Advice Service Assistant
Who are we?
We are Manchester Students’ Union, the biggest SU in the country, supporting over 48,000 students throughout their time at university. We help to make student life the best it can be by supporting students to campaign for change, creating opportunities to meet new people, providing employment opportunities, providing advice and support and being a safe place on campus.
We are a values-centred organisation that employs around 100 permanent, full-time members of staff. We recruit a wide range of roles throughout the year within all our departments from our Commercial team operating Manchester Academy Venues, 13 Media, Bar 532 & Kitchen and Corridor Coffee to our Student Activities, Student Engagement, Marketing and Communications, Finance, HR and Facilities teams. Our team of around 400 part-time, studying staff are instrumental in providing to support to all departments as well as leading major projects like Student Angels. When you join UMSU, you’ll be immersed in an environment that empowers staff to make great things happen and we're always on the lookout for innovative, passionate, and proactive people to join us.
Our values are really important to us and shape the work that we do every day. As part of our recruitment process, we want you to demonstrate how your experiences, behaviours and skills align with our values. You can find more detailed explanations of our values on our website.
About the role
We’re looking for a proactive and approachable Advice Service Assistant to join our welcoming team at the University of Manchester Students’ Union.
Our Students’ Union Advice Service provides independent, confidential advice to all students across four key areas: academic, finance, housing, and wellbeing. We exist to ensure that students get the timely, relevant, and supportive guidance they need, tailored to their individual circumstances. As an Advice Service Assistant, you’ll be a vital part of our front-line support - helping us deliver an excellent student experience every step of the way.
The Advice Service Assistant will be the first point of contact for students engaging with our service. Whether in person, over the phone, or by email, you’ll respond to enquiries with empathy, efficiency, and professionalism. You’ll provide accurate information on a wide range of topics, signpost students to the right services, and know when to escalate issues to our team of Advisors. You’ll also support students through the contact form process and contribute to maintaining high standards of service and confidentiality in line with GDPR requirements.
Your responsibilities will include staffing our reception desk, handling straightforward student queries, keeping accurate records using our case management system, and helping with administrative tasks such as stock-taking. You’ll also play an active role in promoting the Advice Service - supporting campaigns, events, and information stalls to raise awareness and access across campus.
We’re looking for someone who is friendly, well-organised, and able to work both independently and as part of a team. Excellent communication skills, attention to detail, and a genuine commitment to student support are essential. You'll be a key contributor to the smooth running of our service and a positive representative of our values: openness, inclusivity, and continuous improvement.
Please read the full role profile before applying, as well as our guide to recruitment.
Details
Wage: £13.45 per hour + holiday pay
Contract: Zero Hours, Fixed-Term until 31st July 2027
Hours: approximately 6 – 10 hours per week
Eligibility: Open to applicants with relevant skills and experience who are eligible to work in the UK and a current student at UoM graduating in 2027 or later.
Our Reward Package
You'll get access to our reward package which you can see here.
Recruitment Guide
We have a guide that explains our full recruitment process. We recommend reading through this before beginning an application.
If you are invited to interview with us, we will share our interview questions in advance so you can prepare your responses. We’re more interested in hearing about your experiences and ideas than in testing your memory, and so we want you to feel as prepared as possible.
AI Use
GenAI tools, like ChatGPT, are revolutionising how we approach a whole host of tasks at work. As a future-focused employer, we believe in embracing, not banning, these tools. However, as with all tech, some ways of using it are better than others. You can use GenAI to refine and articulate your ideas. It’s a tool to help structure your thoughts and improve clarity, not to replace your unique voice and experiences. Please don’t just copy and paste what AI tells you to write.
We recommend you read our guide on how to approach the use of AI within our recruitment process:
Inclusivity and Accessibility
We are committed to equality of opportunity, and we work hard to ensure we appoint based on skill and values.
We particularly encourage applications from Disabled or Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African candidates as these groups are currently underrepresented in our staff team.
If you have any accessibility requirements or require adjustments to support you to apply to work with us, please get in touch. We can offer reasonable adjustments at all stages of our recruitment process.
We are proud to be a Disability Confident employer. Under this scheme, we aim to offer an interview to candidates who declare a disability and meet the minimum essential criteria for the role. Minimum criteria are marked with an asterisk on the person specification. However, during periods of exceptionally high application volumes or peak recruitment times (i.e. July, August and September), it may not always be possible to guarantee an interview for every eligible candidate. In such cases, we will take steps to ensure that the process remains fair, consistent, and inclusive.
Recruitment Timeline
Applications opened: 01/06/2026
Applications close: 15/06/2026 23:59 pm
Interviews: 02/07/2026 and 03/07/2026
(Interviews will be available to do via Teams, please email jobs.su@manchester.ac.uk if you'd like to make this request)
Role Commencing: 01/09/2026
We may close applications early if we receive a high volume of applications. We recommend that you apply as soon as possible to avoid disappointment. Once the vacancy has closed, we’re unable to accept late applications to ensure a fair process for all candidates.
Once you have submitted your application, you will not be able to make any further changes. Please ensure you are happy with your responses before submitting.
Contact
People Team:
You can contact the People Team with any questions regarding this vacancy or our recruitment process.
Email: jobs.su@manchester.ac.uk
Phone: 0161 306 3279
Hiring Manager: lili.ward@manchester.ac.uk
You can contact the People Team with any questions regarding this vacancy or our recruitment process.