Natural England
Customer Services Officer - ( Ref : 6834 )
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Job Summary
This position is based at Bristol, Worcester or York
Job Description
Customer Services provides a vital connection between Natural England and the people, organisations and communities we serve.
The team manages a varied range of customer contact, including general and operational enquiries, complaints and correspondence. It also helps Natural England learn from customer feedback, improve its services and provide a consistent, high-quality customer experience.
No two days are the same. You will respond to different enquiries, help customers navigate Natural England’s services and work with colleagues across the organisation to find clear and practical solutions.
This is an exciting time to join the team. Customer Services is continuing to develop its role across Natural England, providing opportunities for you to contribute to service improvements, influence how we work and help shape the future customer experience.
We welcome applications from people who can bring relevant customer service, communication, administration, case-management or operational delivery experience and apply it effectively in a new environment.
Role Description
As a Customer Service Officer, you will help provide a professional, responsive and accessible service to Natural England’s customers.
You will respond to enquiries by telephone and email, taking ownership of each customer contact and seeking to resolve enquiries at the earliest opportunity. You will work with colleagues and subject matter experts across Natural England to gather accurate information and provide clear, timely and customer-focused responses.
You will also support complaint handling, maintain customer service information and contribute to wider team activities, including improvement projects and the administration of caravan and camping exemption certificates.
Key Responsibilities
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Respond to customer enquiries
- Respond to enquiries by telephone and email, providing clear and accurate information and aiming to resolve enquiries at the first point of contact wherever possible.
- Use Natural England’s knowledge base, customer contact systems and other approved digital tools to support efficient and consistent customer service.
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Take ownership of customer contacts
- Take responsibility for progressing customer enquiries and provide a professional, empathetic and timely service.
- Listen carefully to customers, recognise their individual needs and explain information in a way that is clear and appropriate for the audience.
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Work collaboratively to resolve enquiries
- Liaise with national and area teams, subject matter experts and other colleagues to gather the information needed to answer customer enquiries.
- Help maintain and improve the customer service knowledge base so that information remains accurate, accessible and useful.
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Support complaint handling
- Investigate and coordinate Tier 1 complaint responses by gathering relevant information, maintaining accurate records and helping ensure responses are fair, clear and provided within the required timescales.
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- Contribute to wider team delivery
- Support projects and service improvements across the Customer Service team. This will include assisting with the administration and processing of caravan and camping exemption certificates.
You will also be encouraged to explore the appropriate use of digital and AI-enabled tools, including Microsoft 365 Copilot, to improve productivity and customer service while following relevant information-management, security and data-protection requirements.
Knowledge, Skills & Experience
Essential Criteria
- Customer service experience
- Experience of delivering a high-quality service to customers or stakeholders, including responding to enquiries and helping resolve problems.
- Communication and interpersonal skills
- Good written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to explain information clearly, listen to customers and adapt your approach to different people and situations.
- Empathy and customer focus
- The ability to understand a customer’s perspective, represent their needs appropriately and manage difficult or sensitive situations professionally.
- Organisation and work management
- Good organisational, planning and time-management skills, with the ability to manage a varied workload, prioritise activities and meet agreed deadlines.
- Digital confidence and willingness to learn
- Confidence using IT and digital systems, together with a willingness to learn how to use Natural England’s telephony, contact-management and knowledge-management systems.
Desirable Criteria
It would be helpful, but is not essential, if you have:
- Experience of handling complaints, correspondence or customer casework.
- Experience of gathering information from different sources to resolve an enquiry or issue.
- Experience of working in a busy customer service, contact-centre or operational delivery environment.
- Experience of using customer feedback or service information to improve processes or customer outcomes.
- Experience of using generative AI tools, such as Microsoft 365 Copilot, to support research, analyse information, draft communications or improve productivity while following appropriate governance, security and data-protection requirements.
Competencies
Competence 1: Professional competency
Detail: Understanding and experience of how to handle difficult situations for customers. Experience of customer service.
Competence 2: Professional competency
Detail: Act with integrity, addressing challenging issues and managing conflict through being open and objective. Use clear and appropriate language, communication styles and techniques that engage your audience.
Competence 3: Professional competency
Detail: Listen to and understand our diverse partners and customers so that you achieve the best outcomes for them and Natural England. Nurture trusting partnerships and collaborate to achieve pragmatic outcomes that help deliver Natural England’s vision, mission and aims.
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Competence 4: Professional competency
Detail: Manage and deliver your work to meet agreed targets and deadlines.
Benefits
- Salary of £28,910
- £8,375 employer contribution towards Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme
- Learning and development tailored to your role
- Flexible working options
- Culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
- Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%
Artificial Intelligence
Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified, applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action.
Selection Process
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Security
Successful candidates must undergo a basic (or equivalent) criminal record check. People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard checks.
Nationality Requirements
This job is broadly open to the following groups:
- UK nationals
- nationals of the Republic of Ireland
- nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
- nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme
- nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme
- individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
- Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service
Working for the Civil Service
The Civil Service Code sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants. We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles. The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. We run a Disability Confident Scheme for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.
Diversity and Inclusion
The Civil Service is committed to attracting, retaining and investing in talent wherever it is found. The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction.
Contact Point for Applicants
Job Contact:
Name: Tina Bige
Email: tina.bige@naturalengland.org.uk
Telephone: 07789 625059
Recruitment Team
Email: defra-recruitment-enquiries@resourcing.soprasteria.co.uk
Further Information
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