At AQA, we’re committed to advancing education and we’re committed to our people. As the largest provider of academic qualifications in the UK, we mark over 10 million exam papers each year and it’s our people who make this happen.
Job title: Complaints Adviser
Contract type: Fixed Term Contract - 27 April until 27 November 2026
Location: Manchester
Salary: £24,500 to £26,900
Working arrangements: Hybrid – two days a week in the office
Do you enjoy investigating complex situations and bringing clarity where it’s needed most?
As our Complaints Adviser you’ll play a key role in resolving customer complaints with professionalism, empathy, and a focus on fair outcomes. You’ll bring clarity to complex situations and help ensure every customer feels heard and supported. You’ll work closely with colleagues across AQA to deliver responses that reflect our values and uphold our commitment to high-quality service.
You’ll support the complaints team by delivering timely, high-quality responses that contribute to positive experiences for customers and stakeholders. You’ll help strengthen trust in AQA by conducting thorough investigations, making fair decisions, and ensuring outcomes align with organisational policies and regulatory requirements. Your work directly supports learners and helps improve processes across AQA.
Key responsibilities
In this role, you’ll be responsible for:
- Meeting service level agreements for complaint response times
- Conducting full and thorough investigations that lead to accurate, fair, and balanced outcomes
- Working collaboratively with stakeholders across AQA to gather information and resolve issues effectively
What we are looking for
You’ll thrive in this role if you’re someone who brings empathy, attention to detail, and confidence when handling complex or sensitive matters. You’ll need:
- Experience in effective complaints handling
- Strong written and verbal communication skills, as much of the role will involve email communication
- Excellent attention to detail and accuracy
- The ability to manage a varied caseload and prioritise in a fast-paced environment
- The ability to handle sensitive or confidential information with discretion
What’s in it for you
You’ll enjoy a role that offers:
- Opportunities to develop expertise in complex and sensitive case handling
- Exposure to a wide range of teams, policies and processes across AQA
- A supportive team environment that values continuous improvement
- Flexibility to support your wellbeing and work-life balance
- The chance to make a meaningful difference to the customer experience and AQA’s wider operations
Diversity and inclusion statement
At AQA, we are committed to fostering a workplace that celebrates diversity and promotes equity and inclusion. We believe that a diverse team brings richer perspectives and drives better outcomes. Our ED&I strategy ensures that everyone—regardless of religion, ethnicity, gender identity or expression, age, disability, sexual orientation, or background—is valued, respected, and empowered to thrive. We actively promote inclusive language, avoid stereotypes, and strive for representation across all dimensions of diversity. We welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds and lived experiences.
Application process
- To apply, please submit your CV and a cover letter outlining your suitability for the role by 23.59 on Sunday 08 March.
- Interviews will take place on 18, 19 and 20 March in our Manchester office.
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Recruitment Agencies
We have a preferred supplier list (PSL) in place.
Unsolicited CVs will be treated as a gift. We will not be subject to or liable under your terms and conditions for agency fees.
Full Job DescriptionSummary
The purpose of the role is to support the Complaints team with the delivery of timely, quality responses for our customers and occasionally to assist colleagues in other departments in offering excellent customer service when resolving complaints. The complaints adviser will need to provide the best outcome for the customer, whilst adhering to company and regulatory policy. We can’t always provide the customer with their desired outcome, so it is important that the complaints adviser is empathetic and confident with dealing with challenging situations. We’re looking for someone who is dedicated to our values and behaviours, particularly keeping the customer front and centre. With the unpredictability of complaints volumes, it’s important the complaints adviser can work in a fast-paced environment and prioritise and manage caseloads.Landscape:The role fits within the Complaints team which comprises of the complaints manager, two complaints leads and a complaints adviser. The complaints adviser will report into complaints leadership. The role will be focused on resolving complaints in a timely manner, to a high-quality standard. The complaints adviser will need to liaise with stakeholders to conduct complaints investigations. It is important that the complaints adviser is passionate about customer service and doing the right thing for both our customers and the business. Working remotely, with an average of two days in the office per week, the role requires excellent communication skills, as well as time management. This is a great role as you will deal with challenging situations, create relationships with stakeholders across the business and gain a broader understanding of company processes and policies, as well as regulatory conditions.
Activities:
These are the main key responsibilities and deliverables:
To meet Service Level Agreement (SLA) in complaint response times.
To adhere to our complaints procedure.
To conduct thorough investigations, to ensure complaints are answered fully.
To provide excellent customer service.
To liaise with stakeholders.
To be successful in this role, you will need:
A broad understanding of the political, educational and business context within which AQA works.
To communicate clearly and empathetically – verbally and in writing.
Great attention to detail and accuracy in customer correspondence and data input.
Experience in best-practice complaints management with associated procedures and systems would be beneficial.
To ensure delivery of consistently high-quality complaints responses during periods of high customer demand.
To deal tactfully and discreetly with sensitive and confidential matters.
To have excellent relationship management skills when working with stakeholders.
To conduct thorough complaints investigations.
To manage and prioritise caseloads.
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What We Do
At AQA, we’re proud to be the leading provider of accessible qualifications and support services for teachers and students. We set and mark around half of all GCSEs and A-levels taken in the UK every year; we ask the questions that matter, so that every learner can achieve the results they deserve. Teachers and learners are at the heart of everything we do. As an independent education charity, any money we make is reinvested back into research so that every learner receives fair and inclusive assessment. We’re always here for our teachers and support them through free training, expert guidance and unbeatable resources. As the most chosen awarding body, we have the biggest teaching community too – teachers are in good company with AQA. The AQA Group also includes Exampro, TQUK, Project Q, AlphaPlus, Grademaker.
