Position: Contact Officer

Organisation: Newcastle City Council
Location: Newcastle Civic Centre (hybrid working options available)
Contract: Full-time, Permanent (37 hours/week)

📞 About the Role

Newcastle City Council is committed to delivering excellent customer service and clear communication. We’re recruiting a skilled Contact Officer to join our Contact Centre Team, acting as the frontline voice for residents. You’ll handle enquiries across various channels, ensuring high-quality, courteous, and efficient support.

📋 Key Responsibilities

• Receive and manage inbound enquiries via phone, email, web chat, and social media platforms.

• Provide accurate information about council services (e.g., housing, bin collections, benefits, community events).

• Log, categorise, and escalate enquiries when necessary, using the contact centre software.

• Follow procedures to resolve issues or redirect calls to specialist teams as needed.

• Ensure consistent use of templates and knowledge-base resources.

• Handle complaints sensitively, adhering to the council’s customer service standards and timescales.

• Maintain clear and up‑to‑date records of customer interactions and outcomes.

• Monitor service levels and feedback to contribute to continuous improvements.

• Support digital inclusion by assisting residents with online forms and council portals.

• Work collaboratively with other teams to share insights, improve processes, and ensure service coherence.

✅ Essential Qualifications & Experience

• Previous experience in customer service or contact centre environment.

• Strong verbal and written communication skills, with a professional and empathetic tone.

• IT-proficient: confident with MS Office (Word, Excel) and customer-relationship management (CRM) systems.

• Excellent organisation and time‑management, able to manage varied caseload.

• Effective at multi-tasking, prioritising, and meeting response standards.

• Friendly, patient, and solution-focused attitude.

🎓 Desirable Qualifications & Skills

• Experience working in local government, public-sector, or community engagement roles.

• Knowledge of council services, such as housing, benefits, environmental services, or social care.

• Familiarity with complaints handling or customer standards frameworks (e.g. Ombudsman guidelines).

• Ability to support residents with digital services and platforms.

🌟 What We Offer

• Access to the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS)

• Flexible / hybrid working with core hours and occasional remote work

• Generous leave entitlement, bank holidays, and council closure days

• Training and development opportunities in customer service, CRM systems, and specialist services

• A supportive team environment and wellbeing programmes

• Opportunities for career progression within the wider contact centre or service teams

🧭 How to Apply

1. Apply online via Newcastle City Council’s recruitment portal: newcastle.gov.uk/jobs

2. Complete the application form, upload your CV, and include a supporting statement (max 2 pages) detailing how you meet the essential criteria.

🌍 Equality & Inclusion

Newcastle City Council is an equal opportunity employer. We welcome applications from all backgrounds. Reasonable adjustments are available during the recruitment process—just let us know if you need them.