Student Service Specialist and Lead, Technologies

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Internal posting will expire on December 11 2025 at 11:59 pm

Job Description:

Primary Purpose

The Student Service Centre (The Centre) is a unique one-stop service unit for undergraduate and graduate students that allows them the opportunity to have many of their non-academic needs met in one place. Partner departments include the Registrars Office Graduate Studies & Postdoctoral Affairs Student Awards & Financial Aid Student Financial Services Student Success Office and WatCard.

The incumbent represents these partner departments and provides proactive student-focused exceptional front-line service in a variety of formats to our diverse student population. The incumbent handles each interaction professionally effectively empathetically and in accordance with The Centres and the Universitys values with regard to student service diversity accessibility and inclusion.

This position is a senior position within The Centre. The responsibilities are evenly weighted to 50% Student Service Specialist duties and 50% Lead Technologies duties.

The Lead Technologies role is responsible to implement manage and maintain the various software platforms used to provide exceptional student service. Current platforms include but are not limited to: Microsoft Azure QnA Maker (chatbot) QFlow Systems back-end (queuing system); Jira Helpdesk (ticketing platform); Shopify (e-commerce); MyCreds (digital credentials); website.

Key Accountabilities

Service Delivery

Support future and current students by providing information in an accurate friendly empathetic student-focused and timely manner. The range of knowledge required is wide and varied.

Assist students by providing information primarily regarding admissions student records awards financial aid and the student financial account.

Inquiries will include but not be limited to: considering Waterloo application process course enrolment tuition and fee payments OSAP/bursary/award applications program changes withdrawals updates to personal information official grades enrolment verifications identity verifications convocation and official documents (University letters transcripts diplomas).

Triage the nature and complexity of inquiries and determine actions to be taken consulting with or handing off to partners as appropriate.

Maintain a student-focused mindset throughout despite workload demands and challenging interactions with students parents and guardians.

Proactively look for ways to enhance the students experience beyond their immediate request by being knowledgeable of additional or alternative options and resources available.

Produce official University documents including enrolment letters transcripts and diplomas.

Ensure a high degree of accuracy by conveying accurate and clear information to students and when producing official documents. Errors in this position can result in major negative implications to students and alumni. A high level of accuracy and attention to detail is required.

Excellent professional yet welcoming and friendly verbal and written communication is required as this position represents the university to prospective students current students and off campus stakeholders.

Verify student enrolment and alumni degrees for various purposes including employment immigration regional transit etc.

Verify the identity of an individual using procedures in place and have the discernment to recognize deception.

Update student records including name changes and course enrolment.

Must use discretion tact sound judgement and problem-solving skills and be able to know when and where to escalate an issue.

Remain friendly calm and clear-headed during situations where a student parent or guardian is upset and displeased.

Uphold privacy and confidentiality of student information as per Policy 46.

Propensity to work collaboratively in a team environment in particular with others who are performing the same role and who all rely on each other to complete the job duties.

Knowledgeable of our partner departments business processes and of faculty and university guidelines policies and procedures especially pertaining to academic progression student experience and success and privacy.

Accurately interpret and apply the appropriate regulations procedures and policies to the cases presented by students to offer them information concerning their situation and initiate a resolution of complex problems.

Administration Operations and Systems Support

Understand and support our various technology systems The Centre utilizes including the queuing system staff training and resource platform ticketing platform and digital credentialling system.

Able to adapt to new technologies and new business processes.

Responsible for opening and closing The Centre daily.

Receive payment for official documents bursary repayments and fines. Handle payments via cash debit credit card cheque or WatCard payment.

Maintain and organize confidential student records documents and forms.

Prepare packages for courier and regular mail often on tight timelines.

Knowledge Expertise and Continuous Improvement

Participate in ongoing training to ensure a deep knowledge-base in a wide variety of student service areas (i.e. Registrars Office Graduate Studies & Postdoctoral Affairs Student Financial Services Student Awards & Financial Aid Student Success Office) and the various Faculty Undergraduate and Graduate Offices.

Participate in training that involves equity inclusion diversity accessibility.

Continuously contribute to maintaining the integrity of the information resource platform that provides clear concise relevant up-to-date information to assist Specialists when interacting with students.

