing Date: Applications will close on 1 October at 22:59 UK Time

We are operating on the basis that any offer is made pending client confirmation of funds.

Role Purpose

The Customer Experience Manager supports the end-to-end delivery of customer service for Erasmus+. The post responds to applicants, beneficiaries, and stakeholders ensuring they receive timely, accurate, and equitable support throughout the grant lifecycle.

Reporting to the Senior Customer Experience, Appeals and Complaints Manager, the role is responsible for day-to-day customer experience operations, continuous improvement of contact channels and knowledge assets, and the effective triage and resolution of escalations.

They collaborate closely with the Grants, Compliance and Quality Assurance teams to embed service standards, manage risks, and ensure adherence to client contractual KPIs, regulatory requirements, and organisational values - especially around fairness, accessibility, and data protection.

The post holder uses insight from customer contacts, appeals, and complaints to drive service design improvements, reduce avoidable demand, and enhance outcomes for applicants and stakeholders.

Main accountabilities

Successful delivery of day-to-day Customer Experience Operations

• Manage multi-channel customer contact (phone, email etc) to agreed service levels.
• Accountable for team performance against KPIs, performance indicators and customer experience metrics.
• Develop detailed knowledge of Erasmus+, its procedures, systems, schedules and contractual standards.
• Ensure accurate, consistent advice is provided and that customer interactions meet quality and compliance standards.
• Ensure adherence to British Council customer service standards, EC requirements and Key Performance Indicators.
• Ensure customers are supported to comply with Erasmus+ regulations.

Maintain Quality, Compliance and Risk Controls

• Embed and maintain quality assurance processes, calibration, and knowledge management across the service.
• Identify and manage operational risks, ensuring adherence to British Council and Erasmus+ regulations, data protection, accessibility, and safeguarding requirements.

Drive Continuous Improvement and Reduce Avoidable Contact

• Analyse contact drivers and customer insight to identify improvement opportunities.
• Lead small-scale service enhancements to improve right-first-time delivery and customer experience.

Support Change Delivery and Service Readiness

• Contribute to the rollout of policy updates, system changes, or new processes, ensuring staff readiness and clear communication.
• Collaborate with Grants, Compliance, Quality Assurance, Digital, and other internal teams to maintain smooth service delivery.
• Work closely with cross-functional teams to resolve issues and support Erasmus+ programme objectives.

Champion an Inclusive, Accessible and Customer-Centred Experience Culture

• Ensure the service meets accessibility and equality practice standards.
• Role-model behaviours that uphold organisational values and enhance overall customer trust.

Requirements of the role:

• Degree or work equivalent experience
• Ability to interpret and apply detailed policy rules, eligibility criteria, evidence requirements, and operational guidance.
• Knowledge of data protection, security standards, confidentiality obligations, and requirements for accessible and equitable service delivery.
• Understanding of principles of procedural fairness, consistent decision-making, and root-cause analysis of escalated cases.
• Familiarity with identifying, tracking, and escalating risks, issues, and incidents affecting customer service delivery.

Desirable:

• Experience of working in public sector organisations, particularly aligned to a central government remit
• Experience of EU programmes
• Grant programme delivery - strong understanding of how large, client-funded grant schemes operate across the full lifecycle (application, assessment, award, monitoring, closure).
• Experience/knowledge of any of the following sectors: UK Higher Education, Adult Education, Youth & Sport, Vocational Education Training, Schools
• Experience in grant administration or other high-scrutiny public-facing services.
• Experience supporting complaint or appeal investigations, including drafting responses or collating evidence.
• Experience working in a contract-managed environment with clients, auditors or external oversight bodies.
• Experience delivering improvements that reduce avoidable contact, increase right-first-time outcomes, or enhance customer satisfaction.
• Customer Experience/Service qualification

British Council supports working in new ways such as hybrid working, subject to full approval by line management and conditional upon our ability to provide the appropriate level of service. This may not be appropriate for all roles but can be explored at interview.

A connected and trusted UK in a more connected and trusted world.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Statement

We are committed to equality, diversity and inclusion and welcome applications from all sections of the community as we believe that a diverse workforce gives added depth to our work. The British Council is a Disability Confident Employer. The Disability Confident scheme helps challenge attitudes, increase understanding of disability and ensure staff are drawn from the widest possible pool of talent. We guarantee an interview for disabled applicants who meet the minimum role requirements. We welcome discussions about specific requirements or adjustments to enable participation and engagement in our work and activities.

Safeguarding Statement

The British Council is committed to safeguarding children, young people and adults who we work with. We believe that all children and adults everywhere in the world deserve to live in safe environments and have the right to be protected from all forms of abuse, maltreatment and exploitation as set out in article 19, UNCRC (United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child) 1989. Appointment to positions where there is direct involvement with vulnerable groups will be dependent on thorough checks being completed in line with legal requirements and with the British Council’s Safeguarding policies for Adults and Children.

If you experience any difficulties with submitting your application, please email [email protected]