Operations Assistant

This role is 14 hours per week over 39 weeks per year (term-time only), pro-rata to £8,658.05 per annum (pro rata to £25,879 FTE). The working hours for this role are Monday and Tuesday from 9am to 1pm, Wednesday and Thursday from 1:15pm to 5:15pm for 39 weeks per year.

Surrey Adult Learning is looking for proactive and customer focused Operations Assistant to be the welcoming and supportive face in our centres across Surrey.

 This opportunity is based at our Guildford Adult Learning Centre, with the expectation of supporting at our other centres if required. 

Surrey Adult Learning is a leading provider of diverse daytime, evening and Saturday courses and learning opportunities for adults which is part of our lifelong learning offer. We offer a wide range of qualification courses, including English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), maths and digital skills. Our courses also cater to individuals with learning disabilities, mental health conditions and parents/carers seeking to upskill to support their children. Additionally, we provide courses for personal development in various subjects such as arts and crafts, languages and exercise. Our outreach provision is designed to assist those currently facing life challenges.

As the welcoming face of our centre, you'll be the go-to person for learners, offering friendly, high-quality information, advice, and guidance to help them enrol on courses and feel confident in their learning journey. You'll also be a key support for tutors, assisting with room and equipment queries and ensuring resources are ordered and available when needed.

Your day-to-day tasks will include managing shared inboxes, responding to enquiries or directing them to the right colleague, and using your IT skills to keep our learner management system accurate and up to date. You will help maintain a safe and smooth-running environment by reporting building issues and acting as a fire warden or first aider when required.

Contract: Permanent N/A

Working hours: 14 hour per week

In order to be considered for shortlisting, your application will clearly evidence the following skills, experience and align with our behaviours:

• Strong IT skills and experience in data entry or high-volume processing.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
• A team player with the ability to work under pressure and manage time effectively.
• Experience in customer service and an understanding of safeguarding practices.
• Willingness to travel between centres as needed.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of our learners and expect all staff to share this commitment. Online searches may be carried out on applicants who are shortlisted for interview, and a DBS 'Disclosure and Barring Service' check is required for this role, which will be discussed further at interview.

To apply, we request that you submit a CV and you will be asked the following 4 questions:

1. Please outline your experience in delivering customer-focused services and provide an example of how you handled a challenging customer interaction.
2. Outline your experience using IT systems in a work environment, including how you use technology to manage information effectively and accurately.
3. Describe a time when you had to work under pressure as part of a team.  What was your role and how did you ensure tasks were completed on time?
4. Give an example of how you adapt your communication style to work effectively with different people.

Before submitting your application, we recommend you read the job description & Our Life at Surrey handbook to get an insight into working at Surrey.

 The job advert closes at 23:59 on 1 November with interviews planned to follow schedule on Wednesday 18 November.

This role is subject to an online / social media check as part of our safer recruitment processes, in line with Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE) guidance.

Please note that the successful applicant must be available to commence employment on or before 31 January.

Please contact us for any questions relating to the role. This could be to discuss flexible working requests, transferable skills or any barriers to employment.

For an informal discussion please contact Jill Coles by e-mail jill.coles@surreycc.gov.uk. 

Surrey County Council is undergoing Local Government Reorganisation and will move to new authorities in April 2027. This role is currently employed by Surrey County Council and will remain so until then. If you are employed by Surrey County Council on 1 April 2027, your employment will transfer under TUPE arrangements to one of the new councils, with your current terms and conditions protected. The provisional allocation for this post is West Surrey Council, subject to final confirmation through the wider transition process later this year. Please see more information here: Information for applicants on Local Government Reorganisation - Surrey County Council.

We are a disability confident employer which means if you have shared a disability on your application form and have evidenced you meet the minimum shortlisting criteria, as displayed on the advert, we guarantee you an interview.

Your skills and experience truly matter to us. From application to your first day, we're committed to supporting you with any adjustments you need, we value inclusion and warmly welcome you to join and help build a workplace where everyone belongs. 

• Operations Assistant - Job Description.pdf - Operations Assistant - Job Description