Be cognizant of new trends and issues surfacing for students that need to be addressed and provide insight and perspective into how to solve the issue.

Be adaptable to a changing environment where new trends and continuous improvement will influence business processes.

Technologies:

Available to Specialists on a daily basis to answer questions that arise

awareness of emerging technology systems that would benefit students and/or our business operations

ability to integrate technology with the needs of students and business processes

project manage the integration and implementation of new software platforms working closely with IST and other campus partners

involved in the procurement and implementation of new technologies and software platforms

fluent in our software platforms; establish and uphold the requirements of content and user experience

integrate software upgrades being cognizant of how this affects current business processes

react to the needs of students and staff to find software solutions to issues presented

Chatbot

-Curate a comprehensive clear friendly and succinct package of commonly-asked undergraduate and graduate student questions and answers written in the perspective of the student for easy searchability

-Use HTML coding to format and maintain the content

-Lead this initiative with other campus departments and provide them with insight direction and support

Queuing System

-Manage the back-end software platform including changes and/or updates to the kiosk hardware and software and classifications and categories within the program

-Manage QFlow access appointment bookings (including integration with Portal) calendar template notifications and Twilio account

Ticketing System

-Manage the software infrastructure including changes and/or upgrades

E-commerce

-Incorporate and integrate new products into the existing platform

-Initiate and manage changes and updates to current products

Digital credentials

-Maintain existing platform and any changes and improvements needed

-Incorporate and integrate new products into this platform

Livechat

-Maintain existing platform and implement and integrate new software

-Integrate this service into other existing platforms as appropriate

Website

-Manage and incorporate university-wide upgrades

-Maintain a dynamic clear accessible website that meets the needs of students and incorporates the latest trends and innovations in web design and user experience.

-Manage WCMS forms

Leadership:

The Leads positions are senior members of the team and as such provide a leadership role.

Leadership activities include providing day-to-day direction support and guidance to Student Service Specialists

Provide insight and guidance to the Director

Attend meetings with the campus community and external vendors and provide insight and opinion

In the absence of the Director attend meetings

In the absence of the Director handle escalated situations involving a student parent or guardian and determine a reasonable resolution that meets all needs

Be cognizant of workload issues within the team and be adaptable to adjust their own workload priorities quickly in order to meet our student service delivery standards.

Required Qualifications

Education

University degree in relevant field and/or equivalent work experience.

Experience

Minimum 2-3 years of experience in a front-facing service role preferably in a post-secondary environment. A proven ability to provide exceptional front-line service in a fast-paced environment.

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities

Excellent interpersonal problem solving written and verbal communication skills

Proven attention to detail

Ability to absorb large amounts of diverse information and details and then clearly and accurately condense and relay this information to multiple audiences

Demonstrated ability to handle confidential information with discretion

Ability and propensity to be part of a team including support others with workload demands

Strong student-service mindset

Ability to balance multiple priorities in a busy work environment

Ability to problem solve

Ability to provide leadership and guidance to peers

Ability to seek out and identify areas for improvement in business processes or issues or trends that need to be addressed and then implement solutions

Experience with the Microsoft suite an asset

Experience using Skype for Business an asset

Experience using a student information system an asset

Equity Statement

The University of Waterloo acknowledges that much of our work takes place on the traditional territory of the Neutral Anishinaabeg and Haudenosaunee peoples. Our main campus is situated on the Haldimand Tract the land granted to the Six Nations that includes six miles on each side of the Grand River. Our active work toward reconciliation takes place across our campuses through research learning teaching and community building and is coordinated within the Office of Indigenous Relations.

The University values the diverse and intersectional identities of its students faculty and staff. The University regards equity and diversity as an integral part of academic excellence and is committed to accessibility for all employees. The University of Waterloo seeks applicants who embrace our values of equity anti-racism and inclusion. As such we encourage applications from candidates who have been historically disadvantaged and marginalized including applicants who identify as First Nations Métis and/or Inuk (Inuit) Black racialized a person with a disability women and/or 2SLGBTQ.

Positions are open to qualified candidates who are legally entitled to work in Canada.

The University of Waterloo is committed to accessibility for persons with disabilities. If you have any application interview or workplace accommodation requests please contact Human Resources or ext. 45935.