Business Support Lead (Engagement and Admissions)
Manchester City Council
- Expired
Manchester Permanent £29,064
Working Hours: 35 Hours Per Week Legal Right to Work: Applicants must have existing right to work in the UK, as visa sponsorship is not available for this position. Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI): 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 (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. This role is subject to - Manchester Adult Education Service are establishing a new, dedicated Admissions Team to provide a streamlined, learner centred journey for adults across the city, from first enquiry through to enrolment and induction. This is an exciting opportunity to be part of a new team that will make a real difference to Manchester residents and help more learners access education, build confidence and progress into work or further study. As part of the Admissions Team, you will play a key role in delivering a professional, friendly and efficient admissions service across multiple MAES centres and partner venues. You’ll be supporting prospective learners at the very start of their journey answering enquiries, helping them navigate the application process, supporting assessment sessions, and ensuring a smooth transition into learning. This is a fast‑paced, people‑focused role where no two days look the same. You’ll work closely with curriculum teams, engagement staff, learning support and business support colleagues to ensure learners receive clear, accurate and timely information about courses, assessment requirements and next steps. See the job profile attached for full details of responsibilities. Coordinate the effective delivery of a streamlined, professional and learner‑centred admissions process, ensuring consistency across all MAES centres. Lead on the development, implementation and continuous improvement of admissions procedures, tools, and workflows. Support the planning and delivery of regular assessment sessions and enrolment activities, ensuring adequate staffing and high‑quality learner experience. Oversee the full admissions cycle including enquiry handling, application support, assessment scheduling, eligibility checks, enrolment coordination, and induction liaison. Ensure proactive follow‑up with prospective learners to improve conversion from enquiry to enrolment. Maintain oversight of waiting lists, ensuring accurate tracking, timely allocation of places, and collaboration with curriculum teams on capacity. Ensure accurate input, maintenance and integrity of admissions and learner data within EBS and other MIS systems. Produce regular reports on applications, assessments, enrolment trends, conversion rates and admissions‑related KPIs. Ensure compliance with funding rules, data protection requirements, audit standards and internal quality assurance procedures. Work closely with curriculum teams to ensure staff have up‑to‑date knowledge of provision, entry requirements and assessment expectations. Collaborate with the Engagement & Admissions Team to align messaging, recruitment activity and lead‑conversion priorities. Coordinate with Business Support teams to ensure centres are prepared for assessment and enrolment sessions, including resources, induction support and learner services (e.g., ID badges). Liaise with Learning Support to facilitate smooth transitions for learners with additional needs. Monitor service performance, learner feedback and operational issues to identify improvements. Contribute to quality assurance and improvement processes, including audit preparation and response to compliance recommendations. Support staff training and development, ensuring standardisation of assessment knowledge and admissions practice across the team. Provide coordination, guidance, training and support to admissions staff. Contribute to staff development through coaching, training updates and promoting consistent standards across the team. Support line management duties where required, including performance monitoring and maintaining “Our Manchester” behaviours. Provide high‑quality communication including reports, briefings and updates for internal stakeholders. Ensure equality, diversity and inclusion principles are embedded throughout the admissions experience. Maintain a strong commitment to personal development and service improvement. Through personal example, open commitment and clear action, ensure diversity is positively valued, resulting in equal access and treatment in employment, service delivery and communications. Essential requirements for the role: Consent to an apply for an enhanced disclosure check. Strong IT skills, advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel An apprenticeship relevant to the role (e.g., Business Administration, Team Leading, or Management) or an equivalent qualification is required, or a willingness to achieve one within two years. We’re the local council for one of the UK’s most vibrant and diverse cities. Working for Manchester isn’t just a job – it’s an opportunity to contribute to a city that leads change and transforms lives. Whether it’s strengthening communities or driving innovation in public services, you’ll play a vital role in creating opportunities and shaping a brighter future for everyone. Our Manchester is our vision for a fairer, greener, and healthier city – a vision shaped by the people of Manchester. It guides everything we do at the Council and is brought to life through the Our Manchester behaviours: Benefits we offer Creating an Inclusive Team at Manchester City Council At Manchester City Council, we’re dedicated to creating a workplace that truly reflects the diversity of the communities we serve. We actively welcome applications from people of all ages and backgrounds, particularly from Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic communities, Disabled people and young people. Support During the Process Guaranteed Assessment Scheme We guarantee assessments for applicants who meet the recruiting panels minimum shortlisting requirements for the role and identify with at least one of the criteria below: When You Join Us We’re a Disability Confident Employer, offering: For more information about the role or any adjustments, email jobs@manchester.gov.uk. What we will need from you if you're successful In accordance with Home Office guidance, successful candidates must evidence their right to work in the UK before commencement of employment. This is not a role we consider to be eligible for sponsorship under the Skilled Worker route based on Manchester City Council policy. Candidates are therefore encouraged to consider their own right to work options without the requirement for Manchester City Council sponsorship. Pre-Employment Checks If you are successful in securing a position with us, the pre-employment checks required will depend on the role you’ve applied for. As a guide, these checks may include: These checks are an important part of our commitment to ensuring the safety and security of our workforce and the community we serve. Other relevant information We want everyone to be able to be themselves at work and give their best. If you need additional support to undertake the duties of the role, we’ll make every effort to source any necessary aids, adaptations or equipment. If, however, any task proves to be unachievable, we will look at redesigning parts of the role. Calculate your take home pay. Use this service to estimate how much Income Tax and National Insurance you should pay for the current tax year. Employment could affect your benefits, find out more here. Turn2us Benefits Calculator.
