Description
ABOUT THE ROLE
You will support the University’s Customer Service Team by delivering high quality customer service and administrative assistance while completing a Level 3 apprenticeship. The role involves supporting the University’s switchboard and main reception including the Facilities Management Helpdesk. This will include answering customer enquiries, signing in contractors and the issuing of contractor parking permits and the checking and assigning reactive work orders, distribution of post and ordering of supplies to Pandon Building. The apprentice will use various computer management systems to aid in the delivery of exceptional customer service and will liaise with various stakeholders including our external Hard FM partner and other internal University departments including projects and maintenance. The training providerworking with us to deliver the apprenticeship is SMART Training and Recruitment.

You can find further details about the training for Business Administrator, Level 3 Apprenticeship at the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education.

Under the apprentice scheme, a minimum of six hours will be invested in training towards the achievement of your qualification. In addition to the support offered through the training provider, a workplace mentor will provide practical advice and guidance throughout the duration of your apprenticeship.

The role is fixed term for a duration of 24 months.

Please see the role description for further information.
ABOUT THE TEAM

As part of the Customer Service Team within Facilities and Estates, the Helpdesk/Reception Apprentice will be based primarily in the Pandon Building at the City Campus with occasional working at our Coach Lane Campus as and when required. Working within a small dynamic and professional team, the apprentice will work collaboratively with other departments working under the guidance and support of the Customer Services Supervisor. The team is committed to fostering a supportive, inclusive, and customer-focused culture, ensuring the development and delivery of high-quality services to our people. Working closely with colleagues, internal departments, and external partners such as maintenance contractors, the apprentice will gain exposure to a dynamic environment that prioritises professional growth and collaboration.

ABOUT YOU

To be successful in the role you will have:

Effective Communication Skills: Ability to communicate clearly in person, over the phone, and in writing.
Strong Relationship-Building Abilities: Capacity to establish and maintain positive working relationships across teams and with stakeholders.
Customer-Focused Approach: A professional attitude with attention to delivering excellent service.
Attention to Detail: Completing tasks accurately and to a high standard.
Time Management Skills: Ability to prioritise tasks, manage workloads effectively, and meet deadlines

Further information is available in the person specification.

For further information about this opportunity please contact Chris Berges, Facilities Coordinator via email at: chris.berges@northumbria.ac.uk

You can also contact the training provider who can give you tips on CV layout and content to help you with your application.

To apply for this vacancy please click 'Apply Now'. Your application must include a covering letter, and a CV.

ABOUT US
Northumbria University is a research-intensive university that unlocks potential for all. We change lives regionally, nationally, and internationally through education and research, tackling the global challenges of our age to transform society and the economy. Find out why we were named Times Higher Education’s University of the Year in 2022 and Modern University of the Year in The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2025. Northumbria recorded the biggest rise of any UK university for research power in the Research Excellence Framework for the second time in 2021 and is now ranked top 25 in the UK for this measure.
One of the largest universities in the UK with over 37,000 students from more than 140 countries, filled with world-leading research, award-winning partnerships, and students at the heart of an outstanding experience. Discover more about us.
Northumbria University is a great place to work. We empower our exceptional people to achieve shared ambitions and promote a positive work life balance. We offer a wide range of benefits including excellent pension schemes, flexible working, a generous holiday entitlement, continued commitment to your learning and development and more.
Our Northumbria Values are guiding principles that define who we are, what we do and what is important to us. Our Values are: Academic Excellence; Innovation; Inclusivity; Collaboration; and Ambition.
Our Behaviours describe how we do things and how we work together at Northumbria, reflecting our culture and our decision-making. Our Behaviours are: We listen and learn, we support one another to success, we respect everyone and their contributions, we trust in ourselves and each other and we are bold.
Our Values and Behaviours were co-created by colleagues from a range of roles across the University, who worked collaboratively to consider what it feels like to work for Northumbria, and where we need to continue to transform together to achieve what’s important to us.
Please visit Our Values and Behaviours page to find out more.
We are an on-campus organisation where colleagues work regular patterns of hours and on campus, with some flexibility on the timing of their hours and the location of their work in discussion with their manager. Our campus locations include our City and Coach Lane Campuses in Newcastle upon Tyne and our London campus.
Northumbria University is committed to creating an inclusive culture where we take pride in, and value, the diversity of our staff. We encourage and welcome applications from all members of the community. The University holds bronze Athena Swan and Race Equality Charter awards in recognition of our commitment to advancing gender and race equality, we are a Disability Confident Leader and are participating in the Stonewall Diversity Champion Programme. We also hold the HR Excellence in Research award for implementing the concordat supporting the career Development of Researchers and are members of the Euraxess initiative to deliver information and support to professional researchers. The University has implemented a range of flexible working arrangements, and we are happy to explore candidate requirements as part of the recruitment process.
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Helpdesk Apprentice