Contract Type: Full-Time, Permanent
Closing Date: 17 March 2026
Closing time: 11.59pm
Interview Method: Face to Face
2 References - where possible we require 3 years' history.
Key Accountabilities:
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 (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action.
Location
, , Manchester, , United Kingdom
Job ID
7562
Supporting You Through Every Step of Your Journey
We want every candidate to feel welcomed, informed and confident when applying for a role with us.
This section brings together everything you need to succeed - from guidance on writing an authentic application to understanding how to use AI responsibly.
You’ll also find information about our Greater Manchester commitments, including our inclusive employment schemes and standards, as well as tools to help you explore your potential pay, benefits and entitlements. We’re here to ensure you have the support you need at every stage.
Working for a local authority in Greater Manchester
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Greater Manchester Good Employment Charter
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Our Guaranteed Assessment Scheme
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Greater Manchester Continuous Service Commitment
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Greater Manchester People Inclusion Standards
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Applying Authentically With AI: Our Greater Manchester Approach
Across Greater Manchester’s local authorities, we want to hear your genuine experiences, skills and motivations, expressed in your own words.
To keep our recruitment process fair and inclusive, please complete your application personally and follow the instructions carefully. AI can be used to support you - for example, to help structure your answers or as a reasonable adjustment - but your application should still reflect your authentic voice.
Applications that depend too heavily on AI‑generated content may not progress to shortlisting.
This guidance outlines acceptable and unacceptable uses of AI, along with suggestions for using it in a way that supports you while keeping your application true to you.
What Is AI and How Do We Use It Across Greater Manchester?
AI refers to technology that can create or refine content, such as text, ideas, summaries, or planning. It can help improve productivity, problem-solving, and creativity.
We’re open to using innovative digital tools where they can help us work smarter and deliver better services for our residents. However, every use of AI is carefully considered to make sure it is ethical, responsible, and aligned with public-sector values.
When it comes to recruitment, we take a human-centred approach.
This means:
A trained hiring manager reads every application
Shortlisting is based on objective criteria required for the job
Interviews are conducted in person or via teams by the hiring manager for the role
All hiring decisions are made by hiring managers, not algorithms
AI does not make decisions in our recruitment process and our managers are being upskilled to spot AI in applications, particularly when this might have been used in a way that doesn’t feel genuine. If something in an application raises a question or concern, we will test this out with assessments or at the interview stage to confirm authenticity.
Our aim isn’t to catch anyone out but to make sure we’re getting to know the real you, giving every candidate a fair chance and finding the right person for the role.
Using AI in Your Application
When it comes to job applications, what matters most to us is you. We want to see your personality, your experience, and what excites you about joining our team.
We recognise that AI can be a helpful tool to support accessibility during the application process. If you choose to use AI for support, please read the instructions carefully and make sure your application is written in your own words, reflecting your genuine skills, knowledge, experience and enthusiasm.
We’re looking forward to hearing your story.
How to use AI Effectively and Responsibly
Your application is your chance to show us:
Who you are
What you can bring
The values you hold
Why you want to make a difference
AI can help you organise your thoughts or improve clarity but it cannot express your unique voice, experiences, or motivations.
AI is most helpful when used to:
Help you structure the information you are providing to evidence the criteria
Give examples of how to use STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result)
Proof-read to highlight grammar or spelling errors
Provide inspiration if you're finding it difficult to find the right words to explain something
But remember: your honesty, lived experience, and motivations are irreplaceable.
Do’s and Don’ts for Using AI in the Recruitment Process
Do:
Use AI as a supportive tool, not a replacement
Ask AI to help tidy up your writing or clarify structure
Use it to brainstorm examples, then rewrite them in your own voice
Reflect on AI suggestions and adapt them to match your experience
Use AI to help with research, but express your understanding yourself
Don’t:
Copy and paste AI-generated content directly into your application
Let AI exaggerate or invent experience you do not have
Rely on generic statements that don’t reflect the specific role requirements
Remove your individuality, we want to hear your